...the Ontario Ministry of Education contracted IBM in order to find a solution to its poor knowledge management. After having examined the organization thoroughly, IBM consultants found five drawbacks: “much of the ministries’ knowledge was tacit, documented knowledge was difficult to locate and share, there were significant cultural issues that inhibited knowledge sharing, EDU has a week knowledge-sharing infrastructure, and managers could not readily identify experts in relevant fields”. As a result, Kathryn Everest, a knowledge management consultant at IBM Canada, developed three options that would be beneficial to the organization and possibly resolve the problems mentioned above. They included document management, communities of practice, and the creation of an expert directory. After much time spent determining which option, or combination of options, would be most beneficial as well as the best implementation plan, Issue Statement International Business Machines (IBM) was founded in New York in 1911 through the merger of three smaller companies and has come to be one of the most profitable and internationally recognized “provider[s] of technology products, services and management consulting.” IBM Canada, headquartered in Markham, Ontario, is responsible for “marketing and service of IBM products” throughout the country. In 1999, IBM created its Knowledge and Organizational Forum, in which both private and public sector organizations come together in order to discuss...
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...general consensus by renowned economists are clear: Increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 would be beneficial to the economy, especially in the lower and middle classes. The individuals making wage are not overwhelmingly teenagers. A majority of the people making under $10.10 are women, average aged 35 and support more than one person (“Minimum Wage, Who Makes It?”). Because of these slanted figures compared to non-minimum wage jobs, increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 has the capability of bringing up the salary of 28 million Americans,...
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...Problem Solution: InterClean, Inc. InterClean, Inc. is an industry leader in the industrial cleaning and sanitation industry. Over the years the company has graduated from being a spray and wipe products but rather a solutions and services industry. InterClean, Inc. is trying to make the transition from being a solely sales-based organization to a solutions-based organization. The company has acquired Envirotech in an effort to be a fully all inclusive organization. This has prompted various changes in the organization. In the following paper I will discuss issues and opportunities that could possibly face the company, stakeholders that are involved, alternative solutions, an optimal solution and the implementation of that solution. Situation Analysis Issue and Opportunity Identification The new strategic direction that InterClean, Inc. is undertaking has led to a few very distinct issues. The issues have presented the company with new opportunities to better itself. The CEO of Interclean has determined that the employees of the company have low morale. There needs to be some type of employee motivation. The company will be adding new workshops that will instill confidence and get the employees excited about the changes that will be happening. Pay and other rewards can stimulate employee effort toward reaching key goals—such as high performance (Dreher & Dougherty, 2001). Training and developing employees is necessary with all companies. In the Interclean scenario it highlights...
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...Analysis of Starbucks Delivering Customer Service Problem statement: • In 2002, market research has shown that Starbucks has a gap in meeting its customer’s expectations in terms of customer satisfaction. • On interpretation the marketing research data, Christine Day, Senior Vice President concluded that the speed of service was the main reason for this decline in customer satisfaction. So she proposed to improve the service time such that each order is served within 3 minutes. • However, this solution would cost Starbucks 20 additional labor hours per week thereby $40 million per year. Is 20 seconds increase in speed of service really worth $40 million per year? Situation Analysis: Customers: The demographics of a typical Starbucks customer have changed drastically in the recent years. • From Exhibit 8 in Starbucks case document newer customers of Starbucks are younger, less well-educated, low income, less frequent visited to the coffeehouse and had very different perceptions. • The overall attitude of Starbucks is very low on 25% by new customers whereas the regular customers stood in 44%. • While many factors influenced customer satisfaction, overall service and speed of service were identified as the most influential; a quick glance at Starbucks's recent customer satisfaction (Exhibit 10 and Exhibit 11 in Starbucks case document) reveals that customers did in fact express dissatisfaction with the efficiency and speed of service. • From Exhibit 9 in the...
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...Executive Summary Mr. Li has an opportunity with Unicon to direct it in a new, and focused direction. With its competitive advantage it has established with the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA). I recommend pursuing the blanket approval process with HKHA. These efficiencies could prove beneficial for both parties as this will greatly reduce lead time and costs. Façade and slabs are the growing trends in the industry and will allow Unicon to take advantage of the cost savings that come with it. * No longer a need for engineered documents, saving on time and engineering costs. * Job security * Operational efficiencies * Holding inventory * Reduced lead times * Product standardization The tradeoffs that are implied with this move is worth the risk of this approval process. There is potential for savings upwards to HK150,000 per block. An approximate saving of over 1 million based upon the 179 blocks per year projection from the HKHA. Once this approval is agreed upon and the contracts awarded. I recommend a detail review of Unicon current product lines and completely outsourcing the stair production line. After a 6th month time, I recommend we review our production efficiencies and look into expanding our production facility as our three remaining products are now made-to-stock. Issue Identification Concrete Construction Market: • Precast Concrete Products sold to General Contractors in Hong Kong • 2 Options for building, Traditional Method...
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...Eng 315 Eng 315 Lisa McCarroll Justification Report – Part 2 Professor Renee Pistone Lisa McCarroll Justification Report – Part 2 Professor Renee Pistone 08 Fall 08 Fall Introduction To tip or not to tip, that is the question. Tipping, a tradition for the past 150 years according to Time article, Why Some Restaurants Have Declared War on Tipping, is a staple in our society. It is a staple that has carried racial, cultural and gender biases. It is a staple that has also prompted an unbalanced pay for skilled workers. Problem Is tipping helping or hurting the restaurant industry. A trend has been observed where our lunch staff are barely making any money working their shifts to make it worth working. Because of th. Alternative A – Shorten shift with as needed expansion hours One option is to shorten the shift the therapist is scheduled to work, with the option to open availability should the shortened shift be booked and more availability is needed. This would condense the available appointments to either morning or evening and prevent such a large schedule gap. Alternative B – Compensation Option for Unbook Session Another option would be to provide partial compensation for unbooked session. Each therapist is required to make state law minimum wage (NJ $8.38 p/h). Each session is paid at $16 per session with optional gratuity typically ranging between $15 & $20 per session. What typically happens, should a therapist not be fully book during the...
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...• offered competitive prices, high levels of support • properly identify market segments, • analyze the requirements and profitability of each segment, and develop more accurate demand forecasts. • cut on the standard supply chain cycle and deliver goods directly from the manufacturer to the customer. • turn its inventory over 60 times a year • introduced new products without having to clear out old inventory in the channel • minimize the rapid depreciation costs that mark the PC industry • operated on a negative cash conversion cycle – by receiving payment from its customers before it paid its suppliers for components • build strong, stable relationships with the large corporations and other organizations who are its core customers Issue Identification Ford continues to face increased completion from foreign competitors while operating in an industry that is experiencing significant over-capacity. In the face of the challenges presented to us, we must determine if Ford should embrace the direct business model which utilizes “virtual integration” that has driven Dell to become a clear leader in their industry. Further, if we chose to utilize “virtual integration” based on the Dell model, we will need to develop and implement significant changes in the some of our most fundamental supply chain operations. In addition, we must determine how Ford should utilize emerging information technology to transform the way we interact with supply chain members. While...
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...published in 2016. The functional argumentative strategy against capitalism is based upon the premise that capitalism does not fulfill the purpose for which it was created in the first place. Dysfunctionality, in this context, refers to the inability of a system to perform adequately the tasks for which it was established. As simply described by the author, “something is functionally deficient means that it is not functioning as it is supposed to be” (Jaeggi 48). Nevertheless, this approach to critique capitalism falls apart as it fails to define properly the purpose of capitalism. Capitalism main’s purpose is to enlarge the economic pie in order to allow every single person to be wealthier than he was in the past. Although there is a large gap in salaries between workers and the capitalists nowadays, people still earn more on average than their twentieth century counterparts. Thus, capitalism was consistent with its function of improving the economic situation of the overall...
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...1. What would you do if you were Black? First, I would meet with the female supervisors to discuss the results of the compensation study and apologize for the pay gap. Then I would inform them that they will receive salary increases effective immediately. Thirdly, I would have an open discussion regarding back pay. I would explain to them that while I intend to compensate them fully which would include back pay; I would like to discuss payment options related to the back pay. I would ask them to consider allowing the company to setup an installment plan for their back pay. I would present the proposition in such a way that it would allow the females to negotiate the time frame for payments. I set up the situation in such a way that I can exceed their expectation for example asking them to allow the company to pay them in installments over the course of the next five years when in fact we would really like to pay them over the course of three years. I would not discuss how the salary inequity occurred, however I would definitely discuss the policies and procedures that I would be establishing to prevent this situation occurring again. , I also would reiterate how much I truly value them as employees. Lastly, I would have a meeting with all of the supervisors to inform them that I would be making adjustment to some of the salaries to ensure that all employees are compensated equally across the board. The new compensation plans would presented at this time as well. Anyone with...
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...Background Richard Loat, founder of the non-profit organization, Five Hole for Food, begins his successful operation in 2010, in an effort to raise food donations for the Food Banks in Canada. His initial idea of organizing street hockey games on a cross-Canada road trip tour using online social media and volunteers, with the goal of gaining food donations to benefit the Food Banks in various cities along his journey proves to be successful. Much to his surprise, his adventure turns out to be, not only lucrative and rewarding; it becomes an opportunity to raise awareness for the growing cause of people in need. He goes on to his second year, gaining momentum with sponsors, volunteers, support for the games and most of all, food donations which greatly exceeds their expectations. The remarkable reputation of Loat and his talent for continued success in gaining help on a volunteer basis via his internet network, as well as 100% of the donations going directly to the Food Bank, leads them to find ways of perpetuating the organization. Problem With the full responsibility of organizing and operating Five Hole for Food, Loat becomes concerned with the fate of his charity and looks for ways to perpetuate the cause without compromising his grassroots basis. He looks at options for future success of the organization where his legacy can continue on a volunteer basis, with the majority of donations going to those in need, along with for ways to keep up with increasing demands for expansion...
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...The Curriculum Vitae, (C.V.) has been used by candidates to introduce themselves and their skills, character and ambitions, to prospective employers for many years. Employers on the other hand, have used the very same document as a way of assessing a candidate’s potential suitability for employment in all parts of their business. In both cases, the people using the C.V. are aiming to get to the same point; a capable and suitable candidate being interviewed for whatever vacancy is currently available. Many highly skilled and proficient candidates fail to get interviews, simply because their C.V.’s are poorly laid out, fail to highlight relevant skills and experience, are too long winded, or, in some cases, something as trivial as using an inappropriate typeface. The following seeks to investigate what needs to be considered in order to produce an effective C.V. based on the individual concerned and the type of role being applied for. The first thing that needs to be considered is the style and layout of the document. There are three mainly accepted styles, the most commonly recognised being the Chronological C.V. , where each period of employment is listed in reverse chronological order. This is most useful in highlighting career progression over a period of time. It allows opportunity to highlight skills and achievements at the same time as showing the kind of organisation a candidate has worked in. This could be useful if the experience gained was with a respected company...
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...Introduction to Payroll Management Dual Digital Media Issues 1. Centralize payroll -selecting a payroll system to accommodate all aspects of DDM needs 2. Restructuring/Reorganization of employees 3. Processing of Executive Payroll, this should be done by payroll not the executive assistance 4. No vacation policy in place 5. Develop attractive compensation & benefit package in order to recruit and retain employees Analysis Stakeholder, Opportunities, Barriers, Resources The announcement of this revolutionary change, myself the payroll manager, and management staff can expect a variety of reactions from internal stakeholders. Many employees will be concern about their future at DDM, as centralization is usually an indication many positions will be eliminated. The strategic business decision of centralizing all support services open the doors to many new opportunities. From a payroll perspective the centralization will allow payroll professionals to gain knowledge of different jurisdiction legislative laws, understanding collective agreements and also obtain training in processing U.S. payroll and learning new payroll system. While there may be employees that will be eager to embrace this change, this announcement may also bring on job security concerns to payroll employees at different sites. Many employees may be upset and angry because the centralization may mean that their positions will be eliminated. This can definitely impact...
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...Running head: GAP ANALYSIS: INTERSECT INVESTMENTS Gap Analysis: Gene One Stacy Starkes University of Phoenix May 17, 2010 Gap Analysis: Intersect Investments Gene One is a ground-breaking Biotech organization that has been faced with many issues. The organization has been forced to expand at a rapid rate to meet the organizational goals of becoming one of the leading organizations in the biotech industry. In order to compete with the ever increasing biotech industry, the CEO and the board of directors believe that going public within the next three years would be beneficial for the organization. By making the appropriate choices of becoming a publically traded organization, Gene One will bark upon a journey that will help them to revolutionize and to use cutting edge technology of eliminating pesticides on tomatoes and potatoes to meet the organizational goals. The rapid growth rate took the organization from a small $2 million start-up company to more than a $400 million in annual sales. Therefore, by implementing an IPO strategy and implementing other strategic goals will help fulfill the organizations growth target and prove the organization is worthy of its capabilities. In addition, the method of benchmarking can help Gene One to succeed and enable the organization to find the necessary solutions to the most pressing and immediate issues. According to The Benchmarking Exchange (2010), “Benchmarking is the process of measuring an organization's internal processes...
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...located in the pit, making her research more difficult. One of the alternative means Molly used to find information was through Geoarchaeology. She took soil samples...
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...Possible name of brand is “WaterBlue,” to keep in touch with the president’s desire to incorporate the Blues musical style, then slightly tint the glass blue. · Place: Since the company is well-funded, distribution of the product should be nationwide and possibly sign a contract with a national retailer to promote. Biggest competitor would be with other bottling companies that sell water in glass bottles versus plastic such as San Pellegrino water which is sold at multiple retailers. · Price: Although popularity has risen after the knowledge of leaching chemicals in plastic water bottles and with glass’s resurfacing, it still remains to be slightly more expensive then it’s plastic counterpart. Keeping the price low would be beneficial for consumers as a way to try and have them go the healthier route. Not too low that the company won’t make a minor profit, but enough to be...
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