INFO 562 The Jones Company – Assignment Solution
Case Study
The Jones Company
You have been hired as the new Logistics manager for the Jones Company, a manufacturer of electric generators. The previous manager briefed you on three major issues you need to address from day one. First, the stock clerks— who are primarily short-term employees and work part-time— are having productivity issues. The CEO has noticed a downward trend associated with the timeliness and waste in your department.
It has been reported that many employees spend work time on their phones, chatting at the water cooler, or playing cards in the breakroom. Secondly, there is a particular full-time Logistics employee (Mr. Smith) who has demonstrated a generally abrasive attitude towards the other employees. Smith has stated he would have make a better logistics manager than you, as he has been with the Jones Company for 15 years and knows everything about the Logistics department.
It would not be easy to replace him because he has a lot of experience and is a union employee. Third, there is evidence of significant pilferage of the inventory (generator parts and other company supplies) from the warehouse.
The company’s CEO (Ms. Watson) asked you for a full report on the three issues, and for your plans to fix them.
Assignment: Write a detailed 2-3 page report (single-spaced in Word-compatible format) to address the three issues. Use external sources (properly cited) to support your ideas and recommendations.
Objectives:
1) Discuss what you think the productivity goals in the Logistics department of this generator manufacturer should be, and how productivity can it be increased. Include potential causes and possible solutions for the problem.
2) Propose a way to address the problem with Mr. Smith. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of various alternatives.
3) Develop and discuss a plan to address pilferage in Logistics department.
