Galaxy Toys, Inc.

Since the production process is the core of a business, it is crucial to ensure that the production department is well-maintained and structured. The production center must be examined when the organization wishes to assess how it is performing. If something goes wrong in the production facility, the entire business should be affected. For instance, if a machine broke down, the business would be unable to continue producing without it unless it was mended or a new unit was purchased. The company will be unable to continue production until this issue is resolved, which will cause a delay in both production and client delivery. In order for the company’s efficiently production process, the company needs to focuson its workers and employees, their productivities, the staff and line arrangement and muchmore. High investment as in terms of spending much time on training and motivating workersand employees can get the company huge benefit, as highly trained and motivated workers andemployees will be able to provide best productivities and high turnover.

Part 1: Organizing

From the POLC model, organizing phase is a phase where the managers build up an organizational structure and assign the human, physical and financial resources to make sure the objectives and goals are achieved properly (Griffin, 2013). The manager will be taking a responsibility to ensure that the objectives and goals are met appropriately and achieve the best as a result. A manager can have many roles in the organizing phase of the POLC. One role would be an identification of activities. In an identification of activities, the manager needs to figure out about what are the activities that need to be implemented and make a list of what activities needed to get done. Another role a manager can take up is to organize those activities according to departments. Using a list of what activities needed to get done, the manager can divide them within many departments and hand them over to each assigned department in order for them to get those activities done. Another role a manager can get is to coordinate between authority and responsibility. Managers should ensure that everybody in the company is aware of the goals, objectives, and the organizational structure that is planned out by the manager.

The manager takes the goals and objectives that are organized in the planning phase and launches the arrangement of resources, which will complete the goals and objectives. In fact, the production manager has a responsibility to assemble all the resources that are needed to make sure that the company gets the production done efficiently (Griffin, 2013). Galaxy Toys Company has a production manager, Itza Yu, who will design the organizational structure for the company. Generally, an organization arranges their departments according to the organizational structure. For example, a production manager for a specific regional location. Below is the organizational structure regarding the line and staff members (Weber and Schäffer, 2008). This organizational structure represents the relationship between employees to another in the Galaxy Toys company. In addition, it also shows a big picture of how the entire company is structured as in terms of the line and staff (Weber and Schäffer, 2008). This also proves that top three level of organizational structure gets highest level authority of power, which means they have the ability to give out orders to other lower ranked employees and workers.

Organizational Structure

Based on Yu’s notes on the list of all short-term objectives, the objective that must be accomplished first is completing prototype toy trials and getting it approved by QC before October 31, 2017. The trial product should be double checked by quality control department first. As the quality control department has already checked out about how the toy will be produced as they will be able to start production of 1.5 million toys by January 2018 upon the approval from QC and that will be the second objective. The company needs to start their production on the time by January 2018 in order to be able to finish the production by May 31, 2018. As the third objective, the production manager should ensure that each plant should produce 375,000 toys in order to finish the production in a timely manner. That should be followed by the last objective Yu must accomplish and that is the shipping to customers. The production manager must ensure that all productions are ready to be shipped to the customer as the shipping to customers must start in June 2018.

Short Term Objectives

1

Prototype toy trials will be completed and approved by QC by October 31, 2017.

All materials must be purchased by and delivered to the production warehouse.

Prototype materials must be purchased by and delivered to the production warehouse.

3D machine & printers must be purchased and installed before the trial.

IT must confirm programming for 3D printers

3D machine & printer operators and other workers should be trained.

All personnel should be trained on new equipment.

2

1.5 million Toys will begin production by January 2018.

Hire new IT person to liaise with the IT department software and workers on the floor.

The production should start in a timely manner.

Additional personnel must be hired before the production starts.

Personnel for all production functions must be organized before the production starts.

Hire and train a backup personnel for existing staff (in case of emergency)

3

Each plant must produce 375,000 toys by May 31, 2018.

Maintain all plants and equipment to ensure that they carry on the production efficiently.

Hire additional personnel if needed in order to finish the production in a timely manner.

New packages should be palletized as soon as possible.

4

Shipment to customers will begin June 2018.

All productions should be packaged with packaging materials.

Ensure the quality control department checks out the production before letting shipping out to the customers.

Shipping should begin immediately upon final inspection from Quality Control.

Part 2: Leading Motivation

The production department has been given the order to complete the MMJTE1 toys productions and the Design & Engineering department has been working on maintaining 3D printers in order to make sure that the productions carry on efficiently. In addition, all personnel and employees are well trained on how to function the machine and 3D printers.

Seeing the speed and the accuracy of 3D printers, which makes MMJTE1 toys much better compared to the line staff and machine workers, older line staff and machine workers getting a concern on whether they will have a job next year. They are getting a feeling of job insecurity or laying off only because the 3D printers and other machines are producing in the fast speed with the accuracy. They are also getting a feeling of whether their work may be taken away by the modern technologies. As a result, they will keep thinking about where to get new jobs and how to plan their next job and etc. Their concern is very reasonable. When employees and workers get this kind of negative feelings, they tend to give out undesirable performances in their work and production (Griffin, 2013). This, eventually, leads to the lack of motivation for employees and workers. When there is a room for lack of motivation, employees and workers don’t tend to provide best productivities at their work. Therefore, the manager should always motivate and encourage workers.

Motivating employees can be a significant factor in encouraging them in order to increase their turnover. The production manager should start with motivating all employees with their own performance. They should talk through the whole conversation regarding what they feel and how they feel so that the manager can help in eliminating negative thinking and feelings. Communication is the key to a successful relationship between a manager and a worker (Griffin, 2013). Communicating helps employees and workers in clearing their misunderstandings and any other issues, and in boosting their confidences and morale. This will provide employees and workers a feeling of loyalty and trust. When employees feel job satisfaction at their workplace, they tend to provide best productivities and stay longer in that company.

Part 3: Control

Galaxy Toys Inc., have five production branches and they are Toledo, Huntsville, Dayton, Juarex, and White Plains. Out of all five production branches, White Plains and Huntsville have lower costs compared to the standard cost. The standard cost is $5.56 and White Plains has a cost of $5.45, which is $0.11 less than a standard cost. Compared to the standard cost, Huntsville has a cost of $5.52, which was $0.04 less than a standard cost. Both White Plains and Huntsville falls close to the standard quality control problem ratio and to the standard 3D problems. This means that both White Plains and Huntsville branches are performing well as in terms of minimizing its expenses and costs during the period of the production.

Based on the data chart regarding the Galaxy Toys’ entire production, it seems like Toledo, Dayton, and Juarez have many issues in quality control problems and 3D problems. The standard quality control problems ratio and 3D problems are 1 and 0.2% respectively. Toledo has a ratio of 2.5 in quality control problem compared with the standard quality control problem ratio. However, Toledo has 0.25 % of 3D problems, which means 0.05% more issue compared to the standard 3D problem. Dayton has a ratio of 4 in quality control problem compared with the standard quality control problem ratio. However, Dayton has 0.286 % of 3D problems, which means 0.086% more issue compared to the standard 3D problem. Of all branches, Juarez has a ratio of 8.75 in quality control problem compared with the standard quality control problem ratio, which means Juarez has the highest quality control problem ratio. However, Juarez has 0.4 % of 3D problems, which means 0.2% more issue compared to the standard 3D problem. Also, the branch seems to have technical issues and a shortage of skilled IT personnel, which is why the branch had highest technical issues that were not solved. Therefore, it kept causing same issues every once in a while and took a longer time to produce a piece compared to the standard time.

As in terms of a total number of pieces produced per year, White Plains has the highest number of pieces produced per year, which was 175,000 pieces more than the standard total number of pieces produced per year. Huntsville has a second highest number of pieces produced7 per year, which was 150,000 pieces more than the standard total number of pieces produced per year.

Using the data chart, anybody would be able to point out which measurable factors and which branches could use some improvements. As in terms of shipping problems/damage per 10,000 units, all branches have fewer possibilities for the shipping problems/damage to occur, which means the company will be able to deliver finished pieces to the customers. One big issue that needs to be improved is the training time per hour. The standard training time per hour is 30. However, all branches except Juarez branch, have used up lots of time in training their employees and workers for the efficient production. Juarez branch is lacking employees and workers’ training. Due to lack of training, employees and workers are not able to provide better productivities. Notice that White Plains and Huntsville have a training time per hour of 45 and 48, compared to the standard training time per hour. Those two branches have spent more time in training their employees and workers, which definitely proves that having well-trained employees and workers can increase a company’s productivities and provides best work performances. Overall, White Plains and Huntsville branches are performing well as in terms of the production and its outcomes. At last, the biggest area Yu should take corrective actions on is the Juarez branch.

Corrective Action

In the control function of the POLC, a corrective action means to recognize and take correct actions to improve the weak areas, which will help the company in improving its performances. Yu and his fellow managers should take corrective action for the Juarez branch by conveying their message to Juarez branch’s manager regarding how worse the branch is doing as in terms of the production. Almost all measurable factors in Juarez branch is not doing well as in terms of the productions. Another issue Yu and his fellow managers should take corrective action on is quality control problem for Dayton and Jaurez branch. Having 4 quality control problems per 500 units at Dayton branch and 8.75 quality control problem at Jaurez branch seems to be a huge problem as they cannot afford to make those mistakes.

Long-Term Planning

One recommendation would be is the maintenance and repair of the 3D printers. The branch managers have pointed out the issue on the 3D printers. Due to the efficiency of 3D printers, almost all branches are getting better productions as its outcomes. If the technical issue came out on the 3D printers and stopped working out of sudden, then they will have to get a skill IT trained personnel, who perhaps may be able to fix the technical issue. Considering the worse side, if a 3D printer did not start back again, then the company either have to acquire a new 3D printer or to stop the production until they don’t get a 3D printer that is actually working. This may result in loss of the production time and possibly in the entire production project. Losing the entire production project may lead to the company’s loss and this is most likely to hurt the long-term goal of the company.

Another recommendation would be is to go over the budget limit sometimes. Not all branches can do well every time. The branch managers have raised the issue that they were having a hard time finding qualified workers and keeping other workers without paying more than the budget had permitted (Weber and Schäffer, 2008). The company needs to know that it is absolutely okay to go over the budget limit if it does not hurt the company’s finance much compared to the loss of losing the whole project. For all branches, the production budget should not be restricted. Because workers are working in the production for the company, the company is doing well, otherwise, the company would not be performing well. The company needs to keep in the mind that workers and employees are the assets of the company and if they support the company, nothing can damage the company at all.

Last recommendation would be is to invest in training employees and workers well. If workers and employees are well-trained, they will be able to increase the company’s turnover. This, eventually, leads to the company’s benefits. In addition, the company should have a backup personnel for every production in every branch for the case of emergency.

References

Griffin, R. W. (2013). Fundamentals of management. Cengage Learning.

Weber, J., & Schäffer, U. (2008). Introduction to controlling. Schäffer-Poeschel Verlag für Wirtschaft Steuern Recht GmbH.