ToyTime Company Management Principles

ToyTime Company Management Principles Yuhong Dai Abstract This report shows the some management problems in the ToyTime company. I will using SWOT model analyze the problem (Question 2) and I will talk about management tools: KPI and SMART principleto solving the problem in the future. (Question 3). I will also mention some of my own opinions in the end. Introduction The company in accordance with the situation in previous years want to launch new toys. However, in the process is not very smooth.They expect sales to increase by 10% this year,but because the marketing manager Jacob Marks lack of communication with the production manager McConklin so because the raw material is not enough to lead,the ToyTime company can not supply new toys on time. Body of work QUESTION 1: What management problems are apparent in the ToyTime Company? Why have these problems occurred? Are the reasons related more to planning issues or to organizing issues in the company? -First of all, the biggest management problem is that the production of new toys can not satisfy market demand,I think it is because the marketing department and the product department did not achieve a common goal .Because of the introduction of new toys and the most positive response in the last five years,so the marketing department have projected that sales will be 10% higher this year than last.However, the product department just planning to raise inventory ,they do not have more communication with the marketing department.So that the raw materials not enough and new toys production can not meet the market demand.In my opinion,ToyTime Company tend to be management planning issue rather than other functions issue. Question 2: What is likely to happen to the company this year and in future years if the problem is not resolved quickly? -In this question ,we can use the SWOT model analyzing the problem in ToyTime company .S-strengths,W-weaknesses,O-opportunities,T-threats.I will use these four ways to analyze: Strengths: 1-Innovation. 2-Popular products. 3-Popular brand. 4-More clients. Weaknesses: 1-The goal is inconsistent. 2-The supplier is single. 3-All departments lack communication Opportunities 1-New toys development. 2-Demand is big. Threats: 1-Competitor. 2-Change in customer demand. According to analysis,we can see these main issues;the supplier is single,lack communication,there maybe competitors in the future .if the company not resolved quickly,then the companys economy will fall and they will lose potential clients.This would have a serious impact on the company. Question 3: Using the management tools discussed in your course, give examples of how each could be used to help solve the companys problems. -I will using Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to help solve the companys problems. Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives. First of all, assign tasks in different departments and determine the performance indicators of the employee inside the department. This can strengthen employees motivation. For example, if the ToyTime company uses KPI as a management tool, firstly we suppose one goal: overall profit growth is 10%.So each department manager has to achieve a consistent goal .Marketing manager set the goal for sales growth of 10%.At the same time ,production managers are targeting a 10%increase in production.Various departments work in accordance with the unified strategic goal to help goals to achieve.And they can uses the SMART principle :S-specific means the goal must be specific.M-measurable means the goal must be measured.A-attainable means the goal must be achieved.R-relevant means the goal has to be related to other goals.T-time-based means the goal must have a clear deadline.As we know,whether it is set up by a group or a persons personal work goals they can choose the SMART principle Question 4:What would you recommend right now that can help resolve the problems being faced by ToyTime? What should it do to avoid the same type of problem in the future? I will recommend two ways :one for short-term solutions and the other for long-term solutions. The best solution in short-term : Looking for some temporary raw material suppliers,make sure the new toys are available on time. The company can hire temporary employees because work has to be done in a short time.Make sure employees work hours. The best solution in long-term: 1.The departments will communication together, set a clear goal, assign tasks and work together and they should make contingency plan in the future . 2. ToyTime company could introduce one more new toys next year to attract children . Work with advertisers and TV , get the topic . Conclusion Above all, it is suggested that the ToyTime Company can use KPI management tool to help solve the companys problems and also can be identify by the SMARTprinciple.The departments are working in one direction to achieve the companys goals. Executive Summary Teamwork is the main ingredient in a company.Communication is the most part of teamwork,communication can solve the problem and the problem in the ToyTime company are mainly the lack of communication between the various departments.If this company want to solve the problem quickly I think they need to change some management methods.KPI and SAMRT principle are very useful management tools to change management methods.But this is my personal opinion. References List https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis https://www.klipfolio.com/resources/articles/what-is-a-key-performance-indicator http://wiki.mbalib.com/wiki/SMART%E5%8E%9F%E5%88%99

Measuring Quality Health Care

{draw:g} {draw:g} {draw:g} Why is a patient the most important thing when it comes to healthcare? Without a patient, there would be no healthcare. What do patients look for when it comes to getting care they need? I feel that cost is one thing, but the most important thing a patient wants is quality care. A positive patient outcome is one of the measures of quality health care. Additionally, health care workers have many roles when determining quality care. The main factor to a positive patient outcome is providing the patient with the best care that can be given. This includes what ever it takes medically to keep this person healthy. Many people are denied certain medical procedures due to the insurance company not providing the payment. Therefore, the billing clerk should try and see if there is a charity that is available or set up a payment plan. This is another approach that I feel is necessary in providing a positive patient outcome and quality care, watch for medical errors. Why? According to Stevens, there are over 50,000 people that die every year in a hospital or healthcare institution due to a medical error. Training employees and having an administrator over parts of the facility would help improve on errors. Training is the key to the problem. If an employee gets adequate training, then there is less of a chance for a mistake. Roles that health care workers have when determining quality care vary. The main role is assessing the patient, diagnose, monitor, observe treatments, and respond to changes. Other roles that are played if the patient is at home are making sure the patient is in a safe environment, communication with all parties involved, making sure the patient is eating and drinking well, keeping an eye out for changes, and make sure the patient is using proper hygiene. Measuring quality care is important for the patient as well as the facility. Without the patient, there is no facility. Keeping a patient happy, comfortable and healthy is important. There are many different roles provided by health care workers that are involved in a patient’s care, depending on the care the patient needs. The main thing is a positive patient outcome. What makes something positive? A positive health care worker makes a big influence on a positive outcome. References: Stevens, A. (2008) http://blog. sunbeltstaffing. com/medical-ethics/what-role-do-healthcare-worker

Mattel’s China Experience: A Crisis in Toyland Essay

In 2007, Mattel a California based toy company shockingly recalled 19 million toys that had been manufactured in China. Mattel was founded in 1944, and has produced iconic toys such as Barbie and Hot Wheels. The company had a long established trust with their consumers that had been forged from decades of reliability. However, when the company recalled 19 million toys due to health and safety violations, consumer confusion and outrage soared. The public wanted to know how such an established company’s safety regulations could fail, how Mattel was addressing the issue, and whether consumers could trust Mattel to produce reliable toys in the future. Mattel had been a long time leader in the toy industry. Mattel and its main competitor Hasbro held control of over a third of the toy market, even in an industry with over 900 manufactures. However, there had been shifting trends in the toy industry. New electronics and video games were becoming increasingly popular among older children. Since Mattel manufactured classic toys such as dolls, the shifting trend forced the company to focus on marketing towards young children under the age of 12. While this segment responds well to Mattel’s products, they also are the most at risk of endangering themselves. The younger the children, the more likely they are to put toys in their mouth. This behavior puts children at risk of choking or ingesting harmful chemicals. Even with new adversities in the toy industry, Mattel remained a global leader. As seen in Exhibit A, a SWOT analysis of the company, Mattel had many different strengths that kept it a favorite among consumers. Some of its most significant strengths included its reputable brand name among consumers and its successful marketing of toys through children’s entertainment. Even with changing toy preferences, Mattel was growing internationally. In Exhibit B you can see Mattel’s global sales. While Asia only made up a quarter of Mattel’s sales, they were forecasted to grow 25% annually. Sales in Asia could help combat Mattel’s plateauing market in the United States. The company seemed like it was in a strong position. As early as the 1970s Mattel was manufacturing products in China in order to  take advantage of lower costs and enable corporate resources to focus on establishing the brand. By 2007, nearly 65% of Mattel products were produced in China. Mattel used a combination of company-run plants and a network of contract manufacturers. Exhibit C displays a simplified example of Mattel’s supply chain after moving production to China. Global production obviously had major benefits for Mattel, the country factors of China gave it a comparative cost advantage over producing in the U.S., and outsourcing enabled Mattel to remain profitable in an increasingly competitive toy industry. However, outsourcing does have disadvantages, a global supply chain increases the challenges to regulate and enforce quality. While Mattel had been a leader in safety standard and regulation, even collaborating with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) as well as establishing Global Manufacturin g Principals (GMPs) the regulatory standards in place were not thorough enough. In 2007, quality issues surfaced within Mattel as various products were found to contain levels way beyond U.S. federal toy safety regulations. During the year, other issues surfaced with Mattel products surrounding the safety hazard of magnetic pieces used in their toys. By the end of 2007 Mattel recalled over 19 million toys. The recall of such large quantities of product left consumers shocked and demanding to know how Mattel could be so unreliable. The reason for the safety hazards in Mattel’s products was do to their lack of direct oversight of contract manufactures in China. Mattel wanted to cut manufacturing costs and decrease lead time, which resulted in increasing pressure by their contracted manufactures to find inexpensive materials quickly. Under the same cost-saving initiatives, Mattel was increasing the amount of goods at distribution centers making it more difficult to preform thorough quality checks. Had Mattel ensured their contracted manufactures were sourcing from proper suppliers, and preformed quality checks before products went to retailers, the recall most likely could have been avoided. Instead, Mattel set guidelines, and hoped on little more than good faith that they GMPs were followed. Hasbro, Mattel’s main competitor has a similar supply chain in place, but avoided the lead paint crisis due to their commitment to inspection. Hasbro set standards for lead paint that were higher than U.S. regulatory standards, and took proper measures to make sure their foreign contractors were also following the same standard. Hasbro  placed their own quality assurance inspectors on factory floors, and inspects each product again before it went to retailers. Hasbro’s extra commitment to quality helps the company deliver a safe and reliable product to customers. Due to the lack of quality management Mattel announced a voluntary recall of some products. While they did report the safety hazard, they reportedly took months to gather information and investigate the problem before publically announcing it. However, under regulatory rules, even potentially hazardous products are supposed to be reported within 24 hours. Mattel did explain to the customers that the lead paint was due to bad behavior by their contracted manufactures in China, easing many parents minds that Mattel would correct the issue. Then, Mattel actually apologized to regulatory officials in China, taking the blame for the quality management issue, especially since the dangerous magnetic toy component was Mattel’s design. This action left many customers wondering who was at fault and if they could trust Mattel again. While Mattel’s contracted manufactures should have been following the GMPs regulations set by the company, it is ultimately the responsibility of the company to ensure their employees are preforming to the proper standard. Parents just want to be sure that their young children will be safe playing with Mattel toys, even if the child puts the toy in its mouth. Establishing quality checks similar to Hasbro will enable Mattel to deliver a better regulated, and ultimately safer product to their customers. Exhibit D shows how where Mattel should place quality checks in their supply chain. Quality check one will ensure that the materials being sourced meet U.S. regulatory standards, even abroad. These types of checks could have helped Mattel avoid the lead paint recall. Quality check 2 ensures the overall standard of the product; this type of check could have helped the company avoid the flawed magnetic design recall. Having a global supply chain gives companies like Mattel many comparative advantages, such as lower production costs, but also comes with more responsibility to ensure product quality regulations. When Mattel failed to  take the proper precautions to thoroughly inspect their products they put young children at risk of exposure to hazardous materials. While this significantly damaged Mattel’s public reputation, the company can still take measures to improve its process. By implementing more quality inspections throughout their supply chain Mattel can avoid future scandals like the 2007 recalls, and gain back the trust of their customers. Exhibits: Exhibit A Mattel SWOT Analysis Exhibit B Exhibit C Mattel’s Supply Chain Exhibit D Mattel’s Improved Supply Chain Work Cited Vollmer, Sabine. â€Å"How to Become One of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.† How to Become One of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. CGMA Magazine, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Toy Safety.† Safe Kids Worldwide RSS. Safe Kids Worldwide, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. Hill, Charles W. L. Global Business Today. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2006. Print. Teagarden, Mary. â€Å"Mattel’s China Experience: A Crisis in Toyland.† Mattel’s China Experience: A Crisis in Toyland (2007): n. pag. Print.

Carl Bernstein And Bob Woodward - 846 Words

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