BUS FPX 3011 Assessment 2 Planning and Organization BUS-FPX3011 Fundamentals of Management CEO & Corporate Initiative Summary

Mary Atha, the Chief Executive Officer of Atha Corporation, has communicated a revised sales target, which will be supported by an investment from a venture capital firm. To achieve this ambitious goal of doubling the current fiscal year’s sales, the management team is tasked with developing a departmental response plan that aligns with this corporate initiative. Corporate leadership has emphasized key features that must be addressed while also requesting a consideration of current and future challenges in our strategic plan. This development strategy will effectively utilize our limited resources through careful planning, strategic leadership, and control mechanisms within the department. To minimize errors, we will learn from previous growth initiatives that were underutilized and establish a community board to facilitate communication among management regarding thoughts and ideas. The executive team at the corporate headquarters expects the distribution center to boost productivity and has mandated that management set realistic goals and objectives to meet the targets set for the company, its employees, and investors. The objective of doubling sales will be executed with a focus on considering all stakeholders and their needs while establishing a tangible plan that the company can realistically implement.

Department Solution

To reach the sales goal of doubling current sales at Atha Corporation, we propose several strategic initiatives. First, training programs will be instituted for both the Sales and Management departments, aimed at enhancing the skills of all Sales Representatives and Customer Service Representatives. This upskilling is essential to elevate sales performance and manage an anticipated increase in customer service requests. Additionally, we will introduce a third overnight shift to meet the rising demand associated with new sales, thus alleviating the burden on current staff and avoiding overtime costs. Current employees will have the opportunity for promotion, with one employee being elevated to the role of the new third-shift supervisor from either the first or second shift. This promotion is expected to boost employee motivation and morale. Furthermore, we will enhance employee satisfaction by improving break room facilities and offering weekly incentives. To ensure smooth operations, a new maintenance schedule will be implemented for equipment due to the additional shift and usage. Finally, an advertising campaign will be launched to promote brand awareness and further drive sales through the efforts of our newly trained sales representatives.

Strategic Departmental Objectives

The Strategic Departmental Objectives will employ the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework. These OKRs will focus on team and departmental objectives, particularly increasing current sales figures. At its core, this framework serves as a simple yet effective tool to align and engage all employees around measurable goals. It is a systematic approach to goal-setting that prioritizes the most significant objectives, linking employee work to the organization’s overall mission. OKRs foster clarity, align the organization, connect employees to business goals, enhance individual performance, and yield better results. The structure of the OKRs follows the format: “We will accomplish ‘X’ objective as measured by ‘Y’ Key Result” (WorkFront). We will utilize these objectives to assess company goals before the start of each quarter, cascading them down from executives to departments, teams, and individual contributors. Collaboration will be encouraged, and bottom-up objectives will be integrated to foster greater buy-in and commitment among employees through goal-setting and rewards.

Are the team or departmental objectives connected with our top company goals?
The departmental objectives are fully aligned with the corporate goal of doubling sales, achieved through effective planning, implementation of the proposed solutions, and control measures to evaluate the outcomes of these objectives.

Do the team or departmental OKRs make it more likely that the company will achieve its overarching goals?
When proper procedures are adhered to, the objectives should be met and evaluated through quantitative results.

Proposed Timeline

The proposed timeline for implementing these initiatives is as follows: