Case Analysis free essay sample

Strategic Human Resource Management Unit 1 What is Strategic Management, and why is it critical to the success of an organization in meeting its goals and mission? Strategic management is setting priorities and goals within a business. It’s used with upper management to strengthen a company and prepare for future outcomes. Making a product that is highly profitable and easy for customers to use and benefit from is the main focus of Apple, Inc. The organization of Apple, Inc. started in the 1970’s and has been very profitable since. In 1978 they sold the Apple II and made billions of dollars from the product in less than three years. Between 1983 and 1984 Apple, Inc. lost sales and have fell into a crisis because of the slow processor speed and the compatible software. During this time it was hard for the organization due to competition. The problem Apple Inc. was facing at this time is other companies have found easier and faster ways for people to use the different products other than Apple, Inc. (1) Engineering: The SIMBA program was designed to fundamentally change the product architecture and the design process; it reduced the number of modules in use and lowered project cost throughout the value chain. 2) Supply Chain: The TQM and ACE empowered employees to identify and solve problems while at the same time practicing continuous improvement. Otis streamlined manufacturing operations and reorganized to be a new single supply chain and logistics management function. (3) Sales and Field Operations: The SIP program gathered best practice from around Otis and made these into standard processes across the whole organization. (4) e*Logistics: This initiative provided IT systems to facilitate business processes re-engineering that was taking place throughout the company. It became the mean for connecting sales, factory, and field operations through the Web. All of these IT tools were servicing the whole strategy of Otis turning form a manufacturer into a recognized leader in service excellence. Every initiatives adopted in each department were not very comprehensive but truly optimized the work processes and improved innovation, quality, cost and speed. Maybe the above factors led to Otis’s success in 2004. 3. An Otis manager states that â€Å"with the e*Logistics program, best practice from SIP are baked into the organization and institutionalized to achieve continuous transformation. How do the systems that comprise the e*Logistics program bake in an institutionalized best practice? To achieve continuous transformation, the e*Logistics program makes sure the business process change sticks by adopting every key processes and corresponding elements. (1)Project Proposal: This new process solidified ommitment for the estimates and enhanced the cooperation between sales and filed-installation function by requiring the practices derived from SIP. Also, the processes such as gathering account information were changed into automated and data integrated after the e*Logistics program was launched. 2)Sales Processing: The e*Logistics program automated all the workflow of the sales activities in SIP and electronically circulated key documents to all the appropriate supervisory personnel. It helped manage lead time, reduce inventory levels and eliminate waste throughout the value chain as well as record changes in supply chain. (3)Order Fulfillment: The creation of CLCs helped Otis shifting form. It handled all logistics and information flows between subsystem integrators (SSIs) and integrated all of the processes such as selling and servicing products. 4)Field Installation: With the e*Logistics program, all the involved parties were asked to focus on managing to a delivery date based upon ideal site conditions. This allowed SIP to maintain lean manufacturing flows and low inventory levels. (5)Closing Activities:It helped to generat e more accurate billing of changing orders,higher conversion of new equipment to maintain contracts, and faster collections. All the new processes in selling, ordering, and shipping of the e*Logistics helped to bake best SIP practice into the organization.