Strategic Plan in Improving Manufacturing Performance

Introduction

The strategic plan is set to improving manufacturing performance. It seeks to establish the baseline performance measures as they relate to the current quality. The focus of the plan is to improve the performance of employees through goals and rewards. The main aspects discussed include streamlining operations, the 360 feedback appraisal system, and implementing performance measures and rewards for good performance. Also, it discusses different types of rewards, their distribution criteria and the positive impact they will bring to the manufacturing company.

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Strategic Plan for Improving Performance

Firstly, this strategic plan entails streamlining operations of the company to remove redundant steps and improve efficiency. Streamlining may involve modernizing the current company's equipment and reducing low-performing products to focus on what the entity does best. Moreover, time is money, so the manufacturing company will attain various financial and operational advantages from streamlined operations (Lee & Lee, 2009). Another strategy to be employed under this step is the time management optimization, which will help in reducing the time taken to tackle a particular task in the manufacturing process. In addition to time management, this stage will involve leveraging of resource, which helps the company to minimize resources while maximizing outcome (Colquitt et al., 2011). In utilizing this, employees need to be informed of the objectives of the company. To accomplish this, minimization of input while optimizing output, the company will engage management in giving priority to essential matters of the company (Sallis, 2014). When the resources above are utilized well the company will perform excellently and gain a competitive edge in the manufacturing sector.

Secondly, the plan establishes the baseline performance measures to help in the evaluation of the overall company performance (Sallis, 2014). Using the 360 feedback method has been very useful in determining the quality of output based on feedback given by the co-workers. This feedback has helped to increase and enhance the effectiveness of each worker. Additionally, this feedback gives insight and skills to the employee in his or her working position (Lee & Lee, 2009). According to Lee and Lee (2009), the 360 feedback appraisal system enables each employee to discover his or her strengths and weaknesses and thus make necessary adjustments to improve.

The system can be used as a method of determining the most hardworking employee while rewarding, which brings transparency in the reward system (Griffin et al., 2010). This gives a positive feedback to the performance of the employees of the company enabling the company understand the performance of the company. According to Griffin et al. (2010), most of the big companies use the 360 feedback system to measure the performance of their business. Consequently, this 360 feedback system will bring several advantages to the company. It will enhance teamwork amongst all the employees making production more efficient, fast and of high quality. Also, it will improve organizational development and increase responsibility in career development. In those big companies, this method is used to promote employees and also demote others (Sallis, 2014). It has been found out that it is the most efficient and fair way to perform employee and company performance.

Similarly, this plan entails the use of rewards as motivating factors for employees. According to Griffin et al. (2010), rewards within the organization can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic rewards are not physical rewards, and therefore, they are not tangible. Instead, they are emotionally connected with workers. Some of the examples of intrinsic rewards include recognition, words of praise from management, work freedom, and sense of achievement. An intrinsic reward is related directly to employees' job performance since a successful task produces it. On the other hand, the extrinsic rewards are materialistic, and therefore, they are tangible. These are purely from the employer and they can form emotional connection with the employees as workers value such rewards. They help one to feel appreciated and recognized. In giving such rewards, it shows that the company is heading in the right direction and also the performance of the overall company has improved (Griffin et al., 2010). Some extrinsic rewards include pay, promotion, bonus, commission, and fringe benefits such as a company's car and free health insurance. Rewards help employees to feel recognized and appreciated therefore, helping them put more effort in the accomplishment of the company's mission and vision.

In distribution of the rewards, there are basis of the exercise to avoid biasness. When people are treated fairly they tend to team up as a single entity in focus to achieve the goals set. The bases for the rewards include the level of performance and effort applied in different departments (Griffin et al., 2010). Some employees are more hard-working than others thus distinction is important. In management the rewards are distributed based on skills, job difficulty, and discretionary time. Mainly, this will help in appreciating of the dedication shown by the employees in helping accomplish the mission and vision of the company. However, in choosing the winners the company has to decide on the fairest method (Lee & Lee, 2009).

Additionally, the method must be able to accommodate all people and be applied in all levels of award giving. Moreover, deciding on the best reward to give to the various departments must be decided decisively (Sallis, 2014). It is a concrete and complex exercise that may not satisfy everybody but it is an important tool to measure company performance. Every company has the desire of treating its employees fair. On the other hand, it is the desire of every employee to be treated equally with other workers (Griffin et al., 2010). When the company and the employees feel that they are treating each other fairly the result is improved overall performance.

Nonetheless, the company will gain advantages from the empowering employees. Employees will be satisfied leading to low turnover (Griffin et al., 2010). Thus, the entity will retain talent and also attract competent, consistent and committed employees that will bring additional skills and knowledge to the organization. In addition, quality of work will be improved as employees will be more efficient while performing their tasks (Sallis, 2014). Consequently, the company will exhibit high productivity and profitability, which will help it gain a competitive edge in the manufacturing sector.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this plan has detailed the ways through which performance can be improved in the company through goals and rewards. In particular, to achieve improved performance, the company has to; leverage resources and empower employees through streamlining operations, implementing the 360 feedback systems, and rewarding employees through intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for their good performance. High employee performance will translate into high organizational performance regarding fast manufacturing and improved quality of products. In summary, goals and rewards improve the performance of employees and the overall organizational productivity. Consequently, the manufacturing company can achieve its desired outcome of high profitability and competitive advantage in the manufacturing sector.

References

Colquitt, J., Lepine, J. A., Wesson, M. J., & Gellatly, I. R. (2011). Organizational behavior: Improving performance and commitment in the workplace. McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Griffin, R. W., Moorhead, G., Calhoun, J., Rhoades, M., Kanakes, K., Rose, S., ... & Dare, J. M. (2010). Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations.

Lee, J., & Lee, D. R. (2009). Labor-management partnership at Korean firms: Its effects on organizational performance and industrial relations quality. Personnel Review, 38(4), 432-452.

Sallis, E. (2014). Total quality management in education. Routledge. Vol 1.