In as much detail as possible answer the following: Remember to PARAPHRASE, do n

Question

In as much detail as possible answer the following: Remember to PARAPHRASE, do not cut and paste from the textbook or any source.

CASE STUDY.

CLIFTON METAL WORKS 23
Clifton Metal Works (CMW) was founded in the mid- 1940s by Donald Chalmer in a 3,000-square-foot building with nine people as a small family business to produce custom machined parts. In the 1960s, as business grew, the company expanded its facilities and its capability to develop its own tooling patterns, eventually moving into a 40,000-square-foot building. However, as technology advanced, small family businesses like CMW met stiff competition. To survive, the company knew it had to listen more to its customers. From surveys and focus groups, the firm discovered that customers were not happy with the quality of the products they had been receiving. In 1985, CMW made a commitment to quality by hiring a quality assurance manager, Paul Levitt. Driven by the Deming philosophy, the company developed a variety of quality approaches and eventually became ISO 9000 certified in 1998. CMW made some substantial improvements in the quality of its products, particularly reducing scrap and reject rates. Paul worked closely with the factory workers directly responsible for the products, asking them what they needed to get the job done and ensuring management commitment to provide the necessary resources. For example, CMW invested in computer-based statistical process control technology, which enabled workers to monitor their processes and adjust them as needed. The success of this project led the company to empower employees to control many other aspects of the system. Business remained steady, but after hearing presentations from some Baldrige winners, Chalmer realized that a lot more could be done. In 2005, he hired a senior executive for performance excellence, James Hubbard. Hubbard saw an opportunity to change the company’s culture and introduce many Baldrige principles he had learned in his previous job at a manufacturing firm that had applied the Baldrige criteria for many years. One of the first things he did was to review the current mission statement, which had remained relatively untouched since 1985: Our mission at CMW is to improve the return on investment. We can accomplish this by changing attitudes and incorporating a quality/team environment. This will improve the quality of our products, enhance our productivity (which in turn will allow us to quote competitive prices), and elevate our service and response level to our customers. There are several factors which make positive change imperative. The standards for competitive levels of quality and service are becoming more demanding. The emergence of the“World Market”has brought on new challenges. We are in a low-growth, mature market. In order for CMW to improve return on investment, we must develop a strategy to improve quality and responsiveness in all areas of the company. We need to have all employees recognize the importance of product quality and service and move toward more favorable pricing. We need to change thinking throughout the organization to get employees involved, to encourage teamwork, to develop a more flexible workforce and adaptable organization. We need to instill pride in the workplace and the product. We believe that we can best achieve the desired future state by study of and adherence to the teachings of W. Edwards Deming. Hubbard did not feel that this mission statement provided a clear and vivid direction, especially in the twenty-first century. Consequently, he set up a planning retreat for senior management (including Chalmer) to develop a new strategic vision.

Discussion Questions:
1. Comment on the current mission statement. Does it provide the strategic direction necessary for success for this company?

2. How can the mission statement be improved? Suggest a better statement of mission, vision, and guiding principles.

Explanation / Answer

Mission statement - it was changed from the focus of making revenues to a new focus of improving quality and therefore the new mission statement was to incorporate quality team environment

Yes having quality frameworks to operate both teams and environment does contribute a lot necessary for success in the company

2. Misson statement - there are no hard rules to improve mission statements , the only principle that applies to it is that the scope of mission statement can be broadened

there is no such thing called a bad or a good mission statement

It is all within the scope of a mission statement what it aims to achieve

in this given case ,further improment to the mission statement can be brought by incorporating CUSTOMER FOCUS along with the quality plan which is already in place

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