Hypercase Problems
Eric Trani Diagnosis of Problems-Training and MIS Organizational Issues: The organizational problems start up top with the senior management at Maple Ridge Engineering. It was the senior managers who theorized that a consolidation of the training and MIS departments would work well for the company. This was due to the fact that the two departments sometimes overlapped and partly due to the fact that the MIS department was the smallest of all departments in the organization. However, senior management did not have the foresight to be ready for potential unrest of employees unhappy with the consolidation. The senior managers are reluctant to invest in systems that would have a positive impact on organizational performance, which is handcuffing the company, and falling behind competitors. MRE’s earnings from new client contracts have fallen about 5 to 10% per year since the late 80's, and the number of new clients per year is not increasing. This is a major problem that has obviously not seen improvement for years. The company does not offer what competitors in the field can offer. CD-ROM training and discounted training offered by the competition are, in turn, a major weakness for MRE since they do not offer these discounts or services. Personnel Issues: There is a major difference in personalities between the two departments. A merger of analytic employees with artsy employees did not work out as an efficient merger. Also, the two departments do not see eye-to-eye on the choice of hardware/software. More importantly is the unrest of certain employees who are unhappy with the merger of Training and MIS. Unit leaders admit feelings of tension and even disruptive memos from the most unhappy employees. The training people are upset with the fact that more computerized methods and systems used by MIS. They prefer the use of the old PSRS which some consider to be outdated and slow. Systems Issues: The leading systems concern expressed by the new department’s