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Problem Solution: Riordan Manufacturing

MBA/530 Human Capital Development

Introduction
Riordan Manufacturing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Riordan Industries, is a well-established global plastics producer employing 550 individuals and projected annual earnings of $46 million. The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of Riordan's business situation, identify challenges and opportunities, suggest end state goals and lay down plan for realizing those goals. Realizing opportunities can help to take a long-term perspective while meeting immediate needs, and can help focus on creating value in the long-term for all stakeholders.
The process used to identify the above is the nine-step problem-solving process. This paper details all the nine steps of the process.
Describe the Situation
Riordan Manufacturing is a global plastics producer employing 550 people with projected annual earnings of $46 million. The company is wholly owned by Riordan Industries, a Fortune 1000 enterprise with revenues in excess of $1 billion. Production is divided among three plants: plastic beverage containers in Albany, Georgia; custom plastic parts in Pontiac, Michigan; and plastic fan parts in Hangzhou, China. Research and Development is conducted at corporate headquarters in San Jose, California. Riordan's major customers are automotive parts manufacturers, aircraft manufacturers, the Department of Defense, beverage makers and bottlers, and appliance manufacturers.
Recently, Riordan made several strategic changes in the way it manufactures and market its products. Declining sales and uneven profits over the past two years not only forced the company to change its sales approach but also prompted them to adopt a new customer-relationship management (CRM) system. Sales teams rather than single salespeople now service customers with each team focusing on a particular customer segment. Teams typically include a sales person, product engineering specialist and customer service rep. The plan is that the team approach...