General Motors Powertrain Group plant, Fredericksburg

General Motors Powertrain Group plant, Fredericksburg Free Online Research Papers General Motors Powertrain Group plant, Fredericksburg Joe Hinrichs has been named the new manager of the General Motors Powertrain Group plant, Fredericksburg. This plant is responsible for the manufacture of Torque Converter Clutches, an essential part in the marriage of automatic transmissions to automobile and truck engines. Hinrichs is a former engineer and recent graduate of the Harvard School of Business. Hinrichs has been charged with implementing a new process improvement program, driven by a new carbon fiber friction pad technology. Hinrichs’s success at the Fredericksburg plant is based on his ability to gain buy-in from union leadership, supervisors and employees though his gradual introduction approach. Hinrichs does not attempt to â€Å"rock the boat† more than is necessary and seems to understand the unique relationship that exists in this union-shop. One of the essential machines in the plant has broken, leaving Hinrichs with no other solution but to fix the broken machine. Three alternatives surface within minutes of Hinrichs’s discovery of a problem. One is to repair the machine, the second to replace the machine, and the third option to replace the die and either repair or replace the machine. It is my recommendation that Hinrichs replace the machine with new parts, ensuring the longevity of the asset and creating a symbolic gesture of good will with the laborers. Development on the new die and process improvement should continue, though at the slower buy-in speed that’s been socially accepted by union leaders, supervisors and employees of the plant. Background Joe Hinrichs (29), the youngest plant manager at General Motors, has been assigned to the Fredericksburg, VA plant. A recent graduate of the Harvard School of Business (MBA), Hinrichs a former engineer, is eager to begin his work at Fredericksburg. This installation is responsible for producing all of the Torque Converter Clutches (TCC) used to manufacture automatic transmissions for GM. In 1996 Hinrichs took-over the management of the Fredericksburg plant with a budget that he believed under funded based upon the necessity of expense at Fredericksburg. Based on an analysis of the prior year’s figures (1995), Hinrichs believed that he could possible be over budget in the current fiscal year (1996). The Fredericksburg plant build in 1970 by Westinghouse, then sold to GM’s Delco in 1978, is one of the smallest plants in the Company (average plant size is 2,400; Fredericksburg has 307). Though it’s small it has a crucial role in supplying TCCs to four Michigan plants and one French plant. Hinrichs has been charged with revamping the way in which the plant produces TCCs. The traditional model of assembly line work, where one worker added a piece to the final product, is being phased out in favor of worker cells. These cells are designed to make the production assembler responsible for the entire process, not just one piece of the final product. Test groups have shown that productivity increases, while quality also improves. These increases in productivity and decrease in rejects directly relates to the reduced need for laborers. Fredericksburg became part of the Powertrain Group in 1993, an initiative to bring out the synergies amongst the plants which produce the critical engine and transmission components for General Motors. The plant is capable of producing 22,000 TCCs of 26 different models each day, over three shifts. The implementation of the worker cells has been shown to be effective with laborers and union leaders accepting the new work without must resistance. Assessment of Change Implemented It is my opinion that Hinrichs has done an excellent job of engaging the work force in his plans to revamp the way in which the Fredericksburg plant produces its product. I applaud his technique of using the strike to reduce overtime from the employee’s pay, while offering them something that no other plant manager would have done: a job when they should be laid-off. This single act is the reason why Hinrich has been so successful in building trust and establishing a respectful relationship with the laborers. Hinrichs’s approach to engage union leadership, supervisors and workers in the change process in one that works well in this type of manufacturing setting. By slowly introducing new projects and processes, he allows all plant employees to voice their concerns and objections. This allows them to fell as though they are a part of the team and not just an outsider who’s being forced to comply with a new corporate mandate. I believe that the size of the Fredericksburg plant also has enabled Hinrichs to be successful in the implementation of his goals. From the information presented in the case, it appears that he has the support of the majority of the union leaders and senior workers. With this support, many of the younger laborers will respect their union leader and senior laborers opinion; thus, accept Hinrichs’s improvement suggestions. Hinrichs’s deployment technique presented in the case, in which he doesn’t favor any one area over the other, also helps to prevent departmental jealousy. Much of the change by which Fredericksburg assembles TCCs was brought about by engineers and corporate officials looking to improve the performance of TCCs and the plant, itself. Hinrichs has basically been set as the facilitator of the change, though is capable of adapting the change as he sees fit. The major driving force behind the movement from traditional assembly to work cells was the development of a new carbon fiber material used to improve the performance of the TCC. The work cells are a more effective and efficient way to produce more of a higher-quality product though less inspection. In addition to his normal operational budget, Hinrichs has been given a $30 million budget to invest in new equipment and tooling. According to Hinrichs, â€Å"the $30 million offered an opportunity not only to make the necessary changes for the carbon fiber, but also to make process improvements†¦we are able to incorporate job changes and quality improvements into the changeover process.† One of the major points of potential failure that I believe Hinrichs has done an excellent job of managing is the union resistance to change and lay-offs. Rather than force employees and management to go through lay-off procedures, Hinrichs finds ways for existing employees to keep their jobs, while positively affecting plant performance. One instance of this is moving inspectors to producers. After the movement, the old inspectors commented on how great it was to actually control their own output and obviously increase productivity. Main Problem Affecting the future success and continued process improvement at the Fredericksburg plant, the main press responsible for stamping and boring of the TCC shell ceased to function. Hinrichs knew that this press could potentially be a problem and as a result ordered the plant to keep an extra day’s worth of TCCs housing on hand, should the machine quit working. Hinrichs now is faced with several costly decisions that must be made about the repair and/or replacement of the new machine. Possible Solutions to Problem Option One: This is the most cost-effective option ($75,000) and enables the plant to become fully operational again within twenty-four hours. This option would allow the plant to maintain its full production schedule by using the internal supply of TCCs while the press is repaired. There are negative connotations associated with this option, however. In order to repair the press within the twenty-four hour window, it would be necessary to hire an outside vendor. Union officials would see this as an attempt to take away internal union jobs and could potentially lodge a protest. Option Two: This option would repair the existing press with new parts, essentially making it a brand-new press. This option is more costly than option one both in terms of material cost and temporary production costs. The cost to replace the parts is estimated to be $210,000. Additionally, because there is only enough stock of TCC shells to last one day, three days of TCC shell production would have to be out-sourced at a premium of $2 per TCC. Based on the information presented in the case, demand is 22,200 units per day. The calculation below attempts to estimate the increase in cost that Hinrichs must account for. Adding this to the parts estimates makes the total cost of option two approximately $343,200. Additionally, Hinrichs believes that he will be able to reduce a full-time job devoted to the maintenance of the old press. Using the estimates from the case, the average employee makes $74,000 per year in pay and benefits. 22,200 x 3 = 66,600 x $2 = $133,200 (Cost to Outsource For Three Days) Option Three: Regardless of wither or not the press is repaired or replaced with new parts, a third option presents itself. A group of engineers and production staff have been working on a die that would cut down the amount of extra work required for the shell of the TCC. The goal of the group was to produce a die that could not only stamp and bore the TCC but also make the necessary holes for the rivets at the same time. This drill out rivets? [chrome] ?would change the current process from: stamp/bore [chrome]. It’s been suggested that this process?to: stamp/bore/rivet improvement would illuminate 3 jobs on each of the three shifts that had previously been dedicated to drilling the holes for the rivets. There is a great deal of uncertainty as to how well this process improvement would work and how long it would take to fine-tune the die. In addition to the costs associated with option one or two, an additional capital investment of $250,000 would be required to have the die manufactur ed. Additionally, $577,200 would be incurred in outsourcing costs for the thirteen day period that the plant would be without shells while the die was being made. Recommended Solution to Problem Due to the possibility of a backlash with the union leadership and members, I do not believe that opinion one should even be considered. After all of the work that Hinrichs has made to strengthen management/union relations, I fell that it would all be lost if he were to hire an outside firm to repair the old press. Option number two represents the most effective solution, to me. This option would not hinder relations with the union as badly as option number one. In fact, Hinrichs could make this press a symbolic gesture to the employees showing his commitment to the plant and its people. The cost associated with this item would not completely be $334,200. In this case, we would be able to take a portion of the $74,000 off the top, because an employee would no longer be required to work maintenance, he or she would be able to move to a value-added area of the plant and generate revenue. As presented in the case, it’s not possible to fire people when there is no work for them, though through the movement of one employee to a revenue generating department, I estimate a 60% savings in wage (74000 * .6 = $44,400) which can be taken off the total cost to implement. This makes this project cost $289,800. This option would be the easiest on Hinrichs long-term budget and also on union relations a s only one employee would be asked to relocate to another position within the plant. I do not believe that option number three would be a viable solution for Hinrichs at the present time. It is in my opinion that this is a better long-range solution to the press-problem, though it has yet to be proven an effective technology. There has been time spent by both the engineering and production staff with the old press to resolve the problems related to this new die, though it is still an experimental technology and should be treaded as such. A large capital investment ($250,000) would only be recommended if the process were ready for production. Based on the information presented in the case, this technology has yet to be proven. Furthermore, Hinrichs would encounter major union and labor resistance if he were to suggest that nine laborers (three from each shift) were going to have to be displaced into another area of the plant without giving them proper time to buy-into the idea. It is important to note here that there is a potential for salary savings when the nine emp loyees are moved from the rivet drilling unit to a work cell. Because they’re already adding value to the final product, I’ll estimate their benefit at a lower rate (30%). Using the example from option number two, the total cost for option number three could be discounted by $199,800. With this savings, it still cannot be justified to make the capital investment in the new die. Hinrichs must approach this press problem in a much more expedient manner than he approaches the rest of the process improvement. However, it is important not to overlook the relationships that he’s been working so diligently to build with the union leaders and laborers. Hinrichs must consult a few of the most influential plant leaders about what they would suggest doing about the broken press. In order for the solution to be accepted by union leaders, supervisors and employees, buy-in must occur. Hinrichs should approve the second option, only after he has gained significant buy-in. Work to improve the press operation should also be undertaken. The die solution appears to be viable. First, the bugs must be worked out of the current die and secondly, the issue of what to do with the nine displaced workers must be resolved. The die project should continue and be evaluated again within six months time. While engineers and production are working on the problem, buy-in to the project should be a priority for union leadership and the rivet operators. Convincing the rivet operators over a period of time that their skills could be better used in a work cell would be an effective way to gain union buy-in. Additionally, it appears that Hinrichs is most effective when he’s able to give implementation of a decision longer than twenty-four hours. Finally, the new die should be tested during the Christmas holiday down-time and installed. Research Papers on General Motors Powertrain Group plant, FredericksburgRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfGenetic EngineeringTwilight of the UAWMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperResearch Process Part OneLifes What IfsAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Meet vs. See - Learn the difference [English Grammar Lesson]

Meet vs. See - Learn the difference [English Grammar Lesson] Quick answer: Use MEET for the first time you see someone or when you are seeing them because you have plans or an appointment. Use SEE for all other situations. Consider this scenario: Sandra and I grew up together, but I hadn’t seen her in years. So, when she moved back to Boston, I suggested we get coffee and catch up. We met at my favorite cafà ©, and it was so nice to see each other! After hours of talking, we decided to get together again for a barbecueat her new house so I could meet her kids. Meet and See are two words that are often swapped, though not always correctly. They both can be used for spending time together, so it’s tricky to use the correct one. Let’s break down the paragraph above to look at how these words should be used. MEET is used to talk about the first time you see someone. After hours of talking, we decided to get together again for a barbecueat her new house so I could meet her kids. In the sentence above, the speaker has never met Sandra’s kids before, so this will be the first time she lays eyes on them. But, and this is where it gets confusing, MEET can be used when you make an appointment, have plans, or schedule something. So, when she moved back to Boston, I suggested we get coffee and catch up. We met at my favorite cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Other examples are: Let’s meet at 3 p.m. on Friday to discuss the project. The managers will meet at noon on the first Tuesday of the month to review progress. *The word meeting, so often used in business, comes from this second of use of meet, because a meeting is essentially a scheduled plan or appointment. SEE is used for spending time with someone when it is not the first time. Sandra and I grew up together, but I hadn’t seen her in years. †¦and it was so nice to see each other!

Good Country People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Good Country People - Essay Example The story â€Å"Good country people† portrays a number of aspects that are crucial to the development of the plot in the story, as well as bringing out the meaning. The aspects include perspective, conflict and the tone used in the story, which this paper seeks to bring out in an analysis of the story The story brings out a feminist perspective owing to the characters used in the book (O’Connor 1). This is following the Hopewell family composition and the family of Mrs. Freeman, where in the two families, there do not exist male elements, as either sons or parents.. As a result, the story follows the lives of the women found in these families, with the main character being Joy, the daughter of Mrs. Hopewell. Feminist is also portrayed by the presence of the strong educational background that Joy, also known as Hulga, has. This is by having a college education all through to Doctoral degree, which shows the power that a woman holds provides she has an education. This is due to her tendency to dissociate with other members of the society due to her pride. In addition, the story also brings out the conflict between science and religion. This is in relation to Joy’s atheist and nihilistic point of view towards the world and people, where she practices her atheist beliefs on a young Bible salesperson (Bosco 284). This is as portrayed by her intentions on the second that the couple goes on after Manley asks Joy out. There is also the case where Manley steals Joy’s prosthetic limb due to his fetish for artificial body pars belonging to women. This is unbecoming behavior of a person expected to be of upright moral standing. As a result, this serves a means to broaden the conflict between religion and science, as well as social issues. She denies the existence of God, but she still works towards finding some form of spiritual enlightenment by going out with Manley. In addition, the conflict of morality and ethics is also brought up in the sto ry. This is following the deception of Manley in order to get to Joy, by pretending to be a bible salesperson and deceiving Mrs. Hopewell that he is poor and getting her to take pity on him. This shows how far moral degradation has gone to the point where religion can be used for personal gain. The above is portrayed by Manley when he opens his case to reveal two fake bibles, a flask of whiskey and a park of cards among other things. Moreover, the whole story is written from a third person’s point of view, who in this case is a narrator. For this reason, the story is based on observation and not on the experience of the narrator meaning that, the story may bear a bias due to the nature of the narrator. The narrator tells of the events that take place in the lives of the women in the two families, moreover, their lives are portrayed as monotonous. As a result, it focuses on the nature of life for women in a society where tradition is embraced as a social norm, and those that a re go against it are labeled as ingrates who are ungrateful for the same values that helped raise them. This is as the case of Joy or Hulga who views her mother as a backward person, as she lives as per traditional conventions as shown by her dressing. The tone used is that of disgust or anger directed towards the nature of the earth at the time of writing the story. This is owing to the prevalence of lack of honesty among country people, which is brought out by the fact that Manley is a swindler in Mrs. Hopewell’s house (O’Connor 15). Disgust is also shown following the open disadvantage at which Joy is following the relations that she has with Manley. At the point that Manley takes Joy’s foot, the tone is brought out clearly following the state that Joy is left, vulnerable. This shows anger at the world for its unfair practices especially where they are least expected, from a religious person, Manley. In addition, it shows anger at the discriminative practices directed at people with disability due to Joy’

How dos th movi lddin rprsnt wht dwrd Sid clls orinttion Essay

How dos th movi lddin rprsnt wht dwrd Sid clls orinttion - Essay Example Unncssry to sy, th significnc of nimtd films oprts on mny rgistrs, but on of th most prsusiv is th rol thy ply s th nw "tching mchins." Disny films succd in mrging n idology of chrm nd imprssion of virtu in nrrting storis tht hlp childrn undrstnd who thy r wht socitis thy blong to nd wht tht socitis r bout. Th powr ths films possss stms from thir uniqu form f rprsnttion. Th importnc of nimtd films s sourc of nw discovris nd lrning t th sm tim is hightnd by th common cknowldgmnt tht schools nd othr public sits r incrsingly ovrwhlmd by crisis of motivtion. Th mss mdi, spcilly Disny, on th othr hnd crts drm-lik world of scurity, vn though childrn quit oftn find thmslvs in th joylss rlity of schooling. Th ductionl significnc of nimtd films mks popl mor wr of tching possibilitis of Disny movis. Mny critics trid to nswr th qustion whthr Disny's nimtd films r good for kids nd whthr thy hv n ductionl impct on young gnrtions. But, sms lik thr is no n sy nswr to this qustion. Disny's most rcnt film lddin (1992) prsnts bundnt opportunity to ddrss how Disny is rsponsibl in constructing cultur of joy for childrn. lddin is th story of so-clld "strt-rt" who knw tht h could b mor. Whn h finlly finds lmp contining gni who grnts thr wishs, it sms tht myb his drms could com tru. But n vil vizir is scrtly plotting his downfll, not to mntion tht th princss of his drms is bord with sing th sm old, stuffd-shirt, nd pcock princs. lddin hs sold ovr 3 million copis in 1993 nd hs rnd "$1 billion from box-offics incom. s commnttor in Nwswk ltly sttd, "Th mrchndis--Mrmid dolls, lddin undos, nd collctibls lik sculptur of Bmbi's Fild Mous--ccount for stunning 20 prcnt of Disny's oprting incom." Thr r mny puzzls in th movi tht childrn r supposd to b ddrssing nd solving ftr, for xmpl, in lddin th issu of socity nd uthority is cntrd primrily on th rol of th young strt trmp, lddin. Jsmin, th Princss h flls in lov with is simply n objct of his instnt longing s wll s socil stpping ston. In contrry, Jsmin's lif is lmost ntirly dfind by mn, nd, in th nd, hr hppinss is insurd by lddin who finlly is givn oky to gt mrrid with hr. Thr r mny smll things in lddin movi tht rprsnt mricn cultur, rcism which is lso rproducd through rcilly codd lngug nd ccnts. For xmpl, lddin portrys th "trribl" rbs with substntil, forign ccnts, whil Jsmin nd lddin spk stndrd nglish. nothr mzing portryl of rprsnttions nd cods in which childrn r tught tht culturl diffrncs tht do not br th imprint of whit, middl-clss thnicity r bnorml, low-grdd, brinlss. Th rcism in this nimtd movi is dfind by both th prsnc of rcist rprsnttions nd th bsnc of complx rprsnttions of fricn-mricns nd othr popl of color. Morovr, th rprsnttionl dpiction of history, progrss, nd Wstrn cultur is prfctly cpturd by dwrd Sid's notion of orintlism. Culturl diffrnc in Disny's movi lddin is prsntd through "nturlizd" rcil hirrchy. Morovr, on cn hrdly sy tht thr is somthing innocnt in wht kids lrn bout rc s portryd in th "mgicl world" of Disny. Thr r mny critics of this movi s wll s dvocts, Yousf Slm, formr spoksprson for th South By

Right to Abortion Essay -- Abortion Birth Pregnancy Argumentative Essa

Right to Abortion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion has always been a controversial subject among everybody whether they are involved directly or indirectly, whether they are for it or against it. It is nearly impossible to find someone who doesn't have an opinion about abortion. Both those who favor or oppose abortion make superior arguments to defend their beliefs and views. Personally, I think every last person is entitled to his or her own opinions, beliefs, thoughts, and rights. And yes, women have rights too, and denying women the right to choose abortion in the early stages of fetal development is denying her rights as a US citizen and is also discriminating against her. I think that abortion should be restricted to the first 21 weeks, which is when most of the tests can be taken to determine the health of the fetus. Anything after that might be immoral, since the fetus can very well live outside the mother's womb; although, it does depend on the situation. Abortion should unquestionably not be used as a primary birth control use. It should be determined based on the circumstances of the pregnancy. A woman should have the choice to have an abortion if she is raped, impregnated by a disturbed man or by incest. It would be unfair to force a rape victim to bear an unwanted baby and give up all the dreams she ever had and be reminded of that rape for the rest of her life. I also think a womanà ¢s life should not be sacrificed or put at risk, a woman should be able to abort if th...

Health care Essay

Leaders are the key people for any organization’s success, for they play an important role in directing and influencing how employees work. Leaders have a lot to do in order to promote healthy behavior by employees for instance in a health organization, leaders need to influence workers in away such that they maintain their healthy behavior at hand. Since health is a very sensitive issue, it needs a lot of concentration as pertains the behaviors of the employees. Leaders need to effect financial incentives to the workforce to encourage health behavior. This incentive tends to upgrade the health of the employee through reduction in the risk that he/she would have faced. This also have an impact on the target and efficiency on the output. For a health organization for instance, workers will produce better result for they are comfortable. There should be provision of tools that encourage safety and wellness. This helps to improve the health of the worker throughout the working period. With general fitness, the worker is healthy at the same time able to behave well when it comes to delivering, urgency and proficiency. Leaders need to involve senior management in promoting emotional health and productivity. Since the management is the one that is much close to the workforce and are the ones implementing strategies, in campaigning for this will make it possible for the out come to be a good healthy behavior from the work force. Leaders need to offer economic incentives for the betterment of the lives of the workers. When it comes to economic wellbeing, one needs to access social amenities with ease. When assisting workers in their workload as providers of their houses through gaining from the economies of scale the health organization gets, workers will access appliances easily thus enabling them to get what they need utmost cheaply. This will make their life well as they have the full diet affordably thus better health. Better health leads to better behavior. Leaders need to educate employees on safety at work. This tends to ensure they get to know how to handle things with care as health organization tend to operate with lots of risky items. With their knowledge on this, they will tend to observe correct protocol with respect thus remaining discipline. With correct protocol follower, they will never be infected thus which means they are adhering to the healthy behavior taught by the responsible body. Health care is a broad field that deals with lives of individuals. For the preparation of interviews, many areas need to be covered for the exact and discrete information to be unveiled. For my analysis, I will consider my interview questions directed to the health care interviewees. It will be categorized into five major items that need to be emphasized on.

Anorexia has many negative effects as well. According to...

Anorexia has many negative effects as well. According to the University of Maryland Medical Centers article Eating Disorders, â€Å"Anorexia nervosa can increase the risk for serious health problems such as: hormonal changes including reproductive, thyroid, stress, and growth hormones, heart problems such as abnormal heart rhythm, electrolyte imbalance, fertility problems, bone density loss, anemia, and neurological problems.† Anorexia can severely affect a person internally. The continuous lack of nutrients can leave an anorexic person extremely frail. The heart in particular can grow so weak, that heart failure occurs. Eating disorders can lead too permanent health damages can stay with a person for the rest of their life. With the idea that†¦show more content†¦Such an extreme would be unnecessary and could reduce the effectiveness of their promotion efforts† (495-504). By advertisers using models that a freakishly thin, they are making the idea of an unhealthily skinny figure seem ideal. There is not one because in particular that creates self-esteem dissatisfaction, however; the media is a huge contributor. America is one of the most obese countries in the world. America is also where people are most affected by eating disorders. For many years, eating disorders stayed in America, however, recently that is changing. According to the article Prevalence of Eating Disorders: A Comparison of Western and Non- Western Countries, â€Å"Survey findings indicate that the number of subjects with eating disorders or abnormal eating attitudes is increasing in non-Western countries †¦ It is important to understand how eating and body image problems present differently in different cultures and to identify potential risk factors for abnormal eating attitudes in order to determine the need for treatment, prevention, and education.† Eating disorders are becoming more popular in non-western countries. The solution to helping those with eating disorders in other countries will be different than the solutions that could help here. Every country has different cultures and traditions that the tr eatment plans will need to account for. Researchers areShow MoreRelatedThe Factors of Eating Disorders Essay1821 Words   |  8 Pagesbody shape. According to a report that was done by the Federal Trade Commission, seventy percent of Americans are either trying not to maintain their weight or are trying to lose weight (Kittleson 75). To compensate for being over weight, an individual will develop an eating disorder. According to Mark Kittleson, eating disorders are when an individual eats way too much or way too little (1). There are three different types of eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. According to JessicaRead More History of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Essay5178 Words   |  21 PagesGallo at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and a group headed by American virologist Jay Levy at the University of California at San Francisco isolated a retrovirus from people with AIDS and from individuals having contact with people with AIDS. All three groups of scientists isolated wh at is now known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. Infection with HIV does not necessarily mean that a person has AIDS, although people who are HIV-positive are often