ASSESSMENT 2 Group Assignment 1 - 20 Marks -

Opens March 16 and Closes March 18, 2020 at

11:55 pm ECT
ASSESSMENT 2 - Opens March 16 and Closes March  18, 2020 at 11:55 pm ECT   

UNITS 3 AND 4

Group Assignment – MINI- CASE – 20 Marks

Word Count : 900-1000 words.   Words over 1100 will result in 5 marks
deducted

GROUP ASSIGNMENT 1

Assessment 2- NejoWeCleaners! – Small Business on a Small Island

Neil and Joan a Missile and sister duo own a small dry cleaning business.  NeJoWe
Cleaners! provides several services to its customers:  dry cleaning of clothes and
household linen, laundry, ironing, repair work and clothing alterations.  They currently
have 5 locations across the capital city, with the sixth location being that of the main
office were most of the cleaning and laundry is carried out.  

NeJo has been in business for about ten years and believe that personal contact with
customers, operational efficiency, fast and quality work has given them the edge in
building the business.  A key feature of their customer service is soliciting feedback
from customers about their service quality, this they were able to do in person on
their daily deliveries as one or the other travelled around to each location on a daily
basis.  These trips would also give them the opportunity to physically check on what
was happening in each location and have formal and informal talks with the staff.  

 
While business is growing, a number of issues are emerging for the young
entrepreneurs:

1. There is a city-wide water shortage and water lock-off therefore, the laundry
side of their business      is growing as clients now find it difficult to wash all
laundry at home;
2. Paper work has grown exponentially with the growth in business; while the
locations are connected by email, all processes are still paper based; the
accounting system in particular is a nightmare when taxes are to be paid,
involving many hours and sleepless nights, and
3. Deliveries to each shop are made three times a day, because of road works
and an influx of more affordable cars, time spent on the road is now eating
into the time available to complete main office activities; consequently
delivery times are unpredictable and customer delight has been sliding
downwards at 1 % per month for the last 5 months, this has been attributed
to a 5% increase in completed jobs being delivered to the wrong location and
the inability to maintain the 96% same day delivery target.

NeJoWeCleaners!  has been in operations for 10 years.  Neil has a first degree in
accounting and IT and Joan one in management with minors in human resource and
operations management.  As the business has grown, they have each transitioned
themselves from managers of the outlets and now manage the business from the
head office.  

Each outlet employs five persons, most of who have been with the NeJo from the
beginning.  Neil and Joan are thankful that they have a low level of absenteeism, low
staff turnover and few accidents, but are concerned that the issues, if not managed
will lead to de-motivated staff and further slide in business goodwill and growth.  The
business supports 37 persons, composed of customer service representatives,
dressmakers/tailors, drivers and persons who operate the specialized laundry
equipment as well as complete general laundry and ironing.  

All is not bad news, they now have the opportunity to buy out and rebrand a
competitor’s location.  Neil see the opportunity to control performance across the
various outlets with the use of the customer and job handling IT solution that would
come with the purchase.  He feels that eliminating the crushing paperwork along with
budgetary controls will bring the problems under control.  Joan is of the opinion that
all they have to do is to employ more drivers, change the delivery times, and
abandon their same day service, she believes that introducing computers will
adversely affect the staff productivity and retention.  

 
Neil and Joan has asked your group to give them some ideas about designing a
control system that they could use for NeJo WE Cleaners!  

Prepare a proposal that covers the following:

1. Identification and analysis of two control problems that you consider

major, and an evaluate of the two opposing solutions proposed by Neil and
Joan;
2. Proposal of solutions, of each of the two control problems identified,  to Neil
and Joan based on the above analysis; to include, types of feedback and
concurrent controls that they could use and the benefits these will bring  to
the business.
3. Neil has made the decision to buy off-the-shelf software that will connect all
locations and manage customers, jobs and accounting data.   Design an
Action Plan that Neil and Joan can use to ensure that their employees remain
motivated based on the planned introduction of the IT solution.  He plans to
have the system running in 9 months.

Mini-Case 20 Marks

A+- A- B+- B- C+-C- F1-F3

Criteria
Explain the importance of major theories and concepts of management activities
with a view of improving organizational productivity and service quality AND
discuss the role of management in the success and viability of the organization

Problem Accurately Some success Some difficulties in Fails to

analysis identifies identifying the main identifying the main identify the
main issues/ issues/ problems issues/ problems;
(8 Marks) problems; lack of thoroughness main issues /
Shows good Answer while deficit evident. problems;
understandin would be workable
g of the Some difficulties in Does not
opportunities Good evidence that proposing show
and threats of theory of control in alternative solutions,
the organization is facts are not always understanding
alternatives necessary and inline with the of why
mentioned applied to solutions proposed
formulating and the converse different
Provided solutions. might also be true. approaches
viable may
Focus on control
 alternatives (6-5 Marks) problem lacking be taken to
these might be this problem
Explanation described but not
and addressed and why
justifications solving the
relate to the (4 - 3 Marks)
case control issues
are of
Control
issues were particular
dealt with important
thoroughly
and (2-0 Marks)
thoughtfully

(8-7 Marks)
Show
mastery of
the theory of Plan supplied Plan is theoretically Plan is theoretically Plan does not
planning is sound and covers sound but has gaps respond
through theoretically most of the issues in information and
application sound and that are likely to wil not adequately to the issue of
to a specific applies to the surface in a change assess issues that are motivation
scenario issue outlined environment. likely to surface in a
in the case. change environment. in the
(7 Marks) (5-4 Marks) management
Plan (3.5 – 2 Marks)
considers environment.
change and
motivation. Plan is
sketchy and
Action Plan could
outlines;
strategy, not be
tasks, status followed by
start and end
times,  someone
resources unfamiliar
required and
cost. with the
issues.
(7-6 Marks)
No plan
supplied

(1-0 marks)
Group Attends all Attends most group Little or no Little
Participatio group meetings. Provides participation or participation.
n (5 Marks) meetings response for contribution.  Group
assigned tasks. engagement is Could not be
Add to the Contributions are inconsistent and relied
information spread across the does not allow
gathering on time span of the consideration and on to
a continuous assignment.  Is discuss contribute.
basis.  Makes responsive to the
meaningful need of completing Activities
contribution the assignment does not
in a timely
manger. support
Completes intended
portion of (3 marks)
research and (2.5- 1 Marks) outcome
delivers in a
timely (0 mark)
manner.

Attempts to
engage other
team
members who
are lagging
behind

(5-4 Marks)

Members Participation

This assessment must be done individually.  We ask that you do not compare or
share grades.  You are not only to assess your group members but also yourself.
Since this activity is an individual activity, every member must upload this document
as part of the assignment.

Thank you

 
GROUP _____________

Member Grade 5-4 3 2.5-1 0

Name
Attends all Attends most group Little or no Little
group meetings. Provides participation or participation
meetings response for contribution.  Group .
assigned tasks. engagement is
Add to the Contributions are inconsistent and Could not be
information spread across the does not allow relied
gathering on time span of the consideration and
a continuous assignment.  Is discuss on to
basis.  Makes responsive to the contribute.
meaningful need of completing
contribution the assignment Activities
in a timely does not
manger.
Completes support
portion of intended
research and
delivers in a outcome
timely
manner.

Attempts to
engage other
team
members
who are
lagging
behind
 

Name of Assessor____________________________  

         

Date of Assessment __________________________