COORDINATION TECHNIQUES

COORDINATION TECHNIQUES
For the coordination requirements,
the most useful devices among interdependent’ units are the
1. Managerial hierarchy,
2. Rules and procedures,
3. Liaison roles,
4. Task forces, and
5. Integrating departments
 COORDINATION TECHNIQUES
The Managerial Hierarchy
- Organizations that use the hierarchy to achieve Coordination.
- Place one manager in charge of interdependent departments or
units.
Ex: In Walmart distribution centers, major activities include
receiving and unloading bulk shipments from railroad cars and
loading other shipments onto trucks for distribution to retail
outlets.
The two groups(receiving and shipping) are interdependent .
To ensure coordination and minimize conflict, one manager
oversees the whole operation.
 COORDINATION TECHNIQUES
Rules and Procedures
- Routine coordination activities can be handled via rules
and standard procedures.
Ex: In the Walmart distribution center, an outgoing truck
shipment has priority over an incoming rail shipment.
Thus, when trucks are to be loaded, the shipping unit is
given access to all the center's supporting forklifts. This
priority is specifically stated in a rule.
 COORDINATION TECHNIQUES
Liaison Roles
- As a device for coordination, a manager in a liaison role coordinates
interdependent units by acting as a common point of contact.
- This individual may not have any formal authority over the groups
but instead simply facilitates the flow of information between units.
- Two engineering groups working on component systems for a large
project might interact through a liaison.
- The liaison maintains familiarity with each group as well as with the
overall project.
- Liaison manager can answer questions and otherwise serve to
integrate the activities of all the groups.
 COORDINATION TECHNIQUES
Task Forces
- A task force may be created when the need for coordination
is acute and interdependence is complex and several units are
involved, a single liaison person may not be sufficient.
- Instead, a task force might be assembled by drawing one
representative from each group.
- The coordination function is thus spread across several
individuals, each of whom has special information about one
of the groups involved.
- When the project is completed, task force members return to
their original positions.
 COORDINATION TECHNIQUES
Integrating departments
- Occasionally used for coordination. Like task force but
are more permanent.
- This dept. will have some permanent members as well
as members of temporary.
- An integrating dept. usually has more authority than
task force and may be given some budgetary control by
the organization.