Running head: GENERIC BENCHMARKING
Generic Benchmarking
University of Phoenix
Human Capital Development
MBA/520
Riordan Manufacturing
Riordan Manufacturing is a global plastics producer that employs 550 people divided among three geographically separate plant locations. Over the past two years, sales have declined and profits have been uneven. Senior level management has developed a strategy to both improve growth of the company and profitability. By adopting a customer-relationship management (CRM) approach, the company has changed their way of interacting with customers to a team-oriented approach. The manufacturing process itself has also been restructured into self-directed work teams. This has required organizational changes in the company's departments, integrating sales with engineering and customer service (University of Phoenix, 2007).
Current morale is low at Riordan Manufacturing. Employee retention numbers have declined and recent staff surveys reveal a "decrease in job satisfaction, particularly in the areas of compensation and benefits," (University of Phoenix, 2007). Current reward systems are not based on performance, but rather on seniority, position, and cost-of-living adjustments. The broad demographics of employees reveal that not all staff has the same expectations regarding what is acceptable compensation. Senior management is concerned, but does not have a unified vision of how to address these issues. Some, such as the Chief Information Officer, are focused solely on their own groups' needs, while others such as the Chief Financial Officer believes current compensation systems are adequate. Individual department's concerns are myriad, with managers and employees frequently emphasizing different issues. Many, especially in ...