Supply Chain and Management

Case Study 1

Disruptive, But Valuable

Sometimes a manager has to make the hard choices around an employee who is disruptive, but is very valuable. This case study is purely fictional. It is intended to promote the discussion of management issues among management professionals. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is probably due to the fact that we have all faced this type of person somewhere in our career. Background You are the Southwest Regional Manager and are responsible for six facilities distributed across four states. Your office is in Nashik. You have a problem with the Facility in Pune. The Pune office has been profitable ever since you acquired it in a merger. Its production has been increasing quarter over quarter. Profits have been increasing, but lately the rate of increase has dropped. The facility is headed by a Facility Manager. Her direct reports are the Production Manager, the Sales & Marketing Manager & the Administrative Manager. Rama Simon, Facility Manager You put Rama in place to head this operation shortly after the merger. She's been with the company about ten years, and has been running the Facility for 14 months. She is capable, direct, and dependable. She has been a loyal employee. She has managed several other facilities, but never one this large. Rashmi Londhe, Production Manager Rashmi held this position before the merger. She has been in this position for six years and has increased production each year. Her credentials are impeccable and she holds a professional certification in her specialty. Shirish Jagdale, Sales & Marketing Manager Shirish was one of the founders of the company you acquired. He has been responsible for sales here for eight years. He knows the industry well and is well connected. He lands contracts that no one else thought possible. Sonam Singh, Administrative Manager Sonam is the newest member of the team. She has been here less than 6 months. It took almost six months to find the right person for...