Gap Analysis: Riordan Manufacturing
The purpose of this paper is to gauge Riordan Manufacturing’s present predicaments and offer suggestions that may bring positive conclusions to impending dilemmas. This paper will assess Riordan’s situation, existing opportunities, challenges, and conclude with fundamental suggestions that will produce positive outcomes. In addition, via end-state goals, concepts are provided in which Riordan Manufacturing may improve organizational human resource practices that will give Riordan a sustained competitive advantage (Dreher & Dougherty, 2001).
Situation Analysis
Issue and Opportunity Identification
Employee retention is one key issue Riordan is presently addressing. Competitors paying higher wages have been the main cause for many of the comments that have been made regarding employee attrition within Riordan. In addition, Riordan’s research and development department (R&D) is experiencing major turnover and a critical loss of employee knowledge due to attrition. Lastly, Riordan’s employee incentive program is wavering and this is a principal concern with Riordan’s management and the employees.
Current sales incentives are prepared for individual salespersons’ as an alternative for a team approach. The new philosophy is to initiate changes in business practices that will result in revisions to current sales methodologies of individual sales representatives account management to that incorporates a salesperson, a product-engineering specialist and a customer service representative with support from research and development (UOP Scenario, 2008). Even though Riordan’s sales department processes have changed, the current incentive and bonus programs are weak and are not strategically aligned with the new and revised programs that Riordan is trying to implement.
Another issue is employee development and training. Riordan engaged in a small amount of promoting and developing their employees in past years. This is a key...