Create a 4–5-page departmental plan to address the corporate initiative of doubling sales outlined in a scenario.

Note: The assessment in this course build upon one another and must be completed in the order presented. 

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Once an activity has been planned, an astute manager will spend some significant effort to organize things before operationalizing or commencing the activity to assure that it is conducted efficiently. Are you organized? What are the hallmarks of an organized manager? What are some recognized activities or tools available to assist in the task? How does one organize people? How does one begin?

Assessment

Instructions

Overview

In this assessment, you will create a departmental plan to address the corporate initiative of doubling sales outlined in the scenario below. The scenario presented here will be applicable to the next assessment as well.

Preparation

Choose one of the following functional areas with which to base your assessment work. 

• Sales and marketing.
• Operations and production.
• Accounting and finance.

Scenario

Note: Review each of the following resources. You will need them to complete this assessment.

Imagine that your application to Atha was successful and have been working as manager for a short time in the department you chose above when the Atha CEO shares the following communications with staff:

CEO’s Sales Goal Announcement [PDF]

.

Instructions

Create your department’s response plan (4–5 pages) to the new corporate initiative of doubling sales and the information presented in the

Make sure to address all requirements.

Additional Requirements

Your assessment should also meet the following requirements:

• Format: Submit a professional and well-organized Word document.
• Length: 4–5 double-spaced pages.
• APA format: Use current APA style and formatting guidelines.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Analyze characteristics and behaviors of effective managers.      

  Analyze a decision and the top consideration in addressing it.

• Competency 2: Apply managerial principles to planning, organization, control, leadership, and communication.      

  Explain how stated strategic departmental objectives or goals support corporate goals.
  Explain why identified support activities are critical for achieving departmental goals.
  Specify a timeline with realistic milestones that support stated objectives.
  Explain how a specified reorganization is an effective response to a business challenge.

• Competency 3: Communicate effectively and professionally.      

  Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions.

Presentation from the CEO

Good Afternoon one and all!

I have asked all of my mangers, from the vice presidents to my department managers, to be here today, so that I can share with you an exciting vision for Atha Corporation.

I have just recently completed negotiations with a venture capitalist to provide us with the financial resources necessary to achieve an unprecedented goal: to double our company sales in the next fiscal year, beginning 90 days from today.

You are expected to complete this year’s business on a strong note. You will be required to develop plans to add critical equipment and staff, so that we are hitting next year’s goals from the first day of our next business cycle.

Each of you will need to evaluate the organizational structure that you have now, allocate existing and new resources, both human and equipment, to provide for the greatest efficiencies and productivity possible.

I have prepared a list of functional area goals for each of you to accomplish. Those goals are in the manager information packet that is available in front of you there. Each functional area vice-president will have specific goals, which are impacted by the goals, objectives, and activities of the other functional areas. You will have to work closely with each other in order to ensure company success.

We have employee performance problems in most of our functional areas. You will need to evaluate the source of those problems, and develop a strategy to increase employee responses from their current levels.

Working with Human Resources, you will need to properly utilize your existing staff, and hire new people to accomplish your goals.

My family and I have invested everything we have into this effort… failure is not an option for us! As members of the management team, you will take your functional area goals and convert them to actionable plans in alignment with our company goals. Help them reach those goals – because their success is our success! Now, let’s get after it!

Atha Corporation

To:
CC:
From:

Re:

All Employees
Executive Management
Mary Atha, CEO

Doubling Sales

A goal of doubling our sales has been established by my executive management team. This is a newly
created, bold, and audacious goal made possible by a win-win relationship with a white knight in the
form of a venture capital firm. Retaining and hiring high quality human capital will be made possible by
this new investment. Adoption of new leading edge technology and increased capacity will also be made
possible by this infusion of new investment. Our company’s executive management team sees an
exciting future for the organization.

Our goal can only be met with your help and that of the other middle managers of the company. We
want you to empower your people, create synergy by re-organizing your department, and establish
operational goals that can be obtained, measured, reported, and continuously improved.

The latent talents of our employees, we believe, are a source of untapped sustainable competitive
advantage for the company. Reaching our goal of doubling sales is reliant on successfully engaging
employees; our management team feels strongly about that. These efforts stand to be derailed by
employee dissatisfaction if we do not do something about it right away. The sources of dissatisfaction
must be found and fixed with the help of our human resources department. Accomplishing this objective
is believed to be one of your highest priorities.

My executive management team and I believe that to efficiently manage your departments’ limited
resources you must effectively plan, organize, lead, and control your department. Mistakes were made
in the past. Taking the goals given to you by your vice president, and breaking them down to supporting
activities, communicating them to your staff and measuring the results is the way for you to be a
successful manager.

Good luck with your plans, we are counting on you.

Sincerely,

Mary Atha, CEO
Atha Corporation

Atha Corporation

Hi Managers!

As you know, we have declared a goal of doubling the company’s current $5 million in sales in the next
year. We believe this is realistic and attainable, but we need your help to start ramping up.

Leadership is asking all department managers to share how their department plans to respond to our new
goals. Your initial plan should focus on articulating new strategic objectives and the reorganization of
your department to meet them. Increased production and anticipated sales growth should be the drivers.
Assume that you can request and will be granted reasonable resources to carry out your plan, so envision
the department that you want and need.

I want you to do the following:

• State your top three strategic departmental objectives or goals for the next three months, and
explain how they align to and support the stated corporate goal.

• Describe two critical support activities needed to achieve each goal in detail. Why are they the
most important?

• Specify a timeline with realistic milestones that support each goal.
• Describe and justify your department’s reorganization that is designed to respond to the business

challenge.
• Analyze your most critical or difficult decision and the top consideration associated with it. This

could be organization structure, a new hire, timing, objective-setting, et cetera.
Also, state any assumptions that you need to make to support your decisions. We are all moving pretty
fast and information is imperfect.

I look forward to seeing your ideas by the end of the week.

Sincerely,

Mary

Atha Corporation

Accounting and Finance

Organizational Chart

Vice President

Accounting and Finance

Manager

Accounts Payable

Manager

Accounts Receivable

Controller

Senior

Financial Analyst

Financial Analyst
Accounts Payable
Clerk
Accounts Receivable Clerk

As the senior leader of this functional area, you are authorized to add three additional positions.

1

Atha Corporation

Operations and Production

Organizational Chart

Vice President

Operations and Production

Manager

Operations and Production

Machine Operators

Six Employees

Assemblers

Six Employees

Inspector

One Employee

Packaging

Two Employees

Supervisor

First Shift

Machine Operators
Six Employees
Assemblers
Six Employees
Inspector
One Employee
Packaging
Two Employees
Supervisor

Second Shift

As the senior leader of this functional area, you are authorized to add 18 additional positions.

Atha Corporation

Sales and Marketing Organizational Chart

(
Sales and Marketing Vice President
)

(
Director of Sales and Marketing
)

(
Market Research Manager
) (
Customer Service Manager
) (
Sales Manager
)

(
Market Research Associate
) (
Customer Service Rep
)
(
Customer Service Rep
)
(
Customer Service Rep
)
(
Field Sales Representative
) (
Inside Sales Representative
) (
Field Sales Representative
)

As the senior leader of this functional area, you are authorized to add seven additional positions.

1