Process Improvement Plan Final

Topic

Course

Name

College

Date

Process Improvement Plan

The company that I plan to utilize is the McDonald’s. McDonald’s is a firm that operates in the fast-food restaurant industry suggesting that it has so many projects and processes that it conducts during its production activities. The process improvement plan is a process and function that aims at ensuring that firms have full control of their activities. In other words, the process improvement plan is a process that aims at assisting companies to develop their value over time.

The reasons that motivate me in creating the process improvement plan for the McDonald’s is to help the firm in doing its processes in the required manner (Loon, 2004). In other words, with the creation of the process improvement plan, McDonald’s will understand how it is supposed to produce its foods and drinks. Also, I am motivated in creating this plan to assist the company in enjoying improved value that will be acquired through things such as better foods and drinks. Moreover, the plan will help the firm to realize the best way of protecting its resources from wastage. Therefore, McDonald’s will ensure that all the employees are doing their part and everyone in the company is doing what seems to be advantageous to the firm (Pastinen, 2010).

The major problem at McDonalds restaurant is the employee accountability and motivation. There lack these qualities at McDonalds restaurant and not just in one or two restaurants but all the restaurants. The employees do not stick to their roles effectively and this discourages the clients a lot. For example, when you make an order in some of the restaurants, they take too long to be processed. The cashiers do not process the payment faster and do not confirm the receipt of the payment. This delays the cooks from processing your order if it is a special order that you have to pay fast. When you make a custom order, the service men or women delay serving you or when your order is displayed on the screen nobody brings it to you even when you make a follow-up. The managers do not respond to clients' requests either, or when he is receiving a complaint about a certain serviceman or woman, the servicemen and women do not bother to apologize but instead argue to prove how right they are. The managers do not take a hard stance on the service men and women’s poor service.

McDonalds puts emphasis on the customer as per their policies and procedures. In their policies, they state that they are in the business because of the customer. Thus, it is their priority to ensure that their customers are well attended to the fullest. In their employee relations, they state that each and every employee is subject to a disciplinary action whenever claims of disrespect and work neglect are laid against him or her.

The problem that there is poor customer service at most McDonalds restaurants directly fall under this policy. The service crew does not attend to the customers effectively and apparently, they do not have proper respect for their leaders since they can argue and disapprove any alleges of poor service delivery against them.

According to the Systems Theory, all the components of an organization are all related and whenever one variable is changed, it will affect all the other variables. It adds that organizations are seen as systems that are open and they interact with their environment continuously and may adapt to the changes in the environment.

Putting this in mind, McDonalds has sections that depend on each other, for example, the cooks depend on confirmation of the payment of on the special orders whereas they also depend on the service crew on other orders made. If there happens that one person does not do his or her part, the rest will be stuck and will not do. Hence, the management has to ensure that the accountability of all the workers is kept to high standards.

If the problems continue like this, the workers will be used to this and this will be the start of the fall of McDonalds. A serious step in making the employees accountable and responsible should start right away by informing them of their roles, procedures and dire disciplinary actions that may befall those who do not adhere to the work ethics.

There exist a number of ethical issues that are likely to bring further disagreements. The first ethical issue is offensive communication, here when addressing each employee’s shortcomings; they may not receive them well and end up exchanging bitterly. Thus, proper guidance is required for the employees to make them much considerate and understanding.

The second ethical issue may be remunerations; it could be that they are not committed to their work because the remunerations are not matching with the workload or responsibilities bestowed on them. Thus to address this, the company has to add a token to the promises they make to the staff members for great change.

References

Loon, H. (2004). Process assessment and improvement: a practical guide for managers, quality professionals, and assessors. New York: Springer.

Pastinen, M. (2010). High-performance process improvement. Heidelberg Germany London New York: Springer.

Walonick, D. (1993). Organizational Theory and Behavior. Statpac.org. Retrieved 14 January 2018, from http://www.statpac.org/walonick/organizational-theory.htm

Feedback to Learner

McDonald's is a perfect choice as you will have plenty of information available to you. There was only two minorissues that I noted in your submission.

Make sure that you do not have any first or second person language. This is a business plan and thus would not include this as these plans are only written from third person.

You need some sort of conclusion. You cannot end on a body paragraph.

SWOT analysis expounds on the internal and external environment of a company. SWOT highlights some inner strengths that the company can leverage to ensure that it achieves its goals, mission, and vision. On the other hand, it identifies the internal weaknesses of organizations. It blends the internal factors with the external aspects of the organization to bring about the real image and state of affairs of the organization regarding its operation and profitability (Houben, Lenie & Vanhoof, 1999).

MC Donald’s SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Strong brand name

Mc Donald’s boasts of a good and strong brand name as far as fast food is concerned. Many clients might attribute mc Donald’s brands to high quality and experience of the chefs cooking the food.

Diversified income

Mc Donald’s is a big company operating in about 120 countries globally. Definitely, its income is not much prone to risk because it operates in different economic regions.

Weaknesses

Negative publicity

Discussions in the past pointed that fast foods are not healthy for consumption. Consequently, many people tend to associate mc Donald’s with unhealthy fast foods.

High employee turnover

In the past, a notable number of employees working for McDonald’s have left their jobs to work for other companies. This could be associated with the fact that they are not motivated enough to continue working for this company or could be earning low remuneration.

Opportunities

Better menu

Globalization of trade

Threats

High competition

Increased health concerns among authorities

How I would use SWOT analysis as a Management Tool

When conducting a SWOT analysis, the process brings to light areas that need to be fixed for the company to improve production and satisfy the clients. In light of this fact, it is important to note that the analysis of weaknesses of McDonald’s allows the management to fix some issues that might be causing inefficiencies in the process of business operation. Due to the shortcomings of the firm, SWOT analysis would be critical in identifying, studying and effecting workable solutions to some of the most important aspects of an organization such as employee turnover and negative publicity. Because this is an internal weakness and disadvantage facing the firm, necessary changes such as increasing incentives to work for the company need to be implemented immediately. Generally, employees are motivated by appraisals such as increment of remuneration, promotions, and allowances. When employees have a higher motivation and turnover rates are low, there is a high likelihood that they are going to be much more productive and would be sure to meet all the needs of the company’s clients. Because of the tainted image of fast food companies, exposing such a weakness would be critical in enabling the company come up with the necessary strategies to change the way of producing, i.e., using healthier raw materials and better processing methods. In this change management process, the management is charged with the responsibility of training employees on how to produce using the newer healthy methods. Definitely, the SWOT analysis shall be an important tool not only in enabling the management to eliminate internal weaknesses but also to perfect the internal environment so that they could cope with the external environment well (Lee & Sai On Ko, 2000).

Use Of Management Theories To Effect Change And Increase Employee Motivation

Contingency Theory

According to this theory, business operation is based on day to day situations of the firm. If the management focused on improving the day to day operations of the company, much would be realized in the long run. The decisions made by the administration should be in response to the day to day circumstances. Such scenarios such as delay in orders are the leading causes of complaints among the customers. If the management took appropriate actions to eliminate such occurrences, McDonald’s would satisfy the customers more. Now, the manager can either use the autocratic of leadership approach. However, in this scenario, the manager is encouraged to use the leadership approach to management.

Systems Theory

A careful study of the current company systems, as well as employee motivation, is important in understanding how the company’s operations could be the leading cause of low employee motivation and tainted company image (Houben, Lenie & Vanhoof, 1999). This approach encourages managers to observe how different functions take place in different workspaces. With this method, the management is more likely to focus on some match-up programs that would enable the company completes its mission and goals while fostering high levels of employee motivation.

Chaos Theory

This theory postulates that some aspects of the organization can be controlled while some cannot (Pickton & Wright 1998). It is important to note that corporations can control some of the issues such as employee motivation. As McDonald’s grow in complexity and reach out to many more clients, it is important that the necessary changes that target employee motivation and cleaning the company image be effected to increase the organization’s tenacity to maintain the new size. Because of the increasing size, perhaps it should not focus on healthier fast foods as compared to just increasing the volume of sales. Change should be continuous, and consequently, organizations should continue to evolve and change.

Theory X and Theory Y

This theory posits that the management should apply some subtle psychological strategies in order help motivate employees to perform better in their workplaces. The administration ought to find ways of affecting the beliefs of the employee and in turn positively impacting their attitudes towards their job performance. This theory needs the managers to believe that employees need motivation and other incentives for them to upsurge their productivity (Lee & Sai On Ko, 2000). Such managers are believers in the X management theory. On the other hand, managers should trust their employees and motivate them not only to attain their personal goals but the organization’s goals as well (Pickton & Wright 1998). Managers that seek to inspire their employees to participate in the running of the company are believers in theory Y.

References

Houben, G., Lenie, K., & Vanhoof, K. (1999). A knowledge-based SWOT-analysis system as an instrument for strategic planning in small and medium sized enterprises. Decision support systems, 26(2), 125-135

Lee, S. F., & Sai On Ko, A. (2000). Building balanced scorecard with SWOT analysis, and implementing “Sun Tzu’s The Art of Business Management Strategies” on QFD methodology. Managerial Auditing Journal, 15(1/2), 68-76.

Pickton, D. W., & Wright, S. (1998). What's swot in strategic analysis?. Strategic change, 7(2), 101-109.

Feedback to Learner

Thank you for submitting to me your completed SWOT analysis! The SWOT analysis looks great, but your SWOT was a bit hard to follow. Below is a sample SWOT. You want to put this into some form of table.

http://www.conceptdraw.com/How-To-Guide/picture/SWOT-Analysis-Government-Contract.png 

Overall, good work!

Mc Donald’s SWOT matrix

Strengths Strong brand name Diversified income	Weaknesses High employee turnover rate Negative publicity
Opportunities Globalization of economies Better menus	Threats High competition from the fast food contenders Increased health concerns among public health officials

Turning the company’s weaknesses into strengths

Negative publicity

Discussions in the past pointed that fast foods are not healthy for consumption. Consequently, many people tend to associate mc Donald’s with unhealthy fast foods.

High employee turnover

In the recent past, a notable number of employees working for mc Donald’s have left their jobs to work for other companies. This could be associated with the fact that they are not motivated enough to continue working for this company or could be earning low remuneration.

Using management model to turn the company’s weaknesses into strengths

The two weaknesses of the company, which are high employee turnover rates and negative publicity can be turned into an advantages. When it comes to high employee turnover rates, it is essential to consider the use management theories, which are the contingent and the systems approach to management. However, if better results are to be realized spontaneously, contingency approach to management of the company and its operations would be the most appropriate (Rosemann, & Brocke, 2015). This theory postulates that control of processes and improvement should be founded on the day to day operation of the company. At its core, it focuses on improving the daily activity of the firm with a long-term aim of improving efficiency and satisfying the customer. Unlike the systems approach, this theory would be benevolent to the company because it shall take into account the current situation while considering the ever-changing needs of the clients. When it comes to employee turnover, the contingency theory shall be used to respond to day to day activities and circumstances by taking into account the number of employees that leave their jobs for employment in contender companies or even other fields. Now, after recognizing the problem, the management shall swing into action and identify the possible causes of the high rates of employee turnover. When coming up with the roots of the problem, necessary data shall be gathered to further highlight the severity of the situation. Now, the managers shall barnstorm the possible solutions to the problem. After coming up with some answers, they are tasked with the responsibility of selecting the best alternatives to effect a long lasting solution. Such a process is vital in highlighting the contemporary employee needs and preferences. This would, in turn, create a more modern and appropriate solution to the high rates of employee turnover. This type of strategy and approach to management encourages the manager to adopt leadership approach to management. This method involves leading from example and mentoring employees so that they can feel part and parcel of the company and in turn be part of the shared vision and mission. If the management takes into account the needs of the current employees, it would, in turn, motivate them to work for the company. Satisfied employees are more likely to represent the company with zeal thus creating an excellent corporate image and client satisfaction (Rosemann, & Brocke, 2015).

Negative publicity is mainly caused by the thought that fast foods are unhealthy as they lead to eating disorders such as obesity. Due to this, many people tend to associate giant fast food companies with unhealthy food menus. In as much as Mc Donald’s has the best food menus as compared to other fast food companies, the thought that their foods are unhealthy might be detrimental to the company success in future. With the contingency approach to management, a swift response to this situation shall be appropriate in creating a good corporate image and in turn helping the company restore back the confidence of the clients and the general public in their meals (Möller, 2013). The management shall gather enough information regarding this situation, head over to brainstorm and come up with possible solutions to it. In the process of brainstorming, the administration is charged with the responsibility of gathering enough information regarding the causes of such a dogma among the general public. Many health advisors in the current times tend to advise the general public that fast foods are unhealthy and would lead to the development of health problems with extended use.

The management ought to sit down and have a discussion about how they are going to restore back the confidence of the clients and the general public. In light of this fact, advertisement and a clear explanation of the process that they take when preparing the food is essential in educating the clients and letting them know that the food they eat is fit for their health. When coming up with an advertisement, it is essential that the ad highlight on the process that the food goes through before it can ultimately be sold to the general public. With this type of information, the general public rests assured that the food they take is safe and healthy to an ultimate degree.

How marketing theories can help improve the process proposal

An appropriate blend of marketing theories and other forms of marketing is essential in ensuring that the process improvement plan would push through successfully. This is because, without the correct marketing strategies, the new products of the company shall fail (Gummerus, 2013). When making the products, it would be essential to tailor-make them to suit the needs of the choosy clients. By that, I mean that they should be designed to meet the health standards of the current times. By boosting the employee motivation to work for the firm, they shall work with zeal to avail the product at the right time. Even if getting some healthier raw Materials and taking on some new processes of producing the products might be expensive, pricing of the products shall also determine whether or not the product shall compete favorably in the market (Becker, Kugeler, & Rosemann, 2013). When doing promotions, highlighting the specific details that are associated with preparing the food would be important in assuring the clients that they are getting something worth the value of their money. Even if the new process of production shall be a little expensive, it is important to note that advertising serves the critical function of ensuring that the client knows that they are getting products that are healthy. The products shall also target the younger generation. In the advertisement, it is vital to create some form of culture and trend in the new food. By that, the younger generation is more likely to take the new menus as part and parcel of their lifestyles.

References

Becker, J., Kugeler, M., & Rosemann, M. (Eds.). (2013). Process management: a guide for the design of business processes. Springer Science & Business Media.

Gummerus, J. (2013). Value creation processes and value outcomes in marketing theory: strangers or siblings?. Marketing Theory, 13(1), 19-46.

Möller, K. (2013). Theory map of business marketing: Relationships and networks perspectives. Industrial Marketing Management, 42(3), 324-335.

Rosemann, M., & vom Brocke, J. (2015). The six core elements of business process management. In Handbook on business process management 1 (pp. 105-122). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Feedback to Learner

Thank you for submitting to me your completed process proposal. Please see my comments and feedback below.

Your marketing theory section was a bit confusing. You needed to choose one specific marketing theory and write 1 full page on that. This reads as though you are just talking about marketing theories in general. 

Make sure you are not using questions as a title. This reads as though you are writing a question and answer form rather than an academic paper. 

Overall, really solid work here.

Goals and Objectives

By implementing the new process of food and employee retention strategies, McDonalds will be able to optimize increased sales and increased production. With the new process, the company will also optimize both short term and long-term goals contributing to the overall mission and vision (Campbell, 2016). Short term goals that the company wishes to accomplish within 6 months of implementation of the new process are:

15% Reduction in turnover rates

3% increment in sales

2% increment in profits

50% reduction in use of synthetic food additives and ingredients.

Conduct employee training, motivation activities and workshops every 2 months.

With those short term goals, the company will build a good company image and cut the employee turnover rates.

Timeline for implementation of the new processes

Because the new process requires a great deal of resources and time, it is important that it is implemented at the beginning of the second half of the accounting year. This means that the new process will be implemented at the beginning of the month of July, 2018. It is important that the new processes are implemented in this period so that the company can devote some resources and be able to account for it at the end of the accounting period (TriplePundit, 2011). The new process implementation schedule goes as follows: 2nd to 6th July 2018: Employee Training Workshop

In the workshop, employees are going to be trained on current holistic food processing methods. Due to new processes being implemented, the company is going to hire new cooks/chefs who are going to teach other employees on the new, holistic and organic methods of food processing. The activity of hiring a new cook/chef will be done from 9th to 13th July 2018.

How the new process will improve the organization?

After implementation of the new processes, the McDonald’s research team will do some research in order to ascertain if the new processes are effecting the desired changes in the organization (Campbell, 2016). However, the new processes are expected to bring about some changes which the researchers shall use to measure against the projected changes. The new process is expected to produce the following results by the end of December 2018.

15% Reduction in turnover rates

3% increment in sales

2% increment in profits

5% reduction in the production cost

10% increment of the North American fast food market share

How management theories shall be of help in implementing the new processes

The contingency theory

The contingency theory shall be of great help when it comes to solving the day to day issues in order to ensure that everything that takes place in the organization is in line with what the new processes targets to achieve for McDonald’s.

Systems approach

When implementing the new processes, systems approach to management of the organization will be important in ensuring that the organization puts in place the right organizational structure that will meet the needs of the new processes.

References

Campbell, J. (2016). SMART criteria. Salem Press Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=100259301&site=eds-live&scope=site

TriplePundit. (2011). Set SMART goals to effect organizational change. Retrieved from http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/12/start-smart-finish-first/

Feedback to Learner

This is much improved, but your goals need to have some sort of time frame. Based on these goals, as long as a 15% reduction is achieved at some point in the future, such as 2050, then it was a success.  Additionally, I did not see your time line wherein you list out all goals and objectives with a deadline. (This section needs a lot of work)

Process Improvement Plan: Identifying Resources

Practically, everything that we do either personally or collectively needs or undergoes a process. Although processes vary in nature and significance, it is paramount to acknowledge that without them it would be difficult for business to continue as usual in our personal lives or at the organizational level. Although personal processes are most often owned by individuals, more complex ones are owned by institutions and spread across departments. In this regard, they are therefore done collectively as every individual becomes a stakeholder in one or more processes. The most common goal of a process is to improve the way things are done. Therefore, process improvement plan can be defined as a means of creating a standard strategy for enhancing or making things better (Johnson, Mirada, Aakre, Roberts, Patel & Krecke, 2010). The plan involves answering several questions such as which processes need to be improved, how the process will be effected, what are the needed resources, how the process is to be audited, how training is to be done and many others.

The following plan will largely involve providing a rationale for the identified resources required in a business or organization. The key objective is to perpetually evaluate issues and create a system that prevents preceding failures while establishing a management configuration that eases improvement in the organization. To get a background of the institution, it is worthy of note that it faces numerous challenges such as customer decline, reduction in qualified personnel, diminishing accountability and misappropriation of funds as well as diminishing expectations from the stakeholders. In consequence, there is a need to improve and change how the organization is managed in order to improve its status and restore the stakeholders’ confidence.

In order to fulfill its goal and objectives, the business aims to investigate key procedures with a view to identifying and eradicating redundancy, internal control deficiencies, and the unnecessary wastage of resources such as money, people and time. By so doing, the company aims to capitalize and prioritize opportunities that enhance its relationship with the customers. Secondly, the company will apply the Basic Software Process Model to identify shortages in core processes that fundamentally impact the organization (El Gabry, 2017). Identifying deficiencies in key areas and recommitting action plan for improvement is a significant step intended to optimize the use of available resources and identify where technology-based solutions may be required to sustain the improvement plan. The approach required to effect this requires establishing a team of key stakeholders who will be impacted by the improvement (Johnson et al, 2010).

Human resource management is a key issue in ensuring that the organization functions smoothly. Specifically, human resource includes all people or staff within an organization and they are a basic asset. In our institution, we aim to implement a lean structured workforce in order to improve the company operations. As the cornerstone for log-term success, the institution needs to invest in the people working for it. This is in recognition that people are an exceptional resource that can make or break an organization. To make a difference, the establishment will invest in training its workforce to ensure they know and understand institutional policies and objectives as well their duties and responsibilities. This will guarantee competency and efficiency at work.

Streamlining the human resource requires another resource, that is, money. Unquestionably, money can be equated to lubricants that are essential in the smooth functioning of machinery. In this respect, it means that a budget will be drawn to facilitate regular hiring and

training of employees. The money set aside in the budget will in particular be used to organize the training, avail training materials and pay the trainers.

Besides investing in direct human resource training, it is also vital to downsize goals by rationalizing operations. This can be doe through software such as the employee performance management plan (ePMP). Therefore, digitizing the institution’s process improvement strategy must also feature in the budget allocation. The software is meant to facilitate management by objectives (MBO) and will be completed by every professional employee on quarterly or yearly basis. This will involve a participative goal-setting procedure that eases how the managers, supervisors and their subordinates formulate, pursue, achieve and confirm accomplishments of their set goals (Anthony, 2018). The application of error-free and dependable software in production and marketing strategies is also important. Moreover, a suitable quality management tool is also crucial to gather and present data, identify process enhancement prospects and determine the level of improvement realized. Such software accompanied by relevant hardware materials must be within the budget and effort should be made to procure and deliver them without delay. Financially, the privately-owed company is stable and can produce sufficient resources to allow for the envisioned transformation.

Generally, after designing the process improvement plan, it is important to prepare an implementation plan for the improvements. This involves monitoring the improvements in order to establish the impact and guarantee continued success. The best way to measure success is to generate quality products and services that are appreciated in the target market. Overall, the success of a process improvement plan will be determined by quality, customer satisfaction in the housing sector and maximized profit.

References

Anthony, L. (2018). Why is goal setting important in organizations? Retrieved from smallbusiess.chron.com/goal-setting-important-organizations-2509.html

El Gabry, O. (2017). Software engineering – software process ad software process models (part 2). Retrieved from https://ediu.com/omarelgabrys-blog/software-engineering-software -and-software-process-odels-part-2-4a06213fdc

Johnson, C. D., Mirada, R., Aakre, T. K., Roberts, C. Patel, D. M. & Krecke, K. (2010). Process improvement: What is it, why is it important, and how is it done? American Journal of Roentgenology, 194, 461-468.

Feedback to Learner

You had a good start here, but your submission was a bit confusing. I do not see where you identified any specific resources. You mention things like software, but nowhere did you mention specific software. In a resource proposal you need to state, very specifically, what you need. Instead of saying you need software, which is just a category, you might say you need Microsoft Office. Additionally, no where did you mention specific dollar amounts tied to your resources. You are told that for each resource you should be identifying the time, people, and money needed.

Budget spreadsheet goes here (separate attachment)

Feedback to Learner

Thank you for submitting to me your budget, but your budget reads as though it is for the entire restaurant rather than just your project. For example, how is the operating income tied to your project? This would only be included if your project directly generates income. Remember, this is just a template and you can modify it.

Additionally, are these numbers in thousands? If so, you would need to state that or else it reads as though everything will cost $5620.

Risk assessment and management can be defined as a continuous management process which is meant to reveal, analyze and assess any potential hazardous events in a system, and come up with concrete and efficient risk control measures that will certainly eliminate or reduce possible harm to people, or assets (Haimes, 2015). Before a process goes through this stage, an organization should have already placed an identified process in motion. This means that a budget and the necessary resources will have been identified. Only then will it be viable to conduct a risk assessment and management of the process. This paper therefore intends to propose a risk assessment and management process of McDonalds, having identified a deficient process that will help the organization improve its service delivery. First, the importance of having such a plan is assessed;

Importance of Risk Assessment

Assessment of risks has been vital in enabling businesses avoid losses. Most times losses in business are a result of unforeseen risks which adversely affect the business’s normal operation when they occur. As a result of such occurrences, organizations loose the most important resources, which is productivity and therefore will end up languishing in losses. If a business is able to foresee hence access and manage these risks, then they will be able to establish counter strategies is easy and avoidance of loss altogether.

Risks assessment and management helps businesses such as McDonalds define and achieve their future objectives. This is because when decisions about the future are made without putting to consideration the likely risks, there is likelihood of losing focus in the event of a risk. Instead of focusing on the organizations’ goals, employees and other key stakeholders will concentrate on dealing with the risks which will most likely lead to stalling of progressive programs and eventually cause loss. It is better to plan for risks even if they will not occur than fail to plan for them and then suffer losses when they occur. Management of risks such as accidents that could impact on the productivity of a business ensures that there is a healthy working environment. Consequently, when workers feel secure about the environment they are working in, they are more likely to be motivated to work and thus become more productive. This ends up contributing to growth in company revenues and eventually more growth (Haimes, 2015).

Looking at the various risks that can affect the functioning of a business is also very crucial in determining the insurance requirement of a business. Through proper analysis of possible risks, the business managers are able to know what they need to protect themselves against and therefore avoid losses (Bryson, 2018). This also helps in avoiding incurrence of litigation costs especially if the risks affect third parties. For instance, a company that manufactures chemicals could pose a risk to the environment as a result of waste disposal. Therefore, to avoid legal suits that most times end in hefty fines or even business closure, the company can invest in a recycling plant to prevent the wastes polluting the environment.

Lastly, it is evident that risk assessment and management is an integral part of budgeting. It is by assessing the possible risks that a business can set aside the necessary allocations to tackle the risks. For instance, in areas prone to theft, the company can raise the allocation to the security department. This would ensure that the equipment that are required to secure the business premises are available.

Barriers to effective risk assessment and management

While creating a risk assessment plan may seem like a straight forward process, there are some hindrances that may make the whole process a little difficult. The first one has to do with the general culture of the institution. Organizational culture becomes problematic when the institution is more concerned about service delivery and completely ignores the issues of concern that may harm the business. This is further manifested in the way the organization puts all its focus in the achievement of the objectives set forgetting to handle the risks associated with the programs themselves. It is therefore evident that at this point, there is disconnect, making the business more vulnerable (Haimes, 2015).

Another problem that has hindered proper handling of risk is the acceptance and tolerance of very low standards at work (Bryson, 2018). This means accepting a way of doing things that is below average and that exposes the whole institution to attack. The top management is most of the time to blame for allowing poor standards and lack of commitment and dedication within the organization.

Risk assessment and management has also been affected by lack of or inadequate communication between the different teams and departments within the organization (Gallagher, MacKenzie, Blum, & Boerman, 2016). It is known that for the achievement of the goals and objectives of any given organization, there has to be unity and collaboration between the different departments and teams.

It can therefore be concluded that, in order for risk to be managed and assessed, it is crucial that competition, distrust and overall poor relations amongst all the important stakeholders in the organization be dealt with. This will automatically result into an environment that ensures the organization is safe and profitable. To properly access and manage these risks therefore, organizations should ensure that nobody assumes that monitoring, performance management and corrective actions are the responsibility of someone else. Instead, the employees and other relevant stakeholders should commit themselves to ensuring that they mitigate risks as much as possible. Adherence to the established management systems and adequate training and supervision can also play a fundamental role in dealing with the risks.

References

Bryson, J. M. (2018). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement. John Wiley & Sons.

Gallagher, M. A., MacKenzie, C. A., Blum, D. M., & Boerman, D. A. (2016). Improving Risk Assessment Communication. Military Operations Research Society Journal, 2(1), 5.

Haimes, Y. Y. (2015). Risk modeling, assessment, and management. John Wiley & Sons.

Feedback to Learner

Thank you for submitting to me your completed risk assessment. Please see my comments and feedback below.

Be mindful of phrasing. This reads as though you are writing a paper on how to create a risk assessment rather than actually making a risk assessment. You should not have any general information about what a risk assessment is as you would not find that in an actual risk assessment. 

Per the instructions "Include an explanation as to how you plan to use your chosen management theories in order to manage the identified risks of implementing the new process.". 

I do not see where you addressed this.

Overall, good work identifying the risks but you want to make this more specific.

Introduction

An action plan is a very important tool in as far as strategic management is concerned. This is because it reveals the course of action that will be undertaken in order to achieve the ultimate goal of any given project (KU Work Group for Community Health and Development, 2018). In this case, the action plan described will be used to identify the steps needed to complete the plan, the individuals responsible for incorporating changes, the specific timeframe for completing specific steps in the project and finally the resources necessary to complete each step. More importantly the action plan will provide a communication channel connecting the audience and stakeholders of the project. All these are summarized in the table below;

Table Action Plan

Action	Resources	Time allocated	Responsible person	Deadline
Build 5 more Restaurants	Land Buildings Furniture and Fixtures Machinery	1 year	CEO	In 1 financial year
Increase Advertising to three major platforms	Funds Social Media Platforms Workforce	2 weeks	Marketing Manager Sales Manager	Two weeks after opening
Introduce new food items on the menu	Food Suppliers Kitchen Equipment	1 week	Restaurant manager	Within a week
Increase sales force by 10 people	Wages Recruitment Team	1 week	Marketing Manager Sales manager	Within a week
Grow market share by at least 4%		1 year	General Manager Sales manager	By the end of the current financial year
Improve shareholder relations	Relationship Manager	1 year	CEO General manager Relationship Manager	In the course of the financial year

Communication

Communication is very important when it comes to working as a team to achieve a specific goal. From the action plan designed above, it is clear that there are several players responsible for specific roles. For this particular case, communication will follow a particular chain of command represented by the following hierarchy:

As indicated by the arrows, information is expected to flow from the CEO to the teams responsible while feedback flows in the opposite direction.

Reference

KU Work Group for Community Health and Development. (2018). Developing an action plan. In Community toolbox (Chapter 8, Section 5). Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/structure/strategic-planning/develop-action-plans/main

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