CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 2
Definition of Project
The purpose of this proposal is to provide recommendations to address the issues around
the production of C-17. Several issues of concern lead to an inefficient process, lack of
motivation from production workers, and delays in final product completion. Liberty University
(2022) noted that the “lack of an adequate process for translating shared vision into collective
action may be associated with the failure to produce transformational organizational change” (p.
181). The following proposal will outline a plan to resolve the inefficiencies; and increase
motivation, production, and innovation in the manufacturing of the C-17 aircraft.
Diagnosis of Current Situation
The current production of the C-17 aircraft faces many challenges that continue to lead to
inefficiencies and processes that cause major delays. Challenges include additional labor and
hours removing the completed phases of the aircraft to add parts that are received late in
production. Even though the manufacturing of the C-17 aircraft is structured traditionally to be
processed through phases based on schedules, unfortunately, this traditional thought allows
unproductive processes to become the norm.
Recommendations
The following are recommendations to address the challenges of the C-17 aircraft
production: creating new and efficient processes, creating a positive culture, and empowering the
production workers. The manufacturing processes of the C-17 aircraft will need to be overhauled
to ensure the aircraft does not move from a particular position until all of the necessary parts are
installed properly to the required specifications. By making this change in the process, the
company will enhance the opportunities for the workers in other departments to become
innovative when designing their processes to provide the necessary support to the production
CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 3
team. According to Villaluz and Hechanova (2018), “building a culture of innovation would
entail providing the environment and infrastructure that would influence employees to support
thoughts and actions necessary for innovation” (p. 139). The second recommendation in this
proposal is to create a positive culture in the company. The current culture believes that because
it has always been done a certain way it is the correct way, regardless of the outcomes. For
example, the process of moving the C-17 from one position to the next without completing the
work due to schedules and or missing parts is the norm, however, it does not mean it is the
correct thing to do.
The culture of the status quo effect creates a negative environment when effective change
takes place. Windsor et al., noted that changing the focus of the company’s message from
innovation and disruption to tools that enable members to obtain more resources to expand on
concepts or goods that they have in their control creates a positive workplace culture. Windsor et
al., advises that communication on how adopting the changes is necessary and by undressing
unspoken fears will affect the greater good of the organization and increases the likelihood that
"employees will emotionally engage and be more open to the overall vision" (p. 30). While
Ivanova and von Scheve (2020) added, making heroes of employees transforms performance and
creates a sense of ownership and empowerment. This leads to the last recommendation of this
proposal which is to empower the workers to express their thoughts, challenges, and ideas for
improvement. Ivanova and von Scheve (2020) noted that “empowerment is used as a strategic
tool in the reconstitution of managerial work (p. 778). The production workers have first-hand
knowledge of what is needed to be successful. However, many workers do not feel that their
opinion is valued because changes come top down.
CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 4
According to Shulga (2021) “the human element and need for a deep cultural
transformation are the biggest challenges” when employees are faced with change.
Understanding that there will be barriers of resistance to the recommendations, it is important to
ensure the right leaders are in place to implement such changes. By creating surveys and
establishing focus groups throughout the change process will ensure that the appropriate
feedback is captured.
Implementation Plan
A successful change requires an implementation plan consisting of four phases over the
course of nine months. Phase one will require the creation of an implementation team including
senior level management, area directors, and one production worker from each department. This
implementation team will research and gather the necessary information, understand the current
and the proposed budget, vet suppliers through requests for proposals, and ensure that the
company’s mission and vision are aligned to the proposed changes. Phase one will take up to two
months to complete. Once the implementation team has completed its’ tasks, phase two will
begin.
Over the course of three months, phase two will review and create the contract of
agreement with the proposed supplier and will test the proposed process changes. The
implementation team will create a standard set of deliverables for each new partnership with
suppliers. In this phase, the implementation team will also set timelines for the rollout and
training on the new processes. Once the timelines have been set, phase three will begin to take
place.
Phase three will consist of an introduction and training of all parties involved in the new
processes. This phase will last approximately three months due to the number of workers to be
CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 5
trained. At the end of phase three, the implementation plan will move into phase four. During
this phase additional focus group sessions will be held along with surveys to gather feedback on
the new changes. At this time, production workers will establish a sense of empowerment in the
change process, ultimately creating a positive workplace culture. At the end of phase four the
implementation team will create and distribute the summary of changes to include feedback,
production data, and revenue analysis.
Summary
As organizations seek to establish and implement effective changes, there must be
strategic goals set by the leadership that are aligned with the company’s mission and vision.
Once established, the leadership must then lay out a plan to implement the change that will take
place. According to the text, Leading Organization Change, (2021), Koz presented priorities
centered around quality, scheduling, and cost. Koz faced resistance from a status quo culture
where workers were hesitant to change because of the norm in which the company operated the
processes of manufacturing the C-17 aircraft. The new processes in Koz implemented
encouraged a culture of innovative decision making from other departments that proved to be
beneficial to the success of the company. This proposal outlined a set of recommendations and a
timeline in which if followed through the implementation, will carry on through the growth of
the company.
CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 6
References
Ivanova, M., & von Scheve, C. (2020). Power through empowerment? the managerial discourse
on employee empowerment. Organization (London, England), 27(6), 777-796.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508419855709
Liberty University. (2022). Leading organizational change. New York: McGraw Hill
Shulga, L. V. (2021). Change management communication: The role of meaningfulness,
leadership brand authenticity, and gender. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 62(4), 498-515.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1938965520929022
Villaluz, V., & Hechanova, R. (2018). Ownership and leadership in building an innovation
culture.Leadership & Organization Development Journal. 40(2).
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/LODJ-05-2018-0184/full/html
Winsor, J., et al. (2019). Overcoming cultural resistance to open-source innovation. Strategy &
Leadership.47(6). https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/SL-08-2019-
0114/full/html
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