Complete Analysis and Design of Baxter Marine Company - Research Paper Example

A. Table Problem/Requirement List Sequence No. P/R Leads to Priority Source P A personnel is not available to answer the phone at all times Loss of prospective costumers and income 1 3.14 2 P The standard of Baxter’s work is very high The people are getting tired of dealing with inefficient administration 1 3.3 3 P Bills are paid very late due to cash flow problems Suppliers may stop supplying Baxter Marine 1 3.7 4 P Inland Revenue are unhappy about accounting procedure They may take necessary action to suspend operation if not improved 1 3.5 5 P Ransom and Pollock are not always told about cancelled bookings Overstocking and wasted spaces often happen 1 3.9 6 P Annual bookings are accepted but sometimes get lost or overlooked Accuracy on reports as well as financial income is not properly recorded 1 3.8 7 P Small items are hard to find or sometimes out of stock Waste of time and effort in waiting for that particular item that is not available 2 3.12 8 P A backlog of removals from the water builds up during October-November period Jobs are delayed since a boat requires two hours to be cradled; owners get annoyed at delays 1 3.15 9 P Jobs are sometimes assigned to staff who is not an expert or inexperienced on that task Frustration on the part of the staff and ineffective service that might be rendered to the costumers; frustration both for the staffs and costumers 1 B. Current System Level 1 DFD The level 1 DFD shows the main functional areas of the system. It is derived with reference to the context diagram. The context diagram on this screen depicts the overall business process for a generic system. Further analysis is then necessary in order to identify the major functional areas, the problems and the possible solution for each problem. On this system, it can be attributed that the owner of the business oversees the whole process in the business but he/she alones can initiate discussion to and for his personnel. C. Required System Level 2 DFD The DFD (required system) shows the suggested system wherein all the possible changes are incorporated. These changes are hoped to achieved full compliance of the customers’ needs thereby creating harmony within the business systems and creating more profits for the business. It can be easily reflected that on the required system, there could be an open communication, a 2-way communication for that matter, between the customers and the manager. Also in the warehouse where supplies and needs can be easily accessed. D. Final Report on Baxter Marine’s Current and Proposed New System A. Why a Change is Needed Upon review, the current system was found out to be less organized that resulted to inefficient service of the Baxter Marine boatyard. Some major problems noted were dissatisfaction among costumers due to inefficient use of time, inexperienced personnel they talk to when making inquiries, insufficient supplies and disruption of schedules and bookings causing delay to placing of vital orders. These were just some among the many problems that the current system is going through. The need for change will mean a new strategy to improve the service of the company to meet the needs and satisfaction of the costumer by offering a faster and more efficient service, more organized system, experienced personnel that will answer inquiries among customers, and most importantly, to improve the profit of the company. B. Description of the Current Routine The current routine mainly signifies the following characters: Mike Westwood as the service and storage manager who also serves as the first contact point among the costumers. Arthur Baxter, a traditionalist who spends more time in sailing than the time spent in doing accounting and administrative works. Jean Baxter, the wife who deals with the accounts, Bob Ransom as the yard foreman who keeps the lists of the boats booked and the sketches of their location. Last among those major characters is Dave Pollock who runs the warehouse. The supporting characters are the 15 or so additional involved in boat building, boat delivery and collection. The routine cannot be said as an organized one as Arthur Baxter is not always around to handle transactions, updates on bookings and cancellations of reservation and orders are not updated properly that leads to wasting of space and/or overstocking. The old or manual system in keeping records is still use resulting to loss of files, delay of payments, and loss of profit for the company itself. Another confusing part of this routine is the relay of message or information dissemination. Mike Westwood has no other way of knowing the status of bookings and reservation but to call Bob Ransom or Dave Pollock, who are responsible for the job. However, the manual way of keeping the records often leads to inappropriate data that result to mishandling of reservation, location and even repair and payments. This does not only bring dissatisfaction on the part of the costumers but its greater effect is the loss of profit for the company. The fact that they process the costumers’ inquiries through relay of calls that often end up to a long frustrating process and not updated data is smoothing that has to be changed in the system. They just throw the message from one another and still cannot give a good result because of lack of necessary information that will answer the needs of the costumers whether it is regarding purchase, stocks, repair and location of boat in the dry dock. Even the transfer of payment has to go to several people that sometimes causes delay or in a worse situation, loss of finances. The task is not systematic and the staff is still using the old or traditional way of keeping the booking information as well as the financial records that make the work complicated and frustrating for both the company and the costumers seeking their service. C. List of Resulting Problems The following were found out to be the common problems that are encountered in the management of Baxter Marine: Booking information is not disseminated Personnel like Arthur Baxter is not always available to speak to Provisional bookings are sometimes cancelled or even worse have to be cancelled or rescheduled Items run out of stock It is difficult to find the items in the stores A premium is paid for items required very quickly Yacht log is hard to read Reconciliation of payments against debts is difficult Owners are sometimes billed for work on boats they no longer own Some bills have never been paid Customers have to wait too long to get their boats lifted Owners sometimes turn up and there is no room for them Boats cannot be reached at very low tide states Jobs are not completed on time Bookings for small jobs can get lost Customers complain that their boats are not re-floated on time Boats can get blocked in on the yard Time wasted in moving boats Not enough fitters are available Enforced early re-float charge Staff frustrated Inland revenue are becoming dissatisfied with accounting procedures Suppliers are unhappy with being paid late Overpaying for use of tidal way It takes long time to identify the correct craft when owners ring to check on progress or bookings Removal charge by weight Log of jetty users by length Single invoice per owner Source: SSAD Case Study Baxter’s Problem/Requirement List D. An Overview of the New Scheme The new scheme is seen to be more organized and more systematic compared to the old one. Through this new scheme, work is expected to be easier and more efficient. In this way, less time and effort will be consumed in meeting the needs of the costumers. Dissemination of information and financial reports will be more updated and since transaction will be made with the specific personnel responsible and experienced in that specific assignment. Therefore, loss of data and confusion on bookings and reservation will be avoided. Even the mishandling of payments will be resolved as well as the difficulty in finding the items available in the stocks. The new scheme is a more refined procedure that will answer the difficulty in managing the Baxter marine. E. A Detailed Description of How the New Scheme will Differ from the Old In the old scheme, the flow of information from the first call up to the process of payments had a disorganized flow resulting to ineffective service from the Baxter Marine. In the new scheme, information from the clients will be answered by the personnel in the department who is knowledgeable in accepting storage, repair bookings, space availability as well as the credit status of the client. After transaction has been made and booking was made available, records of details while the work is in progress will be monitored. Parts used and time taken will also be in details and the allocated tasks and location in bays. The division of labor is in order so that time, materials and labor will not be wasted. The information regarding the progress of the said task will be reported back to the first step or the division or personnel who accepts storage, repair bookings, space availability and credit status so that the completion of task can be estimated as well as the payment or expenses that will be required upon the completion of task. As the work takes into progress, work schedule will be set, job requirements will be taken into consideration so that the necessary repair will be done by the staff who has the expertise in that specific field of work. The division or department responsible for checking stock levels, creating re-order lists and record the delivery details will be handling the transactions on delivery, deal with suppliers, supplier orders. Information such as name, address, item lists, parts and quantity delivered will be noted. Evaluation of the following information will drawn out the record part, supplier, preferred supplier information, record fitter, skills and boat delivery information that will determine the skill level, skill and fitter number. This will be used in the recording of the specific details of what is involved in carrying out a task on a particular boat type. Information under this division also includes boat number and dates, new supply details, part number, supplier number priority. The flow is simpler that will take shorter time and more efficient service among costumers. There will also be an effective exchange of deals between suppliers and Baxter Marine that will lead to the increase of profit for the company. It is sometimes helpful to establish a more personal or friendly relationship between business partners because this helps in understanding the needs and goals of one another. There is that more harmonious or mutual relationship that helps strengthen the partnership wherein both parties benefit from their deals. F. A Description of How Each of the Problems will be Resolved The first among the problem that will be resolved is in the system handling inquiries from the costumers. If the information will be centralized to a staff or division who is familiar with the storage, repair bookings, space availability and credit status, that person can easily tell if there is available location and services that will answer the particular need of the costumers. Misinformation will be avoided as reservations and cancellation will be updated anytime. This will eradicate dissatisfaction among costumers and the staff as well. In the part of Baxter Marine, less time, effort, and labor will be used. This will minimize the errors and inefficiency in their service. If they will use more mechanical or technological ways of recording necessary information, that will also improve the service rather than the manual or traditional ways of taking notes. The second concern is in the financial aspects. A person or department that will handle this matter should be experienced or experts and should deal particularly with this main task in receiving payments from the costumers and in handling payments to the suppliers. Issuing of official receipts and updates on incoming and outgoing finances must be well monitored and recorded. In the part of labor service, the ones responsible for repairs should have the particular training who are able to detect what particular changes and repair is necessary including the materials that will be changed and improved. It is also important that there is a division responsible in the item lists in the stocks so that it is easier to monitor what is lacking. This way, it is easier to make new orders and the materials will not run out of stock. G. A General Description of the Improvement and Benefits to the Department Improvements in the department will mean benefits for it also. Among the improvements will be the relationship with the costumers and the company. This will mean more costumers that will patronize Baxter Marine service. On the part of the staff working in this particular department, lessening the burden on their job will mean they can enjoy their work and get more productive in their duty. This will not only help in gaining profit for the company but also in team building, professional growth among staff and workers. Inaccuracy in the computation of finances and loss of income will also be resolved as records will supply the necessary information in the financial status will be well - detailed. Expertise among the staffs will mean precision and accuracy on their tasks. Less time to consume, less effort to exert is equivalent to a more effective service that can possibly double the accomplishment that can be attained in a day or let us say in a certain period of time. More success to the department and there is a possibility to expound their capacity that will result to more income and gain of profit. Trust among the staffs will be regained as well as the costumers and more importantly from the Inland Revenue. It is important to rebuild their trust and satisfied them with the results of the accounting procedure. Otherwise, their operation might be at stake. H. A Description of How Improvements will carry through to the Other Departments A company works as a system. A good function from one department or division will also mean a good and productive relationship with other departments. A gain from one particular department will uplift the morale and function of other departments. Therefore, the whole system will work in progress both for the benefits of Marine Baxter and the staff. As for the costumers, they would prefer the service of Baxter Marine and patronize them more. They will be satisfied on what it can offer them. I. A Brief Outline Any Training People will Need Training to improve their skills in the specific field of assignment they are designated to. This will enhance the capacity of the staff that will give greater contribution in the effective and efficient service they will provide with the costumers. Personal training on the part of the personnel involved in the transactions with supplier is also necessary so that they can build rapport and more professional relationships. This has something to do with getting the best quality supplies at the most reasonable price. J. A Description of any Operational Changes that would be Beneficial, but which Fall Outside the Scope of the Computerization Exercise Possible changes that fall outside the scope of computerization would be evaluation among the personnel on who works with dedication. This will assess who among the labor force bring the quality service that contribute to the company’s progress and who are those that attribute to the company’s liabilities. Another factor to consider will be analysis on the part of other departments because it is also important to look how their operation affects the other department as these departments work as a system. There is a link among their operations and functions. A success of one department will lead to the success of the whole system. However, failure from one department can pull down the whole system. Reference: SSAD Case Study Baxter’s Problem/Requirement List Read More