You are a new member of the finance department of BOX-IT, a specialty container manufacturing company with 80 employees. Two years ago, the company was sold by the retiring owners to the employees through an employee stock ownership plan. Shortly after the buyout, management created new training and participation programs to increase employee involvement in company decisions. Employees are just getting used to thinking like owners.
The company’s financial information is shared with all employees at regular monthly “state of the business” meetings and employees are shown how their department’s work and budget relate to the company’s overall profit and loss. Departments in the company include: manufacturing, engineering, marketing, finance, & maintenance.
You have been assigned to an ad-hoc committee given the task of purchasing a new box-making machine which would press recycled material (mostly paper and cardboard, but also some plastics) into various container shapes (tubular, hexagonal, etc.).
Williams students: log on to Blackboard to submit your answers to the following questions:
Please answer the following:
- What kind of information should the committee collect?
- Who should you ask for input?
- What should you ask them?
- How will you use the information you collect?
