BUS603: Managing People

This is an exploratory study, therefore the conclusions drawn for this study must be considered in this sense. The study explores the selection and implementation of an integrated and web-based IT infrastructure (dashboard, workflow and parts tracking system) that can provide a mechanism for effective communication and collaboration for a virtual work group in a manufacturing process.

Principal benefits describe an active collaboration between groups and participants, where groups like warehouse (61.51% registered from 50% required) and test (30.26% registered from 25% required) overpass their collaboration, quality did in a lower level (7.95%) that corresponds to a 63.60% from the expected level (12.5%), and materials' planning was between the range (0.28% registered from 0-12.5% required) due its collaboration is required just in specific cases and is not mandatory for every task. It's important to mention that the most active collaboration corresponds to groups that their participation are required at most in order to fulfill the needs for this process, due the principal objective is to obtain the replacement parts in the right time and place, and these parts are requested by the test's group and acquired and provided by the warehouse's group.

In addition, the system collected hidden needs and specific knowledge about tasks and parts from the box of comments, where we obtained 440 comments, 120 comments were blank. Then we have 320 effective comments from 934 parts replaced, which represents 34.26%, in a sense of having one comment per three parts followed and replaced in the workflow process. Also, it's important to establish that these comments are not mandatory for workflow process; the users place them as their response and contribution. However, we analyzed and categorized those comments into seven groups and found 120 records as blank which represents 27.27%, but most comments are for substitute parts with 41.82%. Therefore, the participant uses the system also as a communication channel to fulfill the needs of process and teams. With this, we expect to update the system with new features and options that will allow for better management of information, and to collect and share the knowledge during the process that could feedback other users and participants for the improvement and optimization of process and operation. Thus, we can establish a continuous improvement and updating cycle for the process and system altogether.

The use of the system allowed following up the tasks from the beginning to the end of the process with full detail for each record, keeping historic data that could be used for further analysis. Additional benefits were also obtained from the use of dashboards, workflow, and parts' tracking while using the different modules visually managed by tabs through the integration of the collaborative tools. Some of these benefits are: cycle time's optimization, system's use simplicity, process optimization, operation's improvement, better control of tasks and parts, workload's reduction, and acquiring information about operator's performance.

A major compromise and responsibility between participants were also noticed from the impressions of participants. Finally, we could capture, see and understand that the system successfully enhanced the group presence while promoting effective communication and collaboration. Therefore, the benefits from the selection and implementation of the system answer the research question established.