Plastco Packaging
Executive Summary- Plastco Packaging
Medium-sized manufacturer of plastic bags
3 main Phases in bag manufacturing:
Producing plastic sheeting
Printing retailer name
Passing through bag making machines
Machines have to be manually loaded, and need to be frequently services (over looked by maintenance department)
Mechanics report machinery problems to maintenance supervisor who reports to plant manager
There are:
6 bag making machine operators $24 per hour (males)
6 inspectors/packers $18 per hour (females)
4 utility workers $12 per hour
When new operator is needed, a bag supervisor assigned a ultility worker of their choice for on the job training with an experienced operator.
Plant is unionized , and benefits constitute 20% of total compensation and increase with seniority
Some evident issues:
High turnover among inspectors/packers
Level of waste is high: Inspectors are supposed to report excessive waste to bag making supervisor, but the seldom do so. When they do report the operators accuse the women as incompetence.
Customers are complaining about inconsistent quality of products
New competitors have opened up near by
Market for plastic bags has become more uncertain.