Business Communication Recommendations.

Abstract

The dictionary defines communication as a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behaviors. Therefore, the basic components of communication are the sender, the message, and the receiver. The sender transmits the message; the message triggers a response from the receiver; the receiver notices and attaches some meaning to the message. For the message to be transmitted there has be some channel (often called medium), which is the method used to deliver the message. Additionally a code system is necessary; both the sender and the receiver must know the codes used. Noise is another very important factor that affects communication; it refers to anything that interferes -negatively- with the exchange of the message. We could call that "Barriers to Communication".

Communication plays an important part in the success or failure in any company. For a company to succeed, the proper communication tools and processes must be present and used appropriately. There are many methods of communication and they can be broken into verbal and non-verbal categories. Verbal methods of communication include face-to-face, telephone and video conferencing. Non-verbal methods are written (memos, email, faxes) and gestures or body language. The Canbide facilities in Oregon are experiencing problems with production and many of these issues are directly related to communication gaps. To ensure that these facilities can operate at their maximum capability, these communication problems must be addressed and proper action taken.

Summary of Findings and Recommendations for Communications at Canbide 's Oregon Facilities

Summary of Findings

Canbide has three facilities in Oregon. The T facility manufactures toner cartridges, the P facility manufactures PC printers and the S facility manufactures stamped metal parts, injection molded plastic parts and some assemblies for the T and P facilities. The T and P facilities are located in the same building but are run as separate businesses. The S facility is located 70 miles from the other two facilities. Parts from the S facility are shipped to the T and P facilities 8 times a day on semi-trucks and once a day; accessory parts are back-hauled from the T and P facilities to the S facility.

Personnel at the T and P facilities claim that parts from the S facility sometimes do not arrive on time causing costly production shutdowns which lead to missed contractual shipment dates. Personnel at the S facility contend that they have records indicating that shipments containing these same parts left their facility on time. Additionally, personnel at the S facility claim that there have been instances where parts have left their facility over one day ahead of schedule and that the T and P facilities were still claiming that were out of those specific parts. Often, these 'missing ' parts were later located in a still loaded semi-trailer in the yard adjacent to the T and P facilities. Furthermore, the S facility claims that they often run out of the accessory parts that are shipped from the T and P facilities. The production and inventory planning staff at he T and P facilities claim to be shipping the accessory parts to the S facility on a Just-In-Time basis and that their shipments should be adequate to support the S facility 's requirements.

Recommendations

There are very evident communication gaps between the three facilities in Oregon. To address these issues several forms of communication must be used. I would like to offer the following recommendations:

1. Schedule on-going meetings for the managers of the three facilities. Face-to-face communication is effective in building trust and credibility. These managers need to be made aware of the issues and understand the implications involving the other facilities. The meeting place should be rotated between the three facilities and the first meeting at each facility should include a tour of the facility where the meeting is being held.

2. Develop an Intranet and implement software to track shipments of parts. By assigning tracking numbers to shipments and communicating the information on the Intranet, all interested parties will be able to view the status and location of the shipments. The Intranet can also be used to advise all of the facilities of manufacturing schedules. By sharing these manufacturing schedules, the facility supplying the parts will know how much inventory they will need to have on hand, helping to facilitate Just-In-Time processes.

3. Assign email addresses to all pertinent employees and make PC 's available to them. Email is a fast and efficient way to communicate to individuals or groups. Email could be used for much of the communication that needs to take place between the facilities. If an email policy is not is not currently in place, one will need to be developed so that proper procedures will be used and employees will not abuse this system or use it for unintended purposes.

4. Form cross-facility committees that would meet regularly to discuss issues. Keeping each other informed and knowing what the expectations of the customer are will help create a team atmosphere where everyone is striving to meet the same goals.

5. Hold annual "all employee" meetings. Having a senior manager that is over the three facilities address all of the employees will ensure that everyone receives the same message from senior management.

6. Schedule communication training for affected personnel. Learning to communicate effectively will be beneficial in that the employee will learn how to send information that can easily be understood by the receiver. Active listening skill should also be covered in this training since poor listening is a main communication barrier.

7. Provide communication channels that will allow for upward feedback. This will provide connectivity from those who know what changes need to be made with those who have the power to make the changes.

8. Develop and implement processes for better communication between shifts at each facility. It is challenging for supervisors to communicate equally with all employees in a multi-shift environment. Arriving and departing shifts must have contact at shift change so that key information such as operating problems and production priority can be discussed.

References

Business Communication Quarterly, 2000

http://bcq.theabc.org/

Abbott 's Communication Letter, "The Effectiveness of Communication" 2002

http://www.abbottletter.com/

"Putting Communication on the Business Agenda"

http://www.synopsis-communication.co.uk/pdf/agenda.pdf

References: Business Communication Quarterly, 2000 http://bcq.theabc.org/ Abbott 's Communication Letter, "The Effectiveness of Communication" 2002 http://www.abbottletter.com/ "Putting Communication on the Business Agenda" http://www.synopsis-communication.co.uk/pdf/agenda.pdf