Question

1. Peak Bikes, a national bicycle manufacturing company that specializes in producing off-road bicycles (mountain bikes), has hired you as an outside consultant. Peak Bikes currently has 170 both full-time and part-time employees. The firm’s management is organized as follows:
   1. Frontline managers: Oversee bike production and production staff. This is the part of the company that actually manufacturers the bicycles.
   2. Middle-level managers: Manage frontline managers, track performance versus company’s goals and strategy, and report to top level managers
   3. Top-level managers: Set overall strategy and oversee middle-level managers

Peak Bikes sells its bicycles in various specialized brick-and-mortar stores throughout the United States. These retail stores must complete a vendor application and then be approved by Middle and Top-level managers in order to sell Peak Bikes. One-hundred percent of Peak Bikes sales are through these brick-and-mortar retail stores.

Now the company wants to sell its bikes on their website – moving the company into a new e-commerce platform. This has implications throughout the company, including Production; Vendor relations; Customer Service; Operations, etc. With this decision, management duties and responsibilities will also change. In the past, Peak Bikes has struggled with keeping frontline and middle level managers motivated and engaged. From a recent management employee survey, many feel that they have no input in the direction (strategy) for the company.

Your task (as the consultant) is to educate the entire management team (all levels) about organizational planning with regard to the new e-commerce platform. What would you recommend that the company expect (in general terms and using the materials from this week’s chapter) from each level of management in terms of their responsibilities and level in involvement in the overall organization planning efforts with regard to e-commerce?

Answer 1

As an external consultant and an expert in the field, I would make them understand their role and importance in the value creation chain. Each individual is equally important and therefore it is essential that each put in their best efforts towards their allotted tasks. They all have to fulfil their responsibilities and ensure that they are successfully achieving their goals. They all must be able to personally relate to the organizational goals and contribute positively towards the e-commerce project.

Responsibilities and level of involvement of respective managers.:

The front line managers must be involved in day-to-day operational activities. They must ensure execution of tasks is done properly. Problems are solved at the earliest. Data fed in the system is correct and done on regular basis.

The middle - level managers monitor and control processes. They must ensure milestones of the project are being met. Having risk management plans.

The top line managers, they must ensure success of the project and whether middle level managers are performing or not.