Problem Solution: Interclean, Inc.

Problem Solution: InterClean, Inc.

University of Phoenix

Problem Solution: InterClean, Inc.

Interclean has been a leader in the industrial cleaning and sanitation industry. They have recently acquired Envirotech with the vision of creating a new market in providing a complete solution to the customer. This change and acquisition has created some communication, training, and recruiting issues.

Situation Analysis

Issue and Opportunity Identification

Interclean is facing a new challenge as they enter a new strategy and new market. They have always been able to fill gaps and sell products in certain areas, but as they move towards a full solution provider they will encounter a new internal need as far as personnel and training. The acquisition of Envirotech will help ease some of these needs, but with the plans for expansion and target markets, training and workforce enhancement will become necessary.

Interclean has started in the right direction by taking a skills inventory of current employees. This inventory will help see what skills they posses as they match them with the current need. Training will be an integral part of the current workforce. Unfortunately, from the inventories taken in attachment A (University of Phoenix, 2007), the current workforce does not rank very high in man of the areas needed to make the new vision come to pass. In addition, it appears that the ability of the current workforce to attain these skills is below average. On the bright side, the Envirotech employees assessment in attachment B (University of Phoenix, 2007), were a complete opposite. Not only do many of them currently possess the skills currently needed, they also scored above average in the aptitude to learn any skills they are lacking.

This creates a major dilemma as to what training will be needed. One major factor in this whole process is the vision of the company involves creating teams to provide the solution which will help ease the differences in the two companies as the workforce is combined. This will enable Interclean to match experts and leaders with the portion of the workforce that do not possess the leadership and expertise.

Interclean is concerned about the cost of training, but training and its costs are integral to any vision. Dreher states: "we show that devoting resources to training is essential in a TQM environment and that performance measurement needs to be wide in scope and be at both the results and process levels"(Dreher,2001) Interclean will need to provide top notch training to meet the vision of the company.

Interclean has communicated the new vision to its employees and also the new acquisition and how this will help them attain this vision. The issue lies in communicating this to the employees, "The need for the change and the vision for the new company must be thoroughly communicated to all employees." (Dreher, 2001). Lack of communication can result in many issues including morale issues, rumors, and loss of employees. This is evident by the issues that have already arisen with the workforce. Water cooler talk has already exposed some of those issues. It will be important to enhance the communication to help the workforce see where they might fit and what expectations are for them in the new vision. A. Bell said this of recruiting: "a key differentiator of success for organizations competing to recruit, develop, inspire and retain talented people," (Bell, 2005, p. 1).

Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas

The major stakeholders in this company contribute to the issues that are arising with the new vision of the company. The stockholders are interested in the growth and positioning of the company and its ability to create profits for the organization. These interests influence the decisions of management.

Management is interested in satisfying the stockholders with profits. This has motivated them to look at the new service offering and where it will put the company in the future. Management also has a responsibility to the employees. Employees are the company to customers. It is important that management knows how the employees feel and what motivates them to perform to the expectations of a top level customer.

Employees have an interest in the company. If the company succeeds, they have a secure job. They rely on the company and management to give them the training necessary to give the customer what they expect. They also have an interest in their future, both with the company and outside of the company. This is to say, they are interested in promotions and compensation as well as job security to provide for their family.

The customer is interested in receiving a service that will satisfy their needs. They want a company that has competent individuals that can fill that need.

Problem Statement

Interclean aspires to enter a new market where they provide service solutions to the industry cleaning and sanitation industry. Interclean will provide service solutions to a new customer base by merging the current workforces, as well as integrating new individuals to these teams. They will be able to form successful teams by training current and future team members. Interclean will be able to form these teams and train by clearly stating the intentions of the company and what the employees can expect.

End-State Vision

Interclean is looking at entering a the service solution end of the industrial cleaning and sanitation industry by providing service solutions teams that can not only offer products to their customers, but can design and implement a solution through products, training, and compliance monitoring. This will be accomplished by combining the two workforces and supplementing them with new employees that currently posses the skills needed to provide these solutions.

Alternative Solutions

Interclean is using service solution teams to enter a new market in the industrial cleaning and sanitation industry. They were able to acquire Envirotech and its employees in a merger. These two companies will combine to form the teams necessary to provide the solution. The challenges facing Interclean at this time are related to these issues. First, the company has identified a segment that they would like to penetrate. The vision for the future has been communicated to the company and its employees, but it was distributed at a 30,000 foot level. It was not communicated directly how this would affect the current workforce, nor was it communicated