Explain how the relationship between the inputs, throughputs, and outputs in your colleague's example would need to change to improve functioning.

I have selected our local NPO Habitat for Humanity affiliate, mostly because I work there but when I started working there the executive director was still fixing quite the mess of an organization. It's been a huge learning process with trying to get things back on track.

Several inputs for Habitat for Humanity include local grants, local donations, volunteers who help with projects (home repairs and home builds), as well as referrals/applications for those projects.

Several throughputs would include the application process that screens families to make sure they qualify for the home repair program or the home build program. Other throughputs include volunteer training, construction planning, and budgeting.

Several outputs would include repaired homes, new home builds, transparency with the public to improve trust and faith in the organization. As well as empowering homeowners in our community.

Recently we finished a home build and there was an issue with getting the cement poured for the driveway. The county would not sign off on the certificate of occupancy until the driveway was finished, so the family was not allowed to move in. The cement could not be poured because it was February and the weather was too cold. Then we had delays and lack of communication between contractors where one said he would do it, then didn't show up on the scheduled day. That contractor wouldn't return communications, so another contractor was hired. When the second contractor showed up to complete the driveway, the first contractor was already there working on the project.

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For this scenario the inputs would be lack of communication from contractors, the bad weather preventing the project from being completed, and the inability of the county to sign off on occupancy so the family can't move in.

Some throughputs would be the expense of materials increasing over time as the project is dragged out. Also the added expense of paying two contractors for the same project. That will affect budgeting for the organization!

A few outputs from this scenario include a delay in the family moving in. With their delay, they could file a complaint with Habitat International about our affiliate. The delay could also cause the affiliate to look bad in the community and people may lose some trust in the organization.

The poor functioning from this scenario really shows how everything is interconnected. Organizations rely on processes to complete the tasks necessary. One bump in the road can cause a downward spiral of failures!