THINKING CRITICALLY Case 3-A: Establishing Plans is supposed to come up with a plan to incorporate this work into her area. The Mailing Place is a full-service direct-mail company with The night shift at the Mailing Place is currently many clients in the home services industry. Companies such working from S P.M. to 4 A.M., four days a week. Each as the Rug Doctor, House Maids, and Handyman Inc., use employee needs about one week of on-the-job training to the Mailing Place to send out targeted direct-mail pieces to become efficient on all the machines and the PC programs. homes that typically use these types of services. Jill Akers The labor cost is the major component of the Mailing started with the Mailing Place when she was a college stu: Place's expenses, and controlling labor is a key to its suc- dent and in four years has progressed to the position of cess. The new line of work will start in about a month, evening supervisor. Her responsibilities include assembling and after three months, the new volume is expected to be the materials for an order; planning for labor to fold, stuff, equal to their present level of work. Jill's boss is hopeful and run the PCs used to produce labels; and ensuring that that with the increased volume the operation will become orders have the proper postage. There are four full-time more productive. workers in her area, and some large orders will require as many as ten temporary positions. The Mailing Place is paid RESPONDING TO THE CASE based on the number of pieces mailed, and receives a sizable bonus when their customers acquire new business. 3-14. List and describe the planning elements that Jill Jill's boss has come to her and asked for her assistance needs to consider in preparing for this new line of with a new line of work for the company. The new work is work. to produce personalized mailings for mortgage and bank- 3-15. Describe two options for handling the staffing levels ing companies in support of their call center operations. for this new line of work. What issues and compli- The new clients will give the Mailing Place a listing of the cations are likely to surface with the new amount of contacts made in a day. The Mailing Place will assemble work for Jill's department? materials to be mailed within twenty-four hours. Jill's boss thinks the night shift should handle this work to ensure 3-16. How would you suggest using schedules and bud- the type of rapid fulfillment the banks are requiring, Jill gets in the planning process for the Mailing Place