HR Challenge: Internally Consistent and Externally Competitive
Order Instructions
Write a 4-5 page report for an internally consistent and externally competitive compensation system for CapraTek, based on one specific job structure.
Introduction
The real-world challenge in this assessment is to focus on three areas: building consistency, being competitive, and recognizing employee contributions. Keep in mind you are building a total rewards system for an imaginary company, CapraTek. First, focus on consistency for your system, which will include job analysis and job evaluation. Second, review how to create a competitive package that includes surveying the market (which you do not do for this assessment). Finally, consider how to design a pay structure and evaluate various approaches, focusing on an overarching strategic approach.
The assessments, based on CapraTek scenarios, must be completed in sequence.
Preparation
As a newly hired compensation specialist, your first challenge is to design an internally consistent and externally competitive compensation system for CapraTek.
Your manager gives you the following advice: “First, focus on consistency for your system, which will include job analysis and job evaluation. Second, review how to create a competitive package that includes surveying the market.” (You will construct an action plan with recommendations, but you do not actually conduct a survey). “Finally, consider how to design a pay structure and evaluate various approaches, focusing on an overarching strategic approach.”
CapraTek
CapraTek is a virtual technology company. The assessment is based on the CapraTek scenarios.
CapraTek Key Issues and Initial Analysis.
This simulation walks you through identifying key issues that will affect a strategic compensation plan and how to analyze the basic organizational information necessary to make decisions and recommendations about a strategic compensation plan.
CapraTek: Job Structures and Compensation.
Examine the strategic and tactical decisions that need to be considered, as well as the various contextual influences.
Assessment Instructions
Choose one specific job structure on which to conduct your analysis (administrative, research and development [R & D], sales, marketing, production).
Using CapraTek’s division structure, as well as online research, analyze and create an overview of an internally consistent and externally competitive compensation system for CapraTek. The specific pay structure and benefit structure will be further developed in the next assessments.
The deliverable for this assessment is a 4–5 page proposal of an internally consistent and externally competitive compensation system for CapraTek.
Structure your proposal with the following headings:
Job Analysis and Job Evaluation
Conduct a job analysis and job evaluation for CapraTek to ensure internal consistency.
Analyze jobs and job classifications to understand how they work together and evaluate the impact of job classification systems on compensation.
Strategic Analysis
Conduct a strategic analysis, including internal and external considerations.
Market Compensation Survey Action Plan
Construct an action plan with recommendations for a market compensation survey. (You do not need to conduct a survey.)
Conclusion
Develop an overview of an internally consistent and externally competitive compensation system for CapraTek.
Validate your strategy as to why it is or is not an internally consistent and externally competitive compensation system.
Note: Your faculty may also use the Writing Feedback Tool to provide feedback on your writing. In the tool, click the linked resources for helpful writing information.
ePortfolio
You should consider adding this assessment to your personal ePortfolio. This assessment demonstrates your ability to share a design for a compensation system that is consistent internally and externally competitive. This skill is necessary in a professional setting when you are trying to make strategic recommendations. You will want to organize your assessments to easily support future reflection and completion of your HRM capstone project as well as for showcasing your knowledge with employers after graduation. For more information on ePortfolio, visit the Campus ePortfolio page.
Additional Requirements
The deliverable for this assessment applies professional skills in human resources management (HRM) to workplace situations that you will likely encounter in your day-to-day work in HRM. As part of your learning, focus on the development of effective professional communication skills for the workplace.
Length: Your 4–5 page proposal should be typed, double-spaced pages, including the resource page.
Organization: Make sure that your assignment writing is well organized, using headings and subheadings to organize content for the reader.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.
Resources: Use two scholarly, peer-reviewed or academic sources.
Evidence: Support your assertions with data and/or in-text citations and create a reference list at the end of your documents.
APA formatting: Resources and in-text citations are formatted according to current APA Style and Format.
Written communication:
Use spell-check and other tools to ensure correct spelling and grammar.
Write for a specific audience, using the vernacular of the profession.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
Competency 1: Assess the impact of compensation systems on individual and organizational performance.
Analyze the impact of job classification systems on compensation.
Competency 2: Apply compensation theories to formulate a total rewards strategy.
Apply compensation theories to formulate short-term and long-term action steps.
Validate the strategic action plan as internally consistent and externally competitive.
Competency 4: Communicate clearly, accurately, and professionally in the human resources management field.
Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references.
Additional Information about the company.
Introduction
Progress on the new manufacturing facility in Mahomet, Illinois is moving briskly and the role of human resources is significant. The executive leadership team is aware that decisions made about staffing and compensation at the front end have the opportunity to be more strategic than reactionary. Your overall responsibility is to create a comprehensive compensation and reward plan for one of the job families found at the Mahomet plant. In this activity, you will gather information about the key tactical and strategic issues that should inform a well-designed total compensation plan.
After completing the activity, you should:
Be able to identify key issues that will affect a strategic compensation plan.
Gather and analyze the basic organizational information necessary to make decisions and recommendations about a strategic compensation plan.
Email and Documents
Subject: Key Issues and Initial Analysis
From: Evelyn Unger, Senior HR Generalist
Thanks again for volunteering to be part of this project – things are moving fast and there is a fair bit of information gathering to be done before we can even start talking about what kind of a compensation approach to recommend.
I’d like you talk to some of our internal stakeholders to get a sense of the key issues we need be aware of. I’ll see who is available to talk with you this week, but in the meantime, I can put some information on your network folder so you can get up to speed on the project. You need to understand the key strategic and tactical issues and how they might differ from previous staffing decisions we’ve made here at CapraTek.
Thanks again for being part of the team. I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas.
Evelyn
CapraTek Intranet
Our Vision
CapraTek will provide excellence in everything we do as we define and deliver technology solutions for tomorrow’s problems.
Our Mission
To measurably contribute to the goals of our customers – both direct consumers and resellers – by providing extraordinary products at a fair and competitive price. CapraTek will focus on enhancing the success of its partners, employees, and investors by enacting the values of teamwork, respect, accountability, integrity, and innovation.
For business customers, we will create value through efficiency, reliability, and flexibility both in our products and our customer service.
For resellers, we will offer unique products that create sales and profit opportunities, including valuable vendor relationships, sales programs, access to credit, and training and development.
Our Values
These are the values that should shape every decision made at CapraTek from the board room to the assembly line.
Teamwork: We work together as a unified team to meet our goals.
Respect: We strive to bring the highest degree of dignity, equality and trust to every interaction with our co-workers, our customers, our shareowners, our manufacturers and our community.
Accountability: We take responsibility for our actions, decisions, and products. We accept our individual, team, and corporate responsibilities and we meet our commitments.
Integrity: We employ the highest ethical standards, demonstrating honesty and fair-mindedness in all our interactions.
Innovation: We consider innovation crucial to our mission and to our ability to continually live our values. We welcome change and the many opportunities that change brings.
Recent News & Announcements
Company Announcement: Alfred! Limited Only by the Imagination
Over the past several months, we’ve achieved tremendous progress with our smart-home project, including acquisition of the Mahomet facility, which will be headquarters for manufacture, delivery and support for the Alfred! system and all associated components. This expansion will support a 5-year growth plan for our wireless capabilities and will build on industry-leading delivery and service capabilities.
CapraTek is well positioned to enter this new market, particularly in terms of creating systems that simplify integration by the average consumer. Our goal is to provide the means for our customers to control whatever aspect of their environment they want, from home entertainment systems to specific lighting needs to security, energy use, and more. The only limitations will be their imaginations… or ours.
Press Release: CapraTek Expands Manufacturing Operations Into Illinois
URBANA, IL (January, 2020) — CapraTek today announced it will expand capabilities for its manufacturing operations with the addition of a 500,000-square-foot building in Mahomet, Illinois, located in the Lake of the Woods Industrial Park. The expansion will be accomplished in phases over the next two years and will include a capital investment of up to $40 million and the addition of up to 300 new, highly skilled jobs. The expansion comes on the heels of the company’s recent $70 million investment to upgrade existing plants in South Carolina and New Mexico.
CapraTek is recognized globally for its tower and server systems, high-end workstations, storage server systems, motherboards, chassis, and server components. CapraTek offers its products through value-added resellers, system integrators, and original equipment manufacturers, as well as through its direct sales force.
“Our continued investments in innovation, combined with expanding wireless technology have fueled the need for more manufacturing space to meet the increasing demand for our products and services,” said Fred Barton, CEO of CapraTek. “We are delighted to expand our operations here in Illinois, which offers a quality workforce, particularly due to the proximity to Research Park and the University.”
Products
ParaCore+
Manufactured: Spartanburg, SC
CapraTek’s ParaCore+ server family is designed for the most demanding workloads, such as email, database and virtual environments. With a sophisticated blend of density, performance, and scalability, ParaCore+ servers deliver cutting edge memory density and performance while consistently supplying the power to support enterprise level solutions.
The ParaCore+ server line allows data centers to achieve and deliver more than was ever thought possible. With a memory capacity that set the industry standard, 24 DIMM capacity, and up to 36 cores, along with scalable I/O capabilities, the ParaCore+ is the system of choice for meeting the ever increasing data processing needs of the business community. Powered by Intel® Xeon® E5-2600 or E5-2600 v2 processors, the ParaCore+ provides the performance our customers demand while still allowing the flexibility to address today’s application needs.
CapraTek’s ParaCore+ technology addresses failsafe issues so that our clients can be confident that their critical virtual environments will be supported. For customers who are running high-performance computing (HPC) application clusters, the ParaCore+ delivers superior computational density and robust processing capability in a sleek half-height form factor.
SwitchBack
Manufactured: Spartanburg, SC
CapraTek’s SwitchBack server solutions are the workhorse of our product line and for good reason. The SwitchBack offers small to medium businesses the reliability and flexibility they need to compete with larger enterprise based companies. With its certified 95% power efficiency, the SwitchBack server solution offers the best Total Cost of Ownership in Performance-per-Watt/per-Dollar. The SwitchBack TQF line is the latest addition to CapraTek’s evolving line of server solutions. The SwitchBack improves cost-effectiveness and reliability, while the flexibility of its modular design makes it an ideal choice customers who demand ease of maintenance and configuration.
The SwitchBack is available in a variety of hot-plug system node configurations, as well as a wide range of memory capacities, hard disk drives, power supplies, front or rear I/O, PCI and networking options and more. Its shared cooling architecture, which allows the system to operate in high-temperature, free-air cooled environments, is a key factor in delivering substantial cost savings and improved TCO. SwitchBack’s versatility makes it a winning choice for a wide range of user environments including:
Data Center
Cloud Computing
Research
File and Storage Server
General Server
Enterprise Server
Human Resource Services
One of the main goals of the Human Resources team at CapraTek is to provide resources that allow employees to focus on and maximize their work and personal lives. This Service Center provides access to policies, training and development resources, and select Human Resources programs.
Policies
Whether you have just joined our staff or have been at CapraTek for some time, we hope that you will find it a place that encourages you to be your best possible self. We consider CapraTek’s employees to be its most valuable resources. Our employee handbook has been written to serve as the guide for the employer/employee relationship.
Training & Development
Your career development is unique to you, and can include:
Developing new skills
Becoming more proficient at your current role
Taking on stretch assignments
Moving laterally across the organization
Advancing within your current department
Shifting to a role outside of your department
Ultimately, your career development is your responsibility. CapraTek leadership, your supervisors and managers, and human resources professionals collaborate to support and guide career development activities.
Career development is more likely to happen when there is an overlap between the needs of the organization and your skills, experiences, interests and education within the context of industry and economic forces.
Benefits & Compensation
This page is being updated to reflect changes to our benefits and compensation packages.
Employee Handbook
Policies
Accommodating Disabilities
Attendance Guidelines
CapraTek Communication Policy
Code of Business Conduct
Disability Policy for Staff
Dress Code
Drug and Alcohol Policy
FMLA
Holidays and Holiday Pay
Identification Badge Policy
Information Security Policy
Paid Time Off (PTO)
Sexual and Other Unlawful Harassment
Social Media Policy
Locations
Sunnyvale, CA
Capratek HQ
CapraTek’s headquarters is located in the heart of Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale, California. Within the Sunnyvale facility, approximately 6,000 sq. ft. is dedicated laboratory and controlled environmental areas for research, prototyping, and limited production. This includes areas designated for incoming component testing and qualification, in-process production, final product assembly including packaging and labeling, and testing. The customer service and quality assurance functions are also located in our headquarters.
Spartanburg, SC
Manufacturing Plant
Download Spartanburg Org Chart
The company’s first manufacturing facility Spartanburg, South Carolina now focuses on producing the Switchback and ParaCore+ products. Employing approximately 300 employees, the Spartanburg plant is ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified, as well as being ITAR and FDA compliant.
Gilbert, NM
Manufacturing, Delivery and Support
The Gilbert plant is responsible for manufacture, delivery, and support for our Concerta and Interlude server line. The 72,000 square foot facility houses a state-of-the-art electronics manufacturing operation and employs over 350 highly skilled workers. The Gilbert plant is ISO 9001, ISO 13485, and ISO 14001 certified as well as being ITAR and FDA compliant.
Mahomet, IL
Manufacturing, Delivery and Support
CapraTek’s plant in Mahomet is a 500,000-square-foot facility located in the Lake of the Woods Industrial Park. The facility will be the center of operations for manufacture, delivery and support for the Alfred! smart home technology system. When the facility is operational, we anticipate up to 300 employees will work there.
MAHOMET, ILLINOIS FACT SHEET
Timezone: Central Standard Time
Postal Code: 61853
Area Code: 217
Mahomet Median Age: 37.5 years
Illinois Median Age: 38 years
US Median Age: 38.1 years
Mahomet Median Household Income: $97,621
Illinois Median Household Income: $62,992
Mahomet Average Male Salary: $71,579
Mahomet Average Female Salary: $52,403
Mahomet Illinois
Population in 2018: 8,628 12,741,080
Population in 2017: 8,506 12,786,196
Population in 2016: 8,294 12,826,895
Highest Paid Occupations: Computer & Math Physicians & Surg.
Most Common Occupations: Health Care Food Svc.
Mean Travel Time to Work (minutes): 21.7 28.1
Average Range Property Tax: $3K+ $3K+
Median Value of Owner-Occupied Homes: $220,900 $195,300
Households: 2.94K 4.81M
Median Household Income: $97,621 $62,992
Poverty Rate: 4.87% 13.5%
Interviews
Mark Cranston
Plant Manager, Mahomet Facility
Tell me some of the concerns you have regarding staffing the new facility in Mahomet.
Well, there are two things. One is attracting the best people right from the start. The prototype has been produced on a small scale by a contract manufacturing facility, but one of the top priorities for the Mahomet plant is the need to get full production up as efficiently as possible. I don’t want a lot of churn or turnover when it comes to getting people in place, trained, and ready to work.
The second, though, is finding ways to implement some best practices at the beginning. We all know that there are not enough skilled workers in manufacturing and I am sick of watching the people we train get picked up by other companies. We need to figure out what will make the production teams engaged and happy … and less likely to jump ship.
How will staffing at the new plant be different from staffing at Spartanburg?
The biggest difference is that I expect a much younger workforce overall. At the Spartanburg plant, we have a broad mix of ages, but it’s pretty much a bell curve, with most people – line workers, supervisors, and managers coming young Boomers or old Gen X ers. Based on what I’ve seen so far, I expect that at Mahomet we’ll see a mix of Millenials and gen X and very few boomers. I want to make sure we know what these employees are looking for in a work environment.
In an ideal world, how would people be rewarded?
Some kind of a pay-for-performance model, but that’s not really my bailiwick. I’m assuming that whatever HR recommends will have been well thought out. One thing, not necessarily a compensation issue, is that I want us to offer employees the opportunity to make their jobs better by giving them an opportunity to participate in finding solutions. I think if we look at quality of life issues from the perspective of improving work processes, we’ll have employees who are engaged and we’ll improve the bottom line at the same time.
Ashlei Smith
Director of Compensation and Benefits
What are the most important things to keep in mind in designing a compensation strategy for this division?
I’d say that your team needs to remember that there are a number of things to think about. You need to think about equity – not just at Mahomet, but for CapraTek as a whole. You need to consider how the plan will motivate employees and assist in recruiting the kind of talent the organization needs. At the same time, you are looking at a big picture, long-term strategy. A total rewards plan looks at career needs and work-life balance. So you have to be careful not to get lost in the weeds … it isn’t just about recruiting or just about retirement or just about career development.
What pitfalls do we need to keep in mind as we start gathering information
It’s important to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. This plant and the wireless division are new and exciting, but we have to remember that they are still part of the overall company. We can’t change everything; we can’t offer every benefit that every employee could want. The plan your team recommends needs to align to company priorities and the overall strategic plan. It needs to take the current financial climate into account but you don’t want to be overly cautious, either. Gather as much information as you can, get the data to support the recommendations you are making, and then make your best case for what you think will best position us for success – by attracting and retaining the people we need to succeed.
Which stakeholders are you particularly concerned about as we begin this process?
The short answer there would be employees themselves, our own leadership, and government entities. I’d say a major concern is factoring in potential changes to our legal requirements. Obamacare is the obvious regulatory change we need to understand, but also, for instance, how would an increase to the minimum wage at either the state or federal level affect our compensation strategy. It’s a complex issue … which is why while a third of the surveyed leadership wants their rewards package to be a differentiator for their company, only 10% believe theirs is.
Alex Lopez
Senior Director of Marketing
Can you give me the elevator version of CapraTek’s corporate strategy?
Well, I’d do better speaking to our marketing strategy, which is to enter the wireless Smart Home market as a leader and an innovator. We intend to leverage the reputation we’ve built in the server industry as we move into the future of home electronics. We believe that technology ought to serve not only the needs people know they have, but also the needs they haven’t yet considered … and we’re prepared to make that technology available in an easy to understand and easy to afford package.
How does that fit with CapraTek’s broader corporate strategy?
CapraTek is focused on diversification into the Smart Home wireless market. Modular components that all work with one central controller – the Alfred! module. But our move into wireless technology is broader than one product line … it is, in many ways, going to define this company. Within the next five years, over half our profits should be from our wireless product lines.
What are the main obstacles you’re facing in implementing that strategy?
If I had to pick just one, it would be resistance to change. There’s a lot of entrenchment – pretty close to the top – and getting everyone on board isn’t easy. One of my biggest concerns is that some of the C-level executives are unwilling to let go of the past.
The other issue … and it’s not insignificant …is the quality problems we’ve been having with the server product lines. Quality has been declining over the last year and that’s starting to show up in customer feedback. I’m very concerned that our Quality Management team doesn’t understand the ripple effect these things have and how much we need to leverage quality as the cornerstone of our brand.
Peter Kennedy
Director of New Product Development
Can you explain the shift in strategy for the Alfred division?
No, because there isn’t a shift in our corporate strategy or our compensation strategy. Think about our vision statement – “CapraTek will provide excellence in everything we do as we define and deliver technology solutions for tomorrow’s problems.” What we need is for the HR strategy – and this is Kathleen’s department, obviously – to support that vision statement. What will represent a shift will be the tactical decisions we make in order to achieve those strategies.
What issues – particular jobs, types of individual we want to recruit, and so forth – will require a more creative approach to the compensation system?
There are two areas that come to mind-the fact that we will be drawing heavily on gen Y … millennials means that we need to know what makes these workers tick – how do we attract them, particularly at a time when manufacturers are struggling to fill key positions.
The other thing is that we need to remember that what works in our existing plants or at corporate, may not work for this plant. Illinois is different than South Carolina or Arizona. Those plants aren’t located in a college town with an award-winning research incubator. We’ll have access to the kind of talent we want, but we need to know how to get them and definitely how to keep them. I do not want CapraTek to be seen as a springboard to working for someone else.
Are there any elements of the compensation systems we currently have in place that you think should or should not be reflected in the plan that is created for the Alfred division?
I’d like to know that we’ve looked closely at pay differences. There’s a lot of attention on this area because of that Ledbetter legislation … the Fair Pay Act. The pay grades you put in place will help to keep us right with the legislation, but when you’re creating those grades make sure we also build room to compensate people for bringing particular assets to the team… unique skills, differences in education or certifications. The main thing is that we don’t create situations that can grow into roadblocks for employees in a given group … particularly protected groups.
Stewart Ely
VP of Manufacturing
What are your expectations for the total rewards system that will be put in place for the Alfred division?
From a business perspective, I expect the compensation package to support our business goals. There is going to be a lot of attention on the Alfred division – attention from industry analysts, from the investment community, from our own leadership and from the rest of the company. Employees who have helped build CapraTek to where it is today don’t want to feel like yesterday’s news. So – the compensation package needs to help us bring the best people on board, but at the same time, we can’t afford for morale on the server side of the organization to go down. We already have some problems in terms of quality and engagement … I admit that I worry that the Alfred division could exacerbate those problems and nothing causes dissent faster than feelings of inequity in compensation
What is your impression of the compensation strategy already in place in CapraTek?
It’s my understanding that we’re competitive with the rest of the industry. I mean, no-one should expect us to be able to compete with Google or Apple or Microsoft, but I think we’re comparable to other companies of our size. Of course, we have an inherent disparity in that we’ve kept manufacturing in the US. A lot of our competitors do their manufacturing overseas. So… in that regard, while we may not pay the highest salaries, we’ve kept the work here. That should count for something.
Are there any issues in the manufacturing and production divisions of CapraTek that you think the right total compensation plan could help the Alfred division avoid?
Absolutely … the issues we’re seeing are around engagement and quality. Those are areas we’ve been struggling with in the server divisions and if there are compensation tactics that can address those problems, we should be considering them for the company as a whole. So, maybe what we do for Alfred could be a pilot for the rest of the company.
Darren Stokes
Senior Staff Engineer
Do you expect the R&D function in the Alfred division to require a different approach to compensation than R&D in the rest of the company?
Yes and no. The technology and science is different, so recruiting will be different. We will be looking at a younger talent pool and the things that motivate them will be different than what motivated the team we’ve built in California, which is a good 15 years older than the team I anticipate building in Illinois. Ultimately, though, the team will be functionally very similar… associate engineers or researchers, researchers, perhaps some role for internships. Pretty much the same as what we have in California, but with a different set of knowledge and expertise.
What one thing should we understand about the R&D job structure in order to create an attractive compensation system?
One thing I hope we can do in Illinois that we haven’t done in California, but should, is to look at career progression in a more meaningful manner. The structure we currently have in place assumes that becoming a manager is the ultimate goal for professionals. In the accounting department, that may be true, but the characteristics that make someone exceptional in the sciences or engineering may not make that person a good manager. This means that for many people, they either allow themselves to be promoted into jobs they are not well suited for, or they find themselves at a career dead-end. A dual-track approach that allows a person to either pursue a management track or an individual contributor track would be extremely meaningful for people in this area. That the top of the individual contributor career ladder be equivalent to the manager position would mean that people would have a much more attractive choice than to either leave or accept stagnation.
In what way could the compensation system for Research and Development support Alfred’s business needs?
Well, I don’t know if this falls under compensation or not, but the culture around innovation can make a significant difference to their success. Some of that comes from leadership – think Apple and Steve Jobs. Some of that comes from the corporate culture – think Chipotle, Zappos, or Buffer. I think the Alfred culture – and this isn’t going to just be reflected in the R&D team – has the potential to be an important part of what we’re offering. People should want to be a part of what we’re doing… not only because there is money in it for them, or security, but because what we’re doing is meaningful and cool and they want to be part of it from the early days. That is something that will motivate the people we’re looking for in R&D, but I suspect that’s going to be true for the entire operation.
Subject: Touching Base
From: Evelyn Unger, Senior HR Generalist
I just wanted to touch base to hear what your impressions are on this project. I know you’ve only just started working on this, but at a high level, what would you say are the key things you learned today? I’m in meetings for most of the rest of the day, so just drop me a brief email pulling your thoughts and impressions together. Thanks!
Evelyn
Your Email Response:
This question has not been answered yet.
Subject: Re: Mahomet Compensation Plan
From: Evelyn Unger, Senior HR Generalist
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! I’m probably going to want your help putting together an executive summary of the key issues that will need to be addressed in the compensation plan. We need to call out the various practical and contextual issues that we know about at this point, identify key stakeholders… basically, what we need to be thinking about as we move forward. Anyhow, I’ll get back to you on that.
Thanks for all the time you’ve put into helping us move forward with this.
Conclusion
Activity Complete!
You have completed the CapraTek Key Issues and Initial Analysis activity, which allowed you to begin gathering information on the factors that need to be considered by CapraTek leadership as they work on developing a strategic compensation plan for the new division at Mahomet, Illinois. You will use the information you’ve gathered and your analysis of it in this week’s assignment in the course.
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THE CHOICE IS ADMINISTRATIVE
Job Structure: Administrative
Administrative Assistant
Performs administrative support activities including the use of word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software. Duties also include fielding telephone calls, filing and data entry. May assist with overflow work from more senior administrative and executive assistants. May need to relieve or fill in as departmental or main receptionist as needed. Typically supports multiple supervisors. Strong software skills are required, Requires strong computer and Internet research skills, flexibility, good interpersonal skills, and the ability to work well at all levels of the organization. Understanding of confidentiality and proprietary materials is necessary.
Executive Assistant
Performs administrative duties for executive management such as screening calls; managing calendars; coordinating meeting and travel plans; preparing reports using standard word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software; formatting financial data for reports and other uses; and supervising other support staff. Requires above average research skills, flexibility, outstanding interpersonal skills, and the ability to work well with people at all levels of the organization as well as clients and vendors. Provide high-level administrative support by conducting research, preparing statistical reports, handling information requests, and performing administrative duties such as arranging conference calls, scheduling meetings (on-site and virtual), preparing correspondence and greeting visitors.
Office Manager
Coordinates various office operations, services, and procedures. Prepares payroll; develops correspondence and filing processes and standards, reviews and approves office supply purchases; and assigns and supervises many clerical functions. May assist with some aspects of facilities management, such as cleaning or maintaining lunch and break room supplies. Requires strong communication skills and some accounting knowledge.
Warehouse Clerk
This position receives, stores and distributes material, tools, equipment and products within the warehouse, ensuring accuracy and timeliness of all job functions. Duties may include assisting with receiving materials and merchandise, matching purchase orders to sales orders; reading customer orders, work orders, shipping orders or requisitions to determine requirements, moving materials to or from designated areas, racks, shelves or bins according to predetermined characteristics such as size, type, style, color or product code. May also be required to assist with assembly of customer orders from stock.
Job Structure: R & D
Research Engineer
Research Engineers apply their expertise and knowledge to technical projects, finding innovative, cost-effective means to improve research, techniques, procedures, and/or products and technologies. Responsibilities include developing, conducting, and evaluating new approaches to meet project objectives faster and more efficiently. Assists in preparation of reports, papers, presentations, and new proposals. Contributes to project planning, including assessment of cost, scope and schedule against plan; collaborates with other team members to accomplish organizational goals; provides ideas to improve efficiency at group level.
Research Scientist
Develops new and innovative concepts, strategies for assessments and advancement of computer or wireless networks while adapting and applying advanced computer networking methods and techniques to solve complex requirements. Integrates and coordinates the efforts of other departments and teams in improving network and wireless architectures and implementation. Should have a strong background in principles of IP communications, mobile networking technology, physics, digital signal processing, and network routing.
Informatics Analyst
Designs and develops software, databases, and interfaces for analyzing and manipulating information databases. Collaborates with production to develop high throughput data processing and analysis capability, design and implement data queries, novel algorithms, and/or visualization techniques. Maintains large scale databases and prepares data for utilization by other scientists and engineers. Monitors new data from public databases and cleans loaded data to satisfy quality control criteria. Works with the entire team to diagnose and fix issues with informatics software. Provides direct technical and scientific customer support and helps guide, implement, and maintain further improvements to informatics software.
Research Associate
Responsible for performing research and development experiments for projects and products, in collaboration with others. Regularly exercises technical discretion in the design, execution, and interpretation of experiments that contribute to project goals. Contributes to project process within scientific discipline through innovative research. Prepares technical reports, summaries, protocols and quantitative analysis. May participate in external seminars and conferences.
Job Structure: Sales
Regional Accounts Manager
Provide direction and leadership to regional efforts toward achieving CapraTek and client’s goals and business objectives. Work with the VP of Sales and Marketing and Regional directors to expand CapraTek’s business within the region, with a primary emphasis on new business. Serves as the external lead at the program level working with clients. Must be able to present company products and services to current and potential clients; prepare plans targeting specific prospects and project the strategy for success with those prospects; follow up on leads and referrals; develop relationships with distributors; prepare presentations, proposals and contracts. Develop and maintain sales materials and current product knowledge; participate in marketing events such as trade shows, and conferences; prepare a variety of status reports, such as activity, closings, follow-up and ensure necessary data is being reported by subordinates. Communicate new product and service opportunities, special developments, and other relevant information to sales staff and customers.
Account Manager
Manage accounts in order to meet sales goals; develop and implement growth strategies; identify new opportunities with existing partnerships. Drive and execute strategy for assigned client list to grow CapraTek business. Identify key opportunities in the assigned sectors, selling the benefits of partnering with CapraTek as server solution partner of choice. Lead the sales process to enhance existing partnerships (through up selling of product and services and sales optimization) and to build strong long term strategic commercial relationships.
Field Sales Rep
Responsible for managing all field sales activities within a specific territory. Assures routine contact with every account in a designated territory to build merchandise, equipment, technology, and service sales with existing customers. Strong emphasis on obtaining new customers. Ability to form a business relationship with customers that leverages the relevance of CapraTek to the customer’s needs associated with business practices, merchandise, equipment, technology, and service.
Inside Sales Rep
Provides direct support to the Field Sales reps in developing existing and prospective CapraTek customers. Completes accurate sales forecasts and other reports for Account Managers. Conducts follow-up calls to ensure contact information and contract details are correct. Works with Account Manager and Field Sales representatives to develop quotations and contracts. Conducts ongoing customer needs analysis, research of customer requirements and other sales improvement initiatives and other assigned action items.
Job Structure: Marketing
Product Manager
Responsible for planning and designing marketing strategy for existing and future CapraTek products, including development of collateral materials and documentation, defining pricing strategies. Works with research and development to communicate market research and to maintain understanding of current innovations and product directions. Work closely with sales and customer support to ensure marketing products reflect customer needs and company focus and goals. Presents status and demonstrations to internal and external stakeholders and clients.
Marketing Research
Responsible for interpreting data, formulating reports and making recommendations based on research findings. Works with the internal CapraTek client to understand, define and document the business objective, apply qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques to interpret the data, and produce substantiated recommendations. Present findings and recommendations to internal stakeholders and/or external clients.
Marketing Communications
Manages creation and dissemination of marketing materials and communications, both to internal sales team members as well as to customers and other interested external parties. Refines the communications process, content, and vehicles in order to execute plans and projects effectively. Provides support and guidance to internal creative resources as well as external agencies, photographers, and writers as necessary. Manages content and resources on behalf of assigned product lines to ensure that sales’ and customers’ resources are accurate and current.
Marketing Specialist
Locate and analyze market data on a local, regional or national level. Collect and analyze data from existing marketing efforts; synthesize results, identify opportunities and best practices to improve campaign performance. Analyze demographic data, buying and shopping habits, competitors and their pricing. Create and administer surveys, questionnaires and other information gathering devices, measuring current strategies.
Marketing Copywriter
Create marketing copy, slogans, audio scripts and other written materials that support CapraTek advertising and informational materials. Conducts needs analysis and brainstorming sessions to develop visual and textual copy ideas with other members of the creative team. Creates and presents options to stakeholders; modifies copy as necessary and contributes to revisions during the production phase.
Job Structure: Production
Line Supervisor
Directly supervises and coordinates the activities of production and operating workers, such as inspectors, precision workers, machine setters and operators, assemblers, fabricators, and plant and system operators. Job responsibilities include enforcing safety regulations. Confers with other supervisors to coordinate operations and activities within or between departments. Plans and establishes work schedules, assignments, and production sequences to meet production goals.
Process Leader
Supervises production teams by organizing and monitoring work flow. Communicates job expectations; plans, monitors, and assesses job outcomes. Working with other supervisors, safety, and quality managers determines capacity and other resourcing needs and capabilities. Provides coaching, counseling, and discipline as necessary for assigned employees. Initiates, coordinates, and enforces policies and procedures.
Line Technician
Assemble parts or units, and position, align, and fasten units to assemblies, subassemblies, or frames, using hand tools and power tools. Connect materials and components according to specifications. Position, align, and adjust parts for proper fit and assembly. Accurately follow specifications to determine assembly sequences; inspect, test, and adjust completed units to ensure that units meet specifications, tolerances, and customer order requirements. Measure parts to determine tolerances, using precision measuring instruments such as micrometers, calipers, and verniers.
Materials Handler
Process all incoming materials and outgoing products. Oversee the physical receipt, distribution and storage of all products. Log receipt of materials, place them in appropriate storage areas or distribute them the correct departments. Follow safety procedures and regulations, including use of protective gear and disposal of materials as regulated by law. Moves materials and operates heavy equipment to move materials.
Quality Assurance Technician
Assesses adherence with in-house quality procedures, standards and/or specifications. Specifies quality requirements of raw materials with suppliers, investigates and sets standards for quality. Ensures that manufacturing processes comply with standards at both national and international level. Works with operating staff to explain procedures, standards, systems and procedures. Writes management and technical reports to determine training needs.
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