The Multimedia Centers:

A Consultation Project Proposal

Matthew Mays
Westminster College

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Project Overview

Deliverables

Methodology

Qualifications

Resources

Schedule

Budget

Conclusion

10

Executive Summary
The Multimedia Centers (TMC) needs assistance to overcome a barrier to its
organizational productivity. TMC is a small business that helps individuals
preserve personal history by transferring media from outdated formats to
modern formats. TMC has a small staff; most are in their late teens and early
twenties. The barrier they struggle with is employee productivity, particularly
employee follow through and time management. As a result of wearing many
organizational hats, Tom Perry, TMCs owner, lacks the time and resources
necessary to address these issues.
DMAIC methodology (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) will be
utilized to understand TMCs barrier and provide a beneficial
recommendation. The barrier will be defined through discussion with Tom
and participant observation. Data from employee interviews and surveys will
be collected and measured. Furthermore, the data will be analyzed as a
means to provide a recommendation. The recommendation will include
counsel on how to improve employee productivity and how to keep such
improvements in place.
Deliverables and Methodology
This project has three deliverables: research compilation, DMAIC report, and
visual presentation. The research compilation consists of an annotated
bibliography derived from preliminary research and field notes from the
consultative process. The DMAIC report outlines each step of the DMAIC
process relative to TMC and the subsequent recommendation. Lastly, the
visual presentation summarizes the data included in the DMAIC report. The
presentation will then be delivered to Tom and potentially all TMC
employees.
DMAIC methodology is a streamlined process and will be followed in its
natural sequence throughout this project. Each step of the DMAIC process
will be studied and carefully considered as the project progresses. Moreover,
applicable case studies will be examined and used as a point of reference
when necessary. To better understand TMCs barriers, I will complete
additional research relative to its barriers prior to the projects
commencement.
Qualifications, Resources
My qualifications to effectively execute this project stem from my inherent
desire to understand organizations from both theoretical and practical
perspectives. I have completed numerous college courses under the
academic umbrella of organizational communication. Furthermore, I have
carried out consultation projects of this nature on multiple occasions.

To supplement my personal experience, Dr. Helen Hodgson, director of

Westminster Colleges Master of Professional Communication program, will
offer her expertise and serve as my academic advisor for this project.
Additionally, my project supervisor will be Mark Mays, who works for
Ferguson Enterprises as an area branch manager and has considerable
experience relative to the needs of this project.
Schedule, Budget
This project will begin following its approval and be completed no later than
April 2016. Each step of the project will be completed in increments ranging
from one to four weeks. Additional time has been added to each step to
ensure the project stays on track. The costs associated with this project
center on transportation; they are nominal and expected to be less than $60.
Conclusion
This project will be of great benefit to Tom in that he will receive insight
relative to his employees behavior and have a well-founded understanding
of how to improve productivity throughout his organization. Additionally, this
project will be of great benefit to me as it provides an opportunity to utilize
the learning I have gained throughout my academic career. Moreover, it will
yield practical experience and become the paramount piece of my resume
and professional portfolio.

Project Overview
This field project is consultative in nature. The intent is to work with a small
business to help it become more efficient. At its core, this project involves
identifying and working to resolve a specific barrier to organizational
productivity and efficiency. At the projects completion, the organization will
be provided with a recommendation relative to this barrier and be in a
position to do more with less. Six Sigmas DMAIC methodology (Define,
Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) will be utilized to complete this project.
The Multimedia Centers (TMC) is the client for this project. The purpose of
TMCs business is to help individuals preserve family memories. The
company accomplishes this goal in many ways, most common of which is
transferring media from outdated formats to modern formats, i.e., VHS to
Blue-ray, vinyl to MP3, etc. Their organization is small, consisting of
approximately 25 employees, working at two store locations.
The barrier straining TMC centers on employee productivity, specifically, lack
of employee follow through and time management. In essence, employees
do not always finish assigned tasks nor do they manage their time in a way
that enables them to complete said tasks in an appropriate amount of time.
Consequently, organizational productivity suffers on multiple levels.
There are several overarching factors that foster the lack of employee follow
through and poor time management. The staff is young; most are in their
late teens and early twenties. Tom Perry, TMCs owner, for a long time lived
in the same neighborhood and attended the same church congregation as
many of his employees. As one might expect, the working environment is
more familial than it is professional. Given the maturity level of TMCs staff,
few employees, if any, fully comprehend the costs and burdens associated
with running a successful business. Most employees are simply there for a
paycheck; their collective concern relative to the companys overall success
is minimal at best.
It is not uncommon for small businesses owners to be overburdened,
considering the number of hats they wear. Consequently, attention to
organizational matters of this nature can be fleeting. The issues of employee
follow through and poor time management, for TMC, have not received the
attention they require. Tom has expressed to me his concern regarding TMCs
lack of productivity and a desire for outside support. Through the successful
implementation of this projects recommendation, derived from the DMAIC
process, TMC will have the tools to improve employee follow through and
time management. Moreover, Tom will better understand the contributing
factors concerning employee productivity. The success of this project, for
both TMC and me, hinges on the successful completion of multiple

deliverables, all of which are geared towards an effective recommendation

for TMC.

Deliverables
This project has three deliverables: research compilation, DMAIC report, and
visual presentation.
Research Compilation
The research compilation will include an annotated bibliography detailing the
resources used to ascertain information relative to the DMAIC methodology
and TMCs barriers to productivity. Also included in the compilation will be
field notes and analysis obtained from the consultative process, i.e.,
observations, interviews, and surveys. The research compilation will not be
presented to TMC. However, it will be presented to my academic advisor,
Helen Hodgson; project supervisor, Mark Mays; and Westminster College in
conjunction with the DMAIC report and visual presentation. This material is
expected to be 510 pages in length.
DMAIC Report
The DMAIC report will be a comprehensive document that expounds on each
tenet of the DMAIC process and data derived from the project. The report will
explain TMCs productivity issues, include findings and analysis, and provide
recommendations for improvement and implementation. This report is
expected to be 10 pages in length. I will also include an appendix with the
raw data collected throughout the project.
Visual Presentation
The visual presentation will be a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation consisting
of approximately 10 slides. It will summarize the information included in the
DMAIC report and will be used to present all findings and recommendations
to TMC.
It is my belief that the realization of these deliverables will yield an effective
and well-rounded field project. Furthermore, the methodology detailed below
outlines how these deliverables will come to fruition.

Methodology
To better understand the DMAIC process, I plan to study the Six Sigma
approach as whole. Likewise, I will study Six Sigma case studies as a means
to ensure I apply the methodology as it has been designed. I will also read
several books and articles relative to TMCs productivity barriers in an effort

to more fully comprehend the organizational challenges and to discern the

requisite steps to yield an effective recommendation.
The DMAIC process (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) is
streamlined and provides an effective methodology for data collection and
analysis. The steps will be followed in their natural sequence. The first step is
to define TMCs internal roadblocks through participant observation and
discussion with Tom. I plan to observe 12 employees on four different
occasions; these sessions will last approximately two hours. Likewise, I
expect to meet with Tom a couple of times early in the project to discuss the
productivity barriers. The observation sessions and discussions with Tom will
ensure I have a clear understanding of the issues at hand.
The next step is to conduct employee interviews and administer a survey. I
plan to interview at least four employees. The interview questions will be
determined after the observations and opening discussions with Tom.
Furthermore, the employee survey will be anonymous and extended to all
TMC employees; it is expected to be 10 questions in length and will be
administered online. The data collected from the interviews and survey will
then be measured and analyzed. I expect common themes relative to
employee follow through and productivity to emerge. I plan to compare and
contrast these themes with my preliminary research to identify areas of
opportunity for TMC. Moreover, at this stage of the process, I will work
closely with my academic advisor, Helen, and my field project supervisor,
Mark, to leverage their experience in working toward a recommendation.
From here, I will formulate the appropriate recommendation for TMC and a
system of checks and balances to ensure the improvements stay in place.
The visual presentation for this project will be completed in Microsoft
PowerPoint. The presentation will be developed based on the content from
the DMAIC report. I will identify key information/findings from each tenet of
the DMAIC process and create concurrent slides in PowerPoint. The
presentation will be delivered to Tom at the projects conclusion. If he sees
fit, I will also deliver it to all TMC employees.
I am confident in my ability to produce the stated deliverables by way of the
outlined methodology due to the qualifications I possess, from both
academic and practical standpoints.

Qualifications
I have taken a keen interest in organizations throughout my academic career
both as an undergraduate and graduate student. How an organization
functions and operates on communicative levels interests me far more than
the actual business an organization conducts. Studying organizations from

theoretical and practical perspectives coupled with real-world consultation

experience qualifies me to complete this project for TMC. I have completed
courses in the following areas of study: Organizational Communication,
Organizational Behavior, Managing Organizational Conflict, Evidence-Based
Management, and Project Management.
From a practical standpoint, I completed a consultation project for Salt Lake
Countys Meals on Wheels program as a senior at the University of Utah. I
had the opportunity to examine the program using DMAIC methodology and
was able to provide a compelling recommendation on how to run the
program more efficiently. In addition to the Meals on Wheels project, there
are components of my professional experience as an account manager that
are germane to this project. Through data gathering and analysis, I routinely
seek opportunities to advance the health of the accounts that I support. I
have gained the ability to examine people and processes with a critical eye
for the purpose of identifying and implementing process improvements.
Beyond my academic and practical experience, and perhaps more
importantly, is the level at which organizations intrigue me. I possess a
genuine desire to both understand organizations on a communicative level
and help them function more efficiently. I look forward to utilizing my own
experience and employing the necessary resources in working toward this
projects completion.

Resources
Successful achievement of this project requires that I step outside of my
personal abilities to draw upon and leverage the competence and experience
of several others. I am fortunate to be well acquainted with two qualified
individuals.
Dr. Helen Hodgson, director of Westminster Colleges Master of Professional
Communication program, will serve as my academic advisor for this project.
Dr. Hodgsons expertise in the fields of communication, consultation, and
organizations will yield invaluable support throughout this project.
My field project supervisor for this project will be my brother, Mark Mays.
Mark currently works for Ferguson Enterprises. Over the last 12 years Mark
has successfully managed employees at multiple store branchessimilar to
TMCs store locations. He has gained extensive and meaningful experience
relative to employee productivity, follow through, and time management.
Due to his success at the store level, he was recently promoted to be the
area manager for the state of Alaska.
The following practical resources will also be utilized throughout this project.

Personal computer
Six Sigma for Green Belts and Champions, by Howard S. Gitlow and David
M. Levine
The Consultants Craft, by Sue Dewine

The resources detailed above will supplement this project at varying times
throughout and in different capacities. Moreover, by employing them as
outlined, I will be able to maintain and meet the projects time constraints.

Schedule
This project will take 20 weeks to complete. It will commence in the fall of
2015 and will conclude no later than April 29, 2016. Preliminary research will
begin following this projects approval, while the bulk of the project will begin
at the first of the year. The table below outlines each project task and
associated timeline.
Date

Task

Duration

12/14/15 - 1/8/16

Complete project research and annotated bibliography

4 weeks

1/11/2015 - 1/15/16

Have preliminary discussions with Tom, Helen, and Mark

1 week

1/18/16 - 2/12/16

Conduct employee observations (1x / week)

4 weeks

2/15/16 - 2/19/16

Meet with Tom, Helen, and Mark to discuss interviews and employee survey

1 week

2/28/16 - 3/4/16

Conduct employee interviews | Administer employee survey

2 weeks

3/7/16 - 3/18/16

Measure /analyze interview and survey data | Formulate recommendation

2 weeks

3/21/16 - 3/25/16

Meet with Helen and Mark to review data analysis, recommendation

1 week

3/28/16 - 4/1/16

Prepare research compilation

1 week

4/4/16 - 4/15/16

Write DMAIC report | Send report to Helen for review

2 weeks

4/18/16 -4/22/16

Prepare visual presentation | Prepare 4 copies of deliverables (WM, TMC)

1 week

4/25/16 - 4/29/16

Provide recommendation to TMC | Turn in project to WM

1 week

Following this timeline will ensure the project stays on track. Additional time
has been added to each task as a buffer. Next, I will detail a budget for this
project.

Budget

The costs associated with this project are quite minimal. The largest expense
is the cost of travel from my home in Centerville to both TMC store locations.
One store is in Garland and the other is in the Canyon Rim area of Salt Lake
City, Utah. The additional expense is the cost of printing the DMAIC report for
both TMC and Westminster College.
Item
Trip to Garland (x3)
Trip to Canyon Rim (x3)
Printing Report (x4) 80 Sheets @
$0.10/sheet
Binder (x4) @ $2.50 each
Total

Cost
$27.0
0
$9.00
$8.00
$10.0
0
$54.0
0

Conclusion
This consultation project will afford TMC qualified insight and meaningful
recommendation relative to its inhibited productivity. To this point, Tom has
not had sufficient time or adequate resources to fully address the issues at
hand; he is in need of outside support and welcomes it with open arms.
Execution of this process as outlined in this proposal will ensure TMCs
productivity challenges are fully understood and effectively analyzed.
Moreover, the recommendations provided to TMC will not only offer salient
solutions, but will put forward a course of action to maintain the
implemented organizational improvements.
Lastly, the completion of this project will be of great benefit to me. It will
provide practical experience toward my career path and serve as a valuable
contribution to my professional portfolio. This project has my absolute
commitment.