The Gates Company has discovered that a recent sales decline for a specific product is partly the result of customer dissatisfaction with the early failure rate of the product.The production manager attributes the early failure rate to quality problems in several of the components,which are obtained from different suppliers.The new engineering manager,however,contends that the problem lies in the design of the product.The marketing manager contends that demand for the product is dropping as a result of competitors with lower prices from overseas.In order to identify the most effective solution to this sales decline in the most efficient manner,it is probably best to use a:
A) cross-functional team
B) self-managed team
C) functional team
D) none of these are likely to be efficient and effective in solving this problem

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A cross-functional team would bring together representatives from different areas of the company, including production, engineering, marketing, and quality control, to work together to identify the root causes of the sales decline and come up with a coordinated solution. This approach is likely to be the most effective and efficient way to tackle the problem, as it brings together diverse perspectives and expertise to address the issue holistically. Self-managed teams and functional teams may also be useful in certain contexts, but a cross-functional team is likely to be the best choice for this particular problem.

The Gates Company Has Discovered That a Recent Sales Decline