Running head: INTEGRATIVE LEARNING PROJECT 1
Integrative Learning Project on the Peace of Mind Organization
Perry Blankenship
Liberty University
INTEGRATIVE LEARNING PROJECT 2
Abstract
Starting an organization is not all there is to operating a successful business. This article will
explore and discuss several concepts that will be useful for managers to understand in order to
ensure their organization is producing and functioning at its full potential. This article will
explore Project Plans, Poka Yoke, Flexibility, Benchmarking, Controlling Service Quality,
Service Gaps, Economies of Scale and Scope, and Outsourcing and Global Sourcing. This article
is not meant to be an exhaustive study or guide for managing operations it is only meant to be a
tool that will assist managers in their understanding of operations management. With the rapid
changes and growing market, organizations will need to develop their staff with skill sets that
will ensure their ability to reach their goals and maintain their ability to supply their consumers
with valuable product and services. The organization studied within this article is a mental health
clinic that offers their consumers a peace of mind with the utilization of Christian applications.
INTEGRATIVE LEARNING PROJECT 3
Introduction
Operation managers face a difficult task in achieving their organizational goals in this
constantly changing economy. Meredith and Shafer (2013) argues that operations is the heart of
every foundation. With the rapid changes and growing market, organizations will need to
develop their staff with skill sets that will ensure their ability to reach their goals and maintain
their ability to supply their consumers with valuable products and services.
Organizations will need to continue to develop and grow their services and products in
order to meet the increasing consumer demands. Managers will be challenged with identifying
new ways to continue to grow. Many organizations will utilize things like brainstorming to assist
them in developing new ideals and products. Gobble (2014) points out that brainstorming is not a
dead technique, he explained that innovative organizations are still utilizing it today to grow their
organizations and maintain their success within the business market. The Peace of Mind
organization is challenged on a daily basis to develop and identify new ways to reach their target
clients in order to be effective and successful. The increasing challenges of this organization
continues to surface on a regular basis. Meredith and Shafer (2013) express that new projects
might be department focused or be a division wide focus. The Peace of Mind organization
operates in a division/organization wide focus in order to identify new needs and services to be
offered to their clients. God’s great plan of salvation began before the foundation of this world
and continues to unfold as the world changes and the plan of God is fulfilled, (Matt. 13:35,
KJV). The following concepts will assist this organization in ensuring their success in
developing and implementing these new services as the needs of their clients unfold.
INTEGRATIVE LEARNING PROJECT 4
Strategies and Techniques
Whether an organization first begins or it has been operating for generations, they will
need to utilize strategies and techniques that will give them the skills abilities to compete with
their competition. The Levitical priesthood that God set in place during the wilderness temple
were under guidelines and instructions in order to receive atonement for the children of Israel
and find answers for their people from God. Meredith and Shafer (2013) explained that there are
numerous strategies, however, they point out that the most common one is called “Life Cycle.”
The life cycle of a product or service is changing rapidly, especially in this technological
generation. There are several techniques that organizational managers can utilize to help them
identify the appropriate strategies to implement the production of products or delivery of
services. Managers will need to first develop their desired plan of projection for growth and
production.
Project Plans
Managers will develop appropriate plans that they can implement within their
organization in order to ensure quality services and products are being developed and delivered.
Organizations will need to evaluate consumer expectations of a project, identify organizational
goals, collect data to ensure appropriate benefits for the organization, and identify resources in
order to develop products and services and ensure the success of the project. Peace of Mind
reviews yearly projected plans for the upcoming year, the CEO, Operations Manager, and Board
of Trustees examines these plans and decide upon the appropriate ones to initiate.
INTERGRATIVE LEARNING PROJECT 5
Meredith and Shafer (2013) express that project plans must be developed within the
scope of limited budgets and meet specified requirements. The Peace of Mind organization
develops project plans based upon grants that are available to their organizations and will assist
them in funding new services. Organizations must operate within their limits, for this reason
organizations must understand that, “resources within organizations need to be directed towards
the best opportunities for reaping benefits,” (Plank and Hooker, 2014, p.29). Unless operation
managers gather the appropriate data before developing and implementing project plans then
vital resources will be utilized in the wrong direction.
The research being made concerning business operations can assist operation managers in
understanding newly proven techniques that will help them develop and set achievable
organizational goals that will benefit both the organization and the consumer. Carter, Hans, and
Kolisch (2012) expressed that the research being done in health care operations has contributed
to efficient and effective services being delivered by health care facilities. The Peace of Mind
organization can benefit from staying up to date with current research that impacts the types of
services they are delivering to their clients. God’s word encourages his ministers to study to
show themselves approved unto God, (2 Tim. 2:15, KJV). By studying ministers keep
themselves current in connecting with God in ways that will give them the ability to minister to
people in their current situations. Organizations do the same when they study current research to
assist them in their organizational plans. The following concept will assist managers in
identifying potential issues before they begin the implementation of their plans.
INTEGRATIVE LEARNING PROJECT 6
Poka Yoke
Preparing and developing plans that can achieve organizational goals will always have
levels of difficulty and potential issues. However, organizations have begun utilizing tools and
techniques that will assist them in trying to prevent as many issues as possible from the very
beginning. Meredith and Shafer (2013) explained that the utilization of Poka Yoke will assist
employees from committing technical errors such as having a machinist utilize more than one
process to start equipment. The Peace of Mind organization plans to implement three stages for
new clients to enter through in order to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment direction. New
clients will be interviewed by a masters level social worker to start their process, they will then
move to a master level intake worker that will gather and input their information into the system,
and thirdly they will meet with a master level therapist who will map out their plan of treatment.
These three workers will meet to develop a plan for services and if needed they will agree to
make a referral to a psychologist for further testing or a psychiatrist for medication treatment.
The word of God teaches us to let everything be established in the mouth of two or three, (2 Cor.
13:1, KJV).
God clearly tried to prevent sin from entering into his children in the Garden of Eden
when he told Adam and Eve not to eat of the forbidden tree, (Gen. 2:17, KJV). We will never be
able to completely eliminate errors or mistakes because we are human and we are only perfected
through the power of God. Puvanasvaran, Jamibollah, and Norazlin (2014) stated that
implementing Poka Yoke has proven to eliminate mechanical and human mistakes. Ensuring that
every effort is made to eliminate mistakes/errors during the mental health process is vitally
important. Therefore, the Peace of Mind organization and its staff must fully understand the
INTEGRATIVE LEARNING PROJECT 7
impact of their actions on their clients. In order for staff and leaders to rise to each challenge they
must be flexible and willing to make the needed changes.
Leadership and Staffing
A vital part of a successful organization is ensuring that the organization has the right
people on staff. Collins (2001) articulated that in order for organizations to be successful they
will need to ensure that they are getting the right people on the bus. In other words they will need
to fill their positions with highly motivated and qualified individuals if they desire to achieve
their goals and reach their target consumers. When Jesus came he called out twelve men to be his
chosen disciples that he would train to carry on his ministry after he is gone, (Matt. 10:1, KJV).
Organizations need to have employees that are willing to do whatever it takes to deliver effective
