12dz Chapter 573 Cultivating from Within
Chapter 573 Cultivating from Within
At the end of the month, Lin Zhihua visited the factory again.
"Mr. Li, the client is very satisfied with the quality of your recent deliveries," Lin Zhihua said with a smile. "They also want to discuss cooperation plans for next year."
"Next year's plans?" Li Xiangyang was somewhat surprised. "Are we already talking about next year?"
“Yes, they hope to establish a more stable supply relationship,” Lin Zhihua explained. “The initial intention is for next year’s order volume to increase by 50% compared to this year.”
Li Xiangyang fell into deep thought. Increased orders were certainly a good thing, but they also meant greater challenges.
“Mr. Lin, give us some time to consider this,” Li Xiangyang said. “We need to assess our own capacity to handle this.”
"Of course, but the client hopes to receive a clear answer before the end of the year."
After seeing Lin Zhihua off, Li Xiangyang convened a meeting with the core team.
"Do you think we can handle the 50% increase in orders next year?" Li Xiangyang explained the situation in detail.
Ma Qingfu spoke first: "In terms of production capacity, there shouldn't be any problem after the new production line goes into operation."
"But can management keep up?" Liu Wanshan raised a crucial question. "With more staff, the difficulty of management will increase accordingly."
Li Xiangyang nodded; this was exactly the problem he was worried about.
Once a company reaches a certain size, management becomes a bottleneck. If management fails to keep up, quality cannot be guaranteed, and existing customers may be lost.
“We need to prepare in advance,” Li Xiangyang said after careful consideration. “First, we need to improve our management system, and then we need to train more managers.”
"Shall we take this order?" Ma Qingfu asked.
“We’ll accept it, but we need to implement it in phases.” Li Xiangyang already had a preliminary idea: “We’ll increase it by 20% in the first half of next year, and then increase it to 50% in the second half. This will give us enough time to adjust and adapt.”
After listening to Li Xiangyang's words, Liu Wanshan nodded thoughtfully: "Implementing in stages is indeed more prudent, as it gives us time to observe the effects of the new management system on scale."
"It's settled then." Li Xiangyang tapped the table. "Qingfu, what do you think?"
Ma Qingfu rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I have no objections. As long as it makes money, I'll do whatever it takes. But..." he paused, "shouldn't we consider hiring a few more managers?"
Li Xiangyang gave Ma Qingfu a deep look. Although this partner sometimes seemed a bit too eager for quick success, he always managed to come up with the right ideas on crucial issues.
“You’re right.” Li Xiangyang got up and walked to the window. “These days, we have to manage everything, which is quite strenuous. What kind of managers do we need?”
Liu Wanshan chimed in, "I think we first need a production supervisor to be responsible for the daily management of the workshop. Secondly, we also need a quality control supervisor to be responsible for quality supervision."
“And then there’s the finance,” Ma Qingfu added. “The accounts are getting more and more complicated now, and it’s definitely not enough for Lao Liu to keep the books by himself.”
Li Xiangyang nodded; these were indeed urgent problems that needed to be addressed. However, good managers were not easy to find, especially in this small county town.
“I have an idea,” Li Xiangyang said after a moment of contemplation. “Instead of recruiting from outside, why not train people from within?”
“Train them from within?” Ma Qingfu asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Yes, we’ll select some promising workers from the existing workforce, send them for training, and then promote them to management positions,” Li Xiangyang explained. “This will solve the manpower problem and also provide the workers with a path for advancement.”
Liu Wanshan's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea. People trained internally will have a better understanding of the factory's situation and will be more loyal."
"Then let's start by looking for candidates," Li Xiangyang decided. "Each department should recommend two or three candidates, and then we'll assess and train them."
For the next week, Li Xiangyang began to carefully observe each employee in the factory.
He walked through each workshop without making a sound, observing the workers' work conditions.
Some people are quick and efficient at their work; some are not fast, but they are very careful and meticulous; and some always come up with solutions to problems at crucial moments.
"Master Zhang, how long have you been working on this process?" Li Xiangyang stopped in front of a worker in his thirties.
Master Zhang put down his work and replied somewhat nervously, "Director Li, I've been doing this for almost two years."
Have you ever thought about learning other processes?
A flicker of surprise crossed Master Zhang's eyes, but it quickly turned to apprehension: "Director Li, do you think I didn't do this step well?"
"No," Li Xiangyang waved his hand, "I just think you have a lot of learning potential and I want you to master more skills."
Master Zhang finally breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face: "That's great! I've always wanted to learn more."
Similar conversations were repeated many times over the next few days. Li Xiangyang discovered that most of the workers were ambitious, but simply lacked opportunities.
On Friday afternoon, Li Xiangyang called several team leaders from different departments to his office.
"I'd like each of you to recommend two or three candidates. They should have certain work abilities, be willing to learn, and have excellent character," Li Xiangyang said bluntly.
"Director Li, are you selecting management personnel?" the packaging workshop foreman asked cautiously.
“Yes, we plan to train a group of managers internally,” Li Xiangyang nodded. “But the requirements are very strict; they must not only be capable but also have a strong sense of responsibility.”
The team leaders exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with excitement. In those days, being promoted from worker to manager was a remarkable achievement.
"Director Li, we'll go back and think about it carefully, and give you an answer tomorrow," said the old foreman of the production workshop.
"No rush, take your time to consider," Li Xiangyang waved his hand. "But remember, the person you recommend not only represents your vision, but also relates to the factory's future development."
The next morning, several team leaders arrived with the list.
Li Xiangyang looked closely and found that several names appeared in the recommendations of different team leaders, which showed that these people's abilities were recognized.
“Zhang Jianjun, Li Xiaoming, Wang Xiujuan…” Li Xiangyang read out the names on the list. “I remember these people; they did perform quite well.”
"Director Li, although Wang Xiujuan is a woman, she is very meticulous and has a great talent for quality inspection," the packaging workshop team leader said in a special way.
Li Xiangyang nodded. In this era, it is indeed not easy for women to enter management positions, but if they are truly capable, he will not exclude them because of their gender.
"Let's start by training these few people," Li Xiangyang decided. "Each person will first undergo three months of rotational training, and then their specific job assignments will be determined based on their performance."