Case study of product management of the dense medium Cyclone range

The Cyclone division of the company in the case study has been plagued by maintaining sales growth, late delivery of products, a high turnover of staff and a lack of developing new products. The interrelationships between the aspects are complex and contribute towards substandard performance in the division. The investigation set out to determine how the sales function should be managed and how to improve on product delivery accuracy. Equally important is the aspect of retaining skills in the division, as well as the management actions required to develop new products. Managing a product line involves a number of factors to manage such as life cycle, on-time deliveries, cost quality, risks, development, human resources, operations, etc. The study focuses on four management aspects, namely sales, on-time delivery, skills retention and product development. The investigation reveals that there are shortcomings in the day to day operations, especially in terms of on-time deliveries. Based on the findings of the investigation, the gap is identified in the current management model and it is further explored on how to influence the overall performance of the division. Practical recommendations are made accordingly to improve the approach towards the management principles.