LEAD FPX 5220 Assessment 3 Championing Organizational Change

Student Name

Capella University

LEAD-FPX5220 Leader as Change Agent

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Date

Stakeholder Map for Change at Ingalls Shipbuilding

The author will develop a stakeholder map related to the necessary changes at Ingalls Shipbuilding. Currently serving as a Procurement Analyst, the author will draft a memorandum to propose these changes to a change champion who can endorse and support the initiative. The memo will outline how the recommended changes will affect various roles within Ingalls and how to manage potential resistance to change.

Ingalls Change

The change being implemented at Ingalls is the transition to 3-D technology to enhance the current manufacturing process. It is crucial for the change representative to consider the political landscape, as they must possess the authority to implement changes effectively. The change agent should pursue rational change and inspire other stakeholders at Ingalls to organize and execute the necessary transformations. The author will utilize a stakeholder map to assist management in understanding the roles in the change process and the readiness of stakeholders for this change. Stakeholder mapping involves a collaborative process of research, discussion, and debate that incorporates multiple perspectives to identify a critical list of stakeholders across the entire spectrum.

The first step in creating the stakeholder map is to compile a list of stakeholder opinions. The owners of Ingalls are shareholders, as it is a publicly traded company. Ingalls has a limited customer base, primarily consisting of the U.S. government, specifically the military branches of the Navy and Coast Guard. The U.S. government serves as the sole major customer for Ingalls, and the company’s financial performance is closely tied to the health of the U.S. economy and the defense sector. Ingalls holds significant bargaining power as the exclusive supplier of shipbuilding services and the only company with the expertise to construct warships for the U.S. government.

Huntington Ingalls may also see a financial boost in the future due to the current administration’s focus on expanding the U.S. Navy. Ingalls employs a vast network of current and prospective employees, making it the largest employer in Mississippi and a top five employer in Alabama. The company has achieved record success in its operations, with a market capitalization of $1.89 billion. A substantial portion of Ingalls’ revenue is derived from the growth of the U.S. government, with 3% coming from the U.S. Coast Guard and 97% from the U.S. Navy. The company’s strategy involves providing superior ships and service contracts to maximize customer value.

LEAD FPX 5220 Assessment 3 Championing Organizational Change

Ingalls’ competitive advantage lies in its large workforce, which is responsible for producing high-quality ships for the Coast Guard and Navy. The significance of Ingalls’ employees is so pronounced that they are considered the primary stakeholders. “At Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), a company with nearly 37,000 employees and a constant demand to fill positions at all levels—especially skilled trades positions—we are doing our part to close that gap. In fact, we invest more than $110 million a year in workforce development” (“Archived,” 2017). Ingalls also engages in corporate social responsibility initiatives to protect the operational environment.

Other factors to consider in the stakeholder map include learning from past experiences and maintaining ongoing engagement throughout the Ingalls organization. Currently, Ingalls is constructing five different types of large ships for the U.S. government. “Our 81-year legacy has continuously proven we have the talent, experience, and facilities to simultaneously build more classes of ships than any other shipyard in America” (“Who we are,” 2018). Each ship requires distinct parts and designs. With the implementation of 3-D technology, Ingalls can effectively streamline the manufacturing process, ultimately accelerating ship turnover rates and enhancing overall quality.

Recent developments have the potential to transform the shipbuilding and production industries. 3-D printing, a subset of additive manufacturing, involves constructing objects layer by layer. This method is integral to Ingalls’ manufacturing process, which focuses on creating final ships by removing material in a controlled manner. The design department at Ingalls is tasked with developing drawings for the design output, while the general procurement team is responsible for acquiring additional materials to supply the 3-D printers, including plastics, metals, concrete, and even biomaterials.

Impact of 3-D Technology on Stakeholders at Ingalls

The introduction of 3-D technology significantly affects various stakeholders at Ingalls. Transport and logistics are influenced, leading to a complete transformation of decentralized supply chains. Utilizing 3-D printed materials can reduce the time to market for ships and mitigate risks within the supply chain process. This decentralization enables Ingalls to provide higher quality and improved responsiveness to the U.S. government. The designs and 3-D printing capabilities at Ingalls greatly enhance transportation efficiency, as the company can acquire product designs from around the world and manufacture those products using 3-D printers.

Stakeholders’ Position on 3-D Technology

The author will explore how the introduction of 3-D technology impacts each stakeholder’s position. This examination will include an analysis of what stakeholders may gain or lose as a result of the expansion of 3-D technology. Communication within the organization will also be affected by this technological advancement. The computer systems at Ingalls are interconnected across various departments, and the integration of 3-D technology will require that all new systems be properly incorporated into the communication networks to ensure that all employees have access to the latest technology.

Employment

Employment is another stakeholder group that will be significantly impacted by the introduction of 3-D technology. The enhanced capabilities of Ingalls’ operations necessitate a search for potential employees who are proficient in operating 3-D machines. It is essential for prospective employees to be comfortable with advanced manufacturing processes and 3-D technology. The overall system costs may decrease due to reduced labor and transportation expenses. These lower total costs could facilitate the reestablishment of manufacturing operations previously relocated from Ingalls to lower-income areas, allowing production to occur closer to the source due to decreased production costs.

Managing Resistance to Change

Resistance to the changes associated with the implementation of 3-D technology at Ingalls Shipbuilding is a primary concern. This resistance may come from engineers, management, and other departments entrenched in traditional manufacturing processes and methods. The author will develop a comprehensive plan to navigate this resistance and reshape perceptions of the change throughout the organization. To alleviate resistance, Ingalls can utilize 3-D printing to allow each business function to prototype the technology, fostering familiarity with the change. The transition to the design process can be introduced gradually, with incremental improvements. Additionally, Ingalls can address resistance by launching new products that directly utilize and benefit from 3-D technology. This outlined approach enables the organization to adopt the change progressively, minimizing resistance.

References

Archived Content. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.businessroundtable.org/archive/skillsgap/huntington-ingalls-industries

Who We Are. (2018). Retrieved from https://ingalls.huntingtoningalls.com/who-we-are/