¶ … organizations no matter what the industry benefit from management planning and strategy identification. The medical and healthcare industry in recent times has been attempting to streamline its operations and improve performance and productivity. For the purpose of this paper, the planning and management process of a medical center offering services for the most modern technology in medicine such as Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) imaging, Positron emission Tomography (PET) is discussed. In this paper, this center will be referred to as "ABC Testing." The operation is small and specialized. A marketing department is responsible for finding new customers and advertising the operation's services to doctors in the region. The quality of service provided is excellent. Patients with appointments are efficiently handled through the system. There is no undue wait-time forced on the patient. Facilities and services are also streamlined and optimized to ensure that all patients are offered the best possible care and comfort.

Since ABC testing is a small business it is imperative that all the operations and processes are coordinated and scheduled effectively. Patient-safety is important. Every planning and management strategy emphasizes this factor. The company constantly strives to identify the clinical indicators and performance metrics that are needed to offer the best care possible. In addition, the management has also implemented an IT infrastructure. This infrastructure coordinates and tracks the performance of every employee involved with patient care and marketing services. (Brown et al., 2004) This has proved to be significant in determining the high levels of customer satisfaction that is experienced. In the healthcare industry, making the right decision is important. "If incorrect, or if poorly executed or timed, these decisions can cause accidents and patient harm." (Clarke, 2003)

As most of the tasks at ABC Testing are state of the art, it is deemed critical that all the individuals involved with the process of administering the test are trained and certified. The testing equipment requires a high level of knowledge and understanding both for operating the equipment and for analyzing the results. The corporate responsibility that the center faces is high. The key components that are responsible in the success or failure of an organization are the organizational goals and objectives. (Morgan, 1997) For ABC Testing, the organization's mission is to offer the best possible service to the customer. The need to increase profits and revenues has forced many establishments to evaluate and redefine the way they do things within the organization and the manner in which they deal with external factors affecting the company.

Any strategy planning for ABC Testing ensures that the mission of the company is always the primary focus. The mission helps identify the business strategy to both the worker and the customer. For ABC Testing, the mission is to provide the best possible care and facilities to the customer. Often, patients requiring these tests are stressed and nervous of the outcome and the potential life changing decisions that will have to be made based on the outcome of the test. The emotional and mental state of mind of the patients is therefore fragile. The center strives to ensure that they reduce the issues and problems that can exacerbate the stress level in the patient while at the same time ensuring that the procedures are performed in a professional and safe manner.

The ultimate goal for any organization is to constantly grow and the same is also true for ABC Testing. Alfred D. Chandler was a strong believer that growth without structural adjustment can only lead to economic inefficiency. (Chandler, 1962) In order to grow, the organization will have to constantly plan and strategize. If customer satisfaction and no waiting times are primary drivers, after safety, then planning or strategizing has to incorporate effective scheduling and equipment optimization at all times. In addition, any organization operating in the healthcare industry has a legal and moral responsibility to ensure the well being of the patient in their care.

ABC Testing has to also identify that it needs to maintain its unique facilities in order to ensure that it creates a unique identify in the market for the services that it provides. It is not clear who the immediate competitors for ABC Testing are in the region. It is important therefore to identify the external and internal factors that can affect the organization as a whole. Any strategy that is identified must be capable of being translated into policies that can be applied to the functional areas such as marketing, operations, human...

Since ABC- is a small company, the personal interaction between individuals in the company are much higher that that for a larger corporation. Any strategy plan therefore has to understand the intrinsic and extrinsic need of this element.
Any management plan has to be monitored and evaluated at regular intervals to ensure that they are helping the company achieve the goals and mission of the organization. All plans and strategies no matter however well formulated might require occasional modification and tweaking to ensure that the objectives are being met. No organizational structure of plan is static. It is constantly evolving to keep pace with the organization's growth and. (Ferrell and Hirt, 2002) Change is required. Period. It is the one certainty of any system. Change is essential both for an individual and an organization. A system more open to change and improvements is more likely to survive than an organization that refuses to do so.

It is necessary for people to work in unison toward common objectives and to avoid working at cross-purposes in the organization. For an organization that is technology-based, knowledge sharing is important. Proper channels for facilitating knowledge sharing -- whether on a formal or informal basis -- is necessary. Constant self-assessment within a company with regards to its manpower resources helps in the implementation of improvements in market-share and profitability. (Evans et al., 2001) Evaluating the output of the worker with respect to time is also one of the key tasks of the HR department.

In the aftermath of corporate scandals such as Enron and the WorldCom, and the recent revelations that the tobacco industry has withheld critical information from the public, emphasis is being placed on social and corporate responsibility and ethical principles and practices of organization. There is no doubt that the healthcare industry is highly regulated and there is no room for error. The liabilities in case of and error or mistake is high -- loss of human life. In this environment, ABC Testing has to ensure that undertakes all procedures with great responsibility and that mistakes as a result of faulty equipment or poorly trained staff does not arise at any time.

Communicating the goals and mission of the company effectively to all the employees is important. At the same time, reviewing employees' grievances and complaints is also essential. Building a value-based communication both vertically and horizontally throughout the organization is essential. Any managerial plan should consider the opinions and views of the works with the belief that a satisfied employee is also a more productive one. Motivation and guidance for all employees is also important. Often, in small companies, there are no dedicated individual to handle the issue of motivation and as a result mangers are more responsible for the well being of the workforce. Motivating a talented and skilled group of people to higher levels of performance can sometimes be a daunting task, which needs an HR manager to understand a variety of human personalities and traits. (French and Bell, 1999) It is also important to insure that training given to employees is applicable to the job and the workers use the additional information to improve their job performance.

The more knowledge and information that the company can provide the worker will help determine the manner in which the worker will carry out his daily work. Information is key in maintaining high quality standards. Compensation or salaries are often used to attract and retain the best workers available. In addition, a satisfying compensation will reduce turnovers in the company. (HRGUIDE.com, 2003) Research indicates that indicate that it costs an average employer one-third of a worker's annual salary to replace that individual. The main objectives of the new HR department of a modern business is to maintain a qualified workforce, attract and retain the best employee and build a work environment in which the worker thrives and grows.

Ethical issues are also important. These issues can be defined for both the employee and the external customer of the company. They are often difficult to define and evaluate. Ensuring that patients are not mistreated and care is taken to treat all the workers and customers with respect and dignity can help individuals at all levels of the organization live up to the ethical standards required.

Many of the services offered by…