Cameron Balloons: Operations, Departments & Process Flow

Overview of Cameron Balloons' Business Process

Cameron Balloons' business process is a complex one. Their goal is to manufacture hot air balloons in the most timely and cost-efficient way possible. Their inputs include design, fabric, burners, and baskets — all of which are needed to complete a balloon. Their outputs are the finished balloons themselves. The company draws on resources from many different suppliers, and lead times vary greatly. Some fabric can be available within three days, while other specialty fabrics can take up to eight weeks to arrive. This variability significantly impacts the turnaround time for manufacturing a balloon.

To construct a balloon, many people must work together. Designers use a specialized CAD software program that was developed in-house. Three components factor into the design process: envelope design, airworthiness, and hardware. A balloon with a special shape can take up to six weeks to manufacture, with twenty percent of that time dedicated solely to design. Once the design is ready, sewers and production personnel work together to construct the balloon. They could not complete their work without the materials provided by the Purchasing Department, which coordinates with over 1,000 suppliers to ensure a steady stream of parts is available as needed. The company also maintains an Accounting Department responsible for the payment of wages, purchases, and other personnel functions, as well as a Marketing Department that uses a variety of techniques to spread awareness of Cameron's hot air balloons.

Cameron Balloons has five main departments that work together. The Director of Marketing travels to balloon events and spreads the word personally, since regular advertising techniques are not effective for a high-priced specialty item such as a hot air balloon. Without the Marketing Director generating business and identifying customers, the production staff would have nothing to complete.

Interdepartmental Roles and Workflow

Once the company has an order, time must pass before a balloon can be constructed. A dedicated team of designers must draw up plans and create a computer model, which can take a considerable amount of time. As a result, the production team must work efficiently to complete the project on time. The sewers cannot even begin until templates are made and cloth is cut. The cloth is carefully inspected for defects before the cut panels reach the sewers. Artwork can be applied in various ways — sometimes designs are dyed into the fabric, while other times it is airbrushed or applied with adhesive.

During this stage, the basket, rigging, and burners are constructed in separate processes, and then the final balloon comes together with the help of the Engineering Department. None of this would be possible without the Purchasing Department, which coordinates stock and ensures that optimum levels of each part are on hand at all times.

In a case where so many different departments work together, it is essential that each understands the other's roles and responsibilities. According to Steve Baty, Principal of Meld Studios and Vice President of IxDA, "Getting teams from different parts of an organization to work together effectively often comes down to a question of having some sense of shared enterprise" (Six, 2011). If the Purchasing Department did not have a sense of the time required to construct a balloon, the materials required in the process, or the needs of the production staff, things would not move as smoothly.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration and Motivation

The materials to construct each balloon must be available at the exact moment they are needed, but the costs of carrying excess inventory are significant. Only the materials required should be available when needed. Finding this balance is difficult but necessary to the success of Cameron Balloons. This also holds true for the Marketing Director, whose role is vital to adding new customers and driving revenue. He travels extensively, and the Accounting Department must ensure that travel expenses are covered in a timely manner so that he is never left without access to funds while on the road.

As part of their business strategy, Cameron Balloons could adopt a family-type atmosphere. Since it is essential that the different departments work together, each should be made to feel they are part of a team rather than an independent contributor. It would be beneficial if departments that do not work together directly — such as the accountants and the designers — could spend time together. Frederick Herzberg identified true motivators in the workplace: achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and advancement (Frederick Herzberg's motivation and hygiene factors, n.d.). Cameron Balloons should focus on meeting these needs to strengthen cohesion across the organization.

The company uses a CAD program for design that was created by Don Cameron, the owner. The program fits the company's needs well, but if it requires upgrading — as software often does — the question arises of who will be able to do the work. The obvious answer is Don Cameron himself, but what if he falls ill, retires, or is otherwise unable to complete the upgrade? The company should have at least one other staff member who is familiar enough with the program and possesses the necessary technical skills to perform upgrades.