Kudler Fine Foods Problem Statement In order to effectively prepare the company to avoid potential issues in the future, Kathy will need to work to make herself more expendable. In doing this, she will be able to move about the different locations and maintain confidence that the tasks she has delegated will still be properly handled. Perhaps the optimal route would be to hire a vice president. The logic being that this person will serve as Kathy’s back-up for all duties. Kathy can hire someone with experience in managing a similar organization, or evaluate her current staff of managers for someone qualified for the position. The latter would not only fill the position with someone competent in the field, and someone who has already invested time into the company, but it can also be beneficial to the overall morale of the company. “When new employees see that opportunities exist for them and that there's a track record of hiring from within, they tend to stay longer with your company” (Green, 2007.) Hiring within will be cost effecting in avoiding fees associated with recruiting, but it will save a lot of time interviewing and integrating a new person into the culture of the company. Another option, if Kathy prefers not to have a vice president could be for her to simply delegate responsibilities. As mentioned in the strategic plan, there is a proposal of having the inventory system set-up electronically. At that point, managers should be able to efficiently track and know what products they need to order to keep their own shelves stocked, without having instruction from Kathy. This alone would decrease the company’s reliance on Kathy. “Delegation thus involves entrusting work to others and allowing and empowering them to make decisions consistent with the delegated responsibility and authority that they have received” (Fleming, 2009.) This can benefit in both