Grieg’s Supermarket is a small western Canada chain of supermarkets that has been in operation for 50 years. The store in the case employs about 150 people, 40% of whom are part-time. The current store manager is very task oriented. The head cashier is well-liked and respected by the people she supervises, both part-time and long-service cashiers and “Front Boys” who assisted the cashiers until the recent changes. The store has upgraded its inventory system and cash registers. The new cash registers required the cashiers to attend training, which was held at another site, half an hour away. The cashiers now must memorize item codes, key them in and pack at the same time, instead of pricing and then packing. In the past six months check-out efficiency has improved, head count has been reduced, inventory costs have decreased, staff turnover has doubled, and sales have declined.

If you had been hired as an OD or change consultant by Grieg’s Supermarket when they had first thought about implementing the new system, what steps, strategies, and/or OD interventions would you have recommended to them?