This case asks you to review a memo, using the guidelines as they are presented in Chapter 14.

The Case: Review of a Draft Memo for NEC

You are a chemical engineer working for NEC, an engineering consulting company that also conducts laboratory research. Sarah James, a fellow chemical engineer at NEC, has written a draft memo for her boss to sign, and she has asked you to review it before she gives it to her boss.

The purpose of the memo is to implement new procedures for controlling the use of cleaning fluid for the circuit-board lab. Recently, her boss, Ellen Prentice, directed the lab to use alcohol instead of an ozone-depleting chemical to clean printed-circuit boards. This follow-up memo establishes policies to be followed when the alcohol is purchased.

The Task

Make a list of suggestions that Sarah might follow in revising her memo. Your comments to Sarah should follow Chapter 14's guidelines for reviewing another person's writing, as well as Chapter 12's guidelines for designing pages. In this exercise, take the role of a coach and consider not only what improvements to suggest but also how best to suggest them.

The Memo

NORTHWEST ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS
Interoffice Memorandum

FROM:             Ellen Prentice
TO:                  Department Managers
DATE:              September 13, 1995
SUBJECT:        Alcohol Control

I have appointed Sarah James to be the coordinator to control alcohol purchase and storage. She will select qualified vendors from which the Supply Department is authorized to buy the alcohol. In addition, she will periodically inspect our storage operation for compliance with required procedures. She will also insure that those alcohol containers that have passed their expiration date are disposed of. Finally she will coordinate the requisitioning and disposal of the bulk alcohol.

In August I directed that our circuit-board cleaning stations shift to an alcohol cleaner and eliminate the use of CFC-113, which has been shown to deplete the ozone layer. The cleaning stations are now modified to use the alcohol cleaner. The alcohol that these stations will use is as effective as CFC-113 in cleaning circuit boards. However, this alcohol formula is a blend of ethanol and isopropanol that requires careful controls during its preparation. In addition the formula is effective only if it is properly stored and then for only a limited time after it is blended. Therefore, to insure that we continue to maintain high quality in our cleaning process, I am establishing the following policies for controlling the alcohol.

All departments using alcohol to clean circuit boards will provide monthly requirements to the Material Coordinator at least two weeks before the beginning of the month. The Supply Department will obtain all alcohol requisitions from the Material Coordinator, place orders for the alcohol with the vendors recommended by the Material Coordinator and maintain proper storage for alcohol stock as instructed by the Material Coordinator. All departments will draw alcohol for circuit board cleaning from the Supply Department no more than one week before intended use. Bulk alcohol that has been held more than ten days without being used should be returned to the Supply Department.