Greenways Garage Evaluation - Report Example

Greenways Garage Evaluation Report I. Introduction In the present set-up of the competitive world with regards to companies on global market, it is very important to create new strategy in improving one's business and move away from the traditional way of managing a certain business or enterprise. With this regard, there are a lot of innovations with regards to management scheme should be introduced. Therefore, variations with regards to practices on how to run a certain business enterprise must be done in order to ensure competitiveness among the business enterprise and contentment on the side of the customers. Change has to be constant in business enterprises nowadays focusing on the improvement of products without sacrificing the quality of the product or services that are being sold or rendered. The word improvement deals with maximizing opportunities, increasing the production at a lower cost and creating more profit. In doing this kind of endeavor, one thing should be the outmost priority of the business enterprise, and that is to satisfy the needs of the customers because primarily, it is the reason of the existence of the business. "Quality thinking was initially based on users' charters (1991 'Citizens Charter' in the UK, 1992 'Charte des services publics' in France and in 1993 the Users' Charter in Belgium, later followed by a number of other countries). During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Total Quality Management focuses on products that are primarily catered for public consumption. Later on, a variation of quality models (EFQM, ISO) and the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) were made available for the benefit of public sector. Recently, new members of the EU have taken quality management aboard (.Bouckaert G,1993)1 2. Kinds of measurement used in Performance management -This part will tackle different measurements regarding Performance Management, particularly those that are used in Europe with the comparison with that of the United States. 2:1 Overview In the United States, a number of companies use MBNQA or Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award which is credited for the success of most companies in the aforementioned country along with the Baldrige approach. Furthermore, Vinod Singhal, Professor of Operations Management at Georgia Institute of Technology, reported to an audience of international quality improvement leaders in The Hague, Netherlands on 3 June 2003, it is a change strategy used by growing numbers of businesses around the globe because it works to improve results.2 Here in Europe, variety of measurements are used nowadays to ensure the productive performance of a certain enterprise which is beneficial to managers on how will they implement strategies for a competitive business process. 2:2Quality and Quality assurance developments -This part discusses the four Models that are used in Europe, in quality and quality assurance developments One of which is the EFQM Excellence Model or the European Foundation for Quality Management, a non-profit membership foundation s the primary source for organizations in Europe looking to excel in their market and in their business with website available at http://www.efqm.org/3. The other methods include, the Benchmarking, a process that provides accurate measure of performance relative to a Council's peers, and has been shown to provide the motivation for management to seriously consider improvement processes, and ultimately reduce risk in the workplace (http://www.emrc.org.au/risk.asppg=133)4, There are three forms of benchmarking namely : internal, competitive and generic . "Internal benchmarking is deemed as comparisons between units within the institutions. Competitive and generic benchmarking refers to identifying best practices of other organizations. Competitive benchmarking involves comparisons with direct competitors, whereas generic benchmarking involves organisations that are not direct competitors but share similar organisational practices and procedures" (Doerfel and Ruben 2002, 6-7)5. A management system that maps an organization's strategic objectives into performance metrics in four perspectives: financial, internal processes, customers, and learning and growth which is the Balanced Scorecard (http://www.netmba.com/accounting/mgmt/balanced-scorecard/)6 and the Rummler and Brache framework which concentrate on the flow of the organization "Recently, organizational researchers have discovered that leaders (particularly at the senior levels) should concentrate as much or more on the flow of ... information between departments as on the activities within departments (Rummler and Brache, 1995, p. xvi)7 All of these processes are essential in analyzing growth and steps with regards to analysis of tasks that are to be done in a certain business organization for improvement of management scheme as well as the operation of a certain business enterprise. Many are attesting that a number of successful companies in Europe applied these practices and accounts have been made to attest these successes. 3. Scope of the report -This portion will tackle on the report on performance management with regards to the selected enterprise In the case of Greenways Garage company, an enterprise focusing on service-based projects particularly on automobiles, the aforementioned strategies in order to improve its services in order to attract more customers as well as to ensure the quality of the company's performance. Discrepancies regarding their services would be evaluated in order to know the tasks that are to be made through these models in order to know the necessary adjustments for this business enterprise. This company is set to be bought by a certain company and the analysis of it is important in order to know the present status and things that are needed to know what kind of adjustments must be done should the purchase be in effect. 3:1 Adopting a model to be used-The EFQM Excellence Model Adopting the EFQM excellence model is one of the options on rectifying the needs of greenways. In this case analysis of the things that are lacking in the performance of the company is vital in order to ensure that the things that are in need of remedy in the case of Greeways Garage for some adjustments. 3:2Why use the EFQM Model The EFQM Excellence Model is a practical tool to help organizations do this by measuring where they are on the path to excellence; helping them understand the gaps; and then stimulating solutions. Also, over the years a number of research studies have investigated the correlation between the adoption of holistic Models, such as the EFQM Excellence Model, and improved organisational results. Below is the example diagram on how this model works (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EFQM_Excellence_Model) 8. . Upon analyzing the diagram, one might conclude that in greenways case, adopting this kind of method could make a difference for greenways case. In this case, the enabling mind of the workers/employees and the result do have 50/50 shares in achieving the projected outcome of the company with regards to the profitability and the quality of work of the said company. For instance in the employee's part, lapses regarding the absence of records to ensure the warranty and to answer related querries are is a big mistake for records are the backbone of the operation of the business particularly in accounting as well as for reference purposes.. Record helps both the customers and the owner for references and related querries. The worst part of it is when a certain customer asks for help, and would pay for it ( the process of repairing the car with lapsed warranty for three hours), the personnel says that he would discuss the problem to the customer only after the payment has been done. If we are to deal with 50/50 scheme of the method, before expecting the payment, the labor specifically the kind of work must have its part in order to attain the main goal of this method. 4. Analysis on the Greenways Garage Corp using the EFQM Model To further analyze the company through this method, we have to know the determinants using the percentage of the entries on the model. Below is an example of a table on how we can further use this model with keywords for easy references. (Bahtt 2004)9 ENABLERS - how we do things RESULTS - what we target, measure and achieve LEADERSHIP - How leaders develop and facilitate the achievement of the mission and vision, develop values required for long term success and implement these via appropriate actions and behaviors, and are personally involved in ensuring that the organization's management system is developed and implemented. CUSTOMER RESULTS - What the organization is achieving in relation to its external customers. POLICY & STRATEGY - How the organization implements its mission and vision via a clear stakeholder focused strategy, supported by relevant policies, plans, objectives, targets and processes. PEOPLE RESULTS - What the organization is achieving in relation to its people PEOPLE - How the organization manages, develops and releases the knowledge and full potential of its people at an individual, team-based and organization-wide level, and plans these activities in order to support its policy and strategy and the effective operation of its processes. SOCIETY RESULTS - What the organization is achieving in relation to local and international society as appropriate. PARNERSHIPS & RESOURCES -How the organization plans and manages its external partnerships and internal resources in order to support its policy and strategy and the effective operation of its processes. KEY PERFORMANCE RESULTS - What the organization is achieving in relation to its planned performance. PROCESSES - How the organization designs, manages and improves its processes in order to support its policy and strategy and fully satisfy, and generate increasing value for, its customers and other stakeholders. 1) Leadership -we have noticed that in the greenways case, a brillant manager doesn't know what he has to do in the eering paties of two divisions of greenways. 2) People management- coherent with regards to the first entry, lack of decision making skills in managing people is really evident, with due respect on the percentage in the diagram, this is indeed a vital task to delve upon. 3) Policy and strategy- The loosened ties and untidy work environment is indeed an indicator that policy and strategy are some of the missing links in the company. Other elements that include the likes of processes and resources are also things to be considered. On the other hand, the result criteria is also an indicator how the company would respond to the needs of achieving quality result for the company. People satisfaction- If we are to deal with the satisfaction one would ask, will the company satisfy the people with their kind of work Customer satisfaction- On the second thought, if we are to deal with the first entry, do they satisfy this fragments as well as the needs of these important individuals Impact on society- How would the services of the personnel affect the insight of the people with regards to this kind of service If we are to base with the services rendered by the company, does their work be prominent in the society, particularly, the services rendered Lastly the Business Result- with the kind services that greenways render, what do you think with the business result 4:1 Over-all Analysis Location is the primary asset of Greenways garage. This is Garage is located in the corner of a junction of a busy street and therefore, the easy access on the motorists would be available. In this case, the proximity among the customers is established and this is a clear indication that profitability on the management side and comfort for the consumer's side would be catered. Definitely, this is a big argument for the costumers in terms of 1st hand servicing since signs and posters could be parameters of how can the customers be welcomed upon the entry on this establishment. It is evident that no mater how tall the petrol sign is, the broken credit card details beneath it is a clear indication that the costumers, particularly those who are using credit cards are deprived of knowing the details of the payment scheme on the basis of analysis of the customer in availing the product of greenways. Secondly, in the opening of the site, there are no signs to indicate whether the passage is an entrance or an exit that would lead the costumers into confusion. In this case, the order of the servicing process of the business is uncertain. - In this kind of business, operational rooms are the ones that are productive in nature. Therefore, one cannot discredit the fact that these rooms must be presentable to the clients and the customers per se. In this case, we cannot disregard the fact that there are a lot of noticeable differences with your operational rooms/booth that somehow turns the customer off in coming back to your enterprise. Also, conflicting details of the room also adds to the poor service of the said enterprise- 1) The dirty and well-used counter doesn't seem to complement with the new car showroom. The point here is how one can be able to sell a new product (car) wherein, the product has to be the center of attention in the room, and however, we cannot deny the fact that a dirty counter eradicates the beauty of the products that is set to be sold. 2) ) The cobwebs in the showroom, the coating of oil lines, the several buckets in the area that shows leaks in roof that affects the showroom and the service area suggests what kind of service that the garage has. It doesn't take a genius to conclude that how one can be able to render quality service where in fact, the workplace is not as pleasant as it should be. Also, it also suggests that if they can't manage their own risk, how much more to the things that are only entrusted for them to repair. After all, the website http://www.vlender.com (2006) 10 discusses the importance of amenities in a workplace stating that "A feature of real property that enhances its attractiveness and increases the occupant's or user's satisfaction although the feature is not essential to the property's use." With regards to the handling of personnel, Webster (2006)11 defined personnel as "1 a: a body of persons usually employed (as in a factory, office, or organization". In this regard, I have noticed several irregularities with regards to the performance of their duties in line with the business operation and customer's satisfaction. Employees is expected to be presentable to the customers. This shows sincerity and respect of the employee to the customers. However, cases such as grubby mechanics confronting the customers have something to do with this. In this case, the mechanics are not the ones who are expected to deliver this but rather a representative with presentable clothing and details should negotiate with the customers. In a monthly newsletter in March 2004 from Personnel Management Systems 12, Inc. it was stated "Modification of workplace policies is most often seen in relation to dress code and/or grooming standards." 5. Conclusion -This portion refers to the conclusion with regards to findings in performance management in Greenways Garage Corporation using EFQM Model The aforementioned premises are enough to consider that indeed, major overhauling of different aspects of the company with regards to management scheme. Applying the aforementioned criteria, in the over-all analysis would come into the realization of these tasks. In doing such, one can be assured of the resurgence of the company and would be worthy enough in selling the company in a way that the investor would not have a second thought in acquiring the company. Merging of the over-all analysis with regards to the company's operation and the acceptance of the stated management systems above is a big leap in improving the company's operation. Indeed, the use of the aforementioned method is a parameter that would somehow uplift the capability of the company to give its consumers quality service they deserve and these processes would ensure the resurgence of the company to fare with other competitors. Reference: 1) Bouckaert G (1993), "Charters as frameworks for awarding quality: the Belgian, British and French experience, Charters as frameworks for awarding quality: the Belgian, British and French experience, seminar on concepts and methods of quality awards in the public sector", Speyer, Germany, , p. 7. 2) Singhal V (2003). The impact of Total Quality Management (TQM) on corporate performance: past achievement and future prospects. The Hague, the Netherlands: Keynote presentation at the European Foundation for Quality Management conference Learning Edge, 3 June 2003. 3) European Foundation for Quality Management Opened December 4, 2006 available at URL http://www.efqm.org 4) Benchmanrking, opened December 4, 2006 available at URL http://www.emrc.org.au/risk.asppg=133 5) Doerfel M. and Ruben, B. (2002). 'Developing More Adaptive, Innovative, and Interactive Organisation', in Bender, B and Schuh, H. (eds.). Using Benchmarking to Inform Practice in Higher Education, New Directions for Higher Education, No. 118, Jossey Bass, San Francisco 6)Balanced SCORECARD opened December 4, 2006 available at URL http://www.netmba.com/accounting/mgmt/balanced-scorecard/ 7) Rummler, G. and Brache, A. (1995). Improving performance: How to manage the white space on the organization chart. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 8) Wikipedia (2006) European Foundation for Quality Management, opened December 4,2006 available at URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_Management_System 9) Bahht D,(2004) EFQM Excellence Model and Knowledge Management Implications 10)"Workplace Banefit Program" Webpage opened on Dec 4, 2006, available at URL http://www.vlender.com/w/workplace/glossary.html 11) "Personnel" Meriam Webster Online Dictionary. Webpage opened on Dec 4, 2006 available at URL http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionarybook=Dictionary&va=personnel 12) PERSONNELY Speaking (2004), March 2004 Issue, Personnel Management Systems, Inc. Read More