Service Operation Management: of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre - Case Study Example

Service Operation Management Name Institution Instructor Course Date of Submission Executive summary The field trip was organized in order for students to have an overview of how organization manage risk, and enhance operation management through resource allocation, quality improvements, and structuring their activities. The document clearly reveals how Melbourne exhibition centre organizes its activities, and promotes their services through value addition on their products. Operation management is an effective tool that enables organizations to perform better with sustainable results directed at generating profits from the number of visits. The centre is organized into various departments and sections that are headed by different leaderships. Introduction A trip to the Melbourne and Exhibition centre was facilitated by the course instructors and the course department to help students get a detailed understanding of how organizations have been able to cope up with various challenges that are presented by the changing business and global economics. Many business firms have structures that help them protect their operations against risks including the legal risks, policy risks, security risks, frauds, and privacy protection (Chase, Jacobs, & Aquilano 2007, p. 24). Poor quality management affects reputation of an organization, customer satisfaction, and the shareholder value. All these aspects should be considered and closely described by the management (Hussain 2000). The centre holds various activities, and events and all of them are scheduled at different times. Departments are responsible for scheduling and organizing activities from fields that are relevant to their definitions. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition centre It is considered the spacious, versatile, and largest exhibition centre, in south Australian hemisphere. In South Australia, the centre represents one of the largest developments in the recent decades, and therefore it elevates Melbourne city above neighbouring centres (MCET 2005). At the centre, several activities and exhibitions are conducted and directed to meet the rising demands of business, and social stability among different groups of business in the area. It is considered also that innovation results when ideas are exchanged and physical presentations of products made to different stakeholders in the business world. The exhibition centre holds as series of presentations including art, entertainment, wine, culture, industry, networking, building and construction as well as architectural designs. Location The centre is located just a short walking distance from central Melbourne business district near the shores or river bank or Yarra River. The centre is also accessible by road, train, walk, and any other means apart from direct drop by aircraft (MCET 2005). The comfort the centre provides has enabled different people from allover the world to meet an exchange entrepreneurial designs. It has four parking lots for vehicles such that many people can flow in and out comfortably to assess, see, and watch flow of events at the centre. The parking lots include the Freeway car park, siddeley car park, South Street Car Park, and the Melbourne convention based exhibition center car parking. Accessing the place by road is one of the less strenuous modes because the driveways have been expanded to accommodate several vehicles at once. Operations Management at the Centre From business fundamentals, operation management refers to the proper management of all activities, responsibilities, and decisions and resource allocation towards sustainable production of products or delivery of good services and products (Elearn Ltd, 2008 p. 5). Form this definition, it was clear from the outset that the centre has a very developed and effective operations functions that is dedicated in ensuring that they give good products and quality service to their customers. The network services they provided were cross linked such that failure of one network does not render their customers phoneless. This enables the company to ensure that a repair of one network is done while the other one remains operational to serve their customers (Baker, Bradley & Huyton 1998). The network analysis during the event also indicated that their services are one of the best in the world because every segment is unique and every network is upheld for proper management of traffic flows. Purchasing Purchasing at the centre is held by procurement officer in close contact by financial manager of various departments. Requests are made from each department and then forwarded to the procurement offices which then consult the financial office. Once the purchases are made, they are disseminated to the various departments who then confirm the purchases by matching the request against the purchases (Baker, Bradley & Huyton 1998, p. 3). Any flaws or evidence of descriptions not matching the purchases are then communicated for corrections. The purchasing process is communicated through a systematic network of communication channels. All the process is sent and processed through a sophisticated information system. Storing The procurement department is closely linked to storing, such that all the requested purchases are temporarily stored before they are sent to various departments. The centre busiest departments include the hotel, shopping malls, and bars. Bars are operated throughout the day, such that employees work on shifts. The laneways have been converted into excellent hubs of delicious and variety of foods. This means that all the food stuffs are stored in the warehouses to facilitate a continuous supply of food items, and recipes (Chase, Jacobs & Aquilano, 2007, p. 20). The bars have also a major storage at the warehouses but it contains a small store that helps the bar department to benefit a ready delivery of beers and drinks to people. Receiving At the centre, receiving is categorized into two operational segments. First, receiving visitors, and then receiving the purchased goods or products. For the former, the centre has employed hospitality professionals who have experience in receiving requests from company that make requests to conduct exhibitions at the centre (Murphy 1997). The receiving section is central, but the proposals and requests are then sent to various departments that prepares the invitation cards for companies. However, individuals are allowed into the centre once they arrive. For the later entity, the receivables of purchased products are received at the central store which then dispatches the items to different temporary stores, located at every operational room or venue. These temporary storages are located near bars, shopping malls, hotels, designing rooms, departments, and processing units (Deveau et al 1996). Shopping The centre has a pleasurable shopping centre, and services that enables people to enjoy a good atmosphere. It consists of narrow street ways, excellently enticing laneways, boulevards and gorgeous arcades. The Collins streets also contains tree lined fashions labels which attracts most customers from different parts of the world, and most evidently, from South Australia. The Collins Street also has great designers, laneways that has various small boutiques that have specialized in Australian making of accessories and jewellery. Designers are also located every where and customers can locate them with ease and process their orders. Such locations include QV, Melbourne central, Melbourne’s GPO and Bourke street mall (Murphy 1997). The diversified form of jewellery designers enables customers and visitors to enjoy a good atmosphere and do great shopping of various products. The fashions available are uniquely oriented and designed by factoring in cultural and social aspects. The shopping practice is good, and evident everywhere such that it is present among employees and operational structure at insider trading whereby a chapel crossing goes far to Design space #142, and then at the hunters and gatherers centre where there is Greville village. At this point, there is a systematic and excellently arranged lunar store number 136. Employees and roles played The major centre in the south has very consolidated and organized working personnel with huge experiences. For example, the cleaning team is so alert and vigilant to correct mistakes related to dirty in the centre and also o ensure that the incoming strangers are equitably instructed or advised to maintain cleanness during their stay at the centre (Elearn Ltd 2008, p. 9). This has ensured that the centre remains attractive and sufficiently clean for people to stay and for companies to like the environment for future developments and exhibitions. Operations managers at the centre are professionals who have a wider experience in adding value and quality to their products and services. Through this, they have been able to attract more companies from allover the south pacific to make their presentations on most recent developments and prospects in the business world. Operational Management The operations manager is an overall individual who looks at all risk related and loss of quality that may destroy the sole image of the centre or business company. Segmentation of the centre’s operations has enabled the centre to deal properly with clients request and demands (Elearn Ltd 2005 p. 10). The demands involves spacious place for carrying out their displays, enough audio resources to enable them make clear presentations to their clients, enough resources to make power point or modeling presentations, and effective means of time scheduling to ensure their services or presentations are mad at the right time. Time is a factor for most operations on the earth and business is one of them. So far, there have been documentations that time is an asset if its offer and usability is directed at improving people’s lives or generating extra revenue (Kolli 2000, p. 19). Delays in business lead to losses or a crippled supply chain management system and therefore from these considerations, the centre has put in place several strategies to ensure that time allocation for each event is enough to make necessary or most objected presentations (Elearn Ltd 2005, p. 12). Topics vary and what to be presented also varies with different companies or organizations. Every department at the centre is headed by a professional and an assistant. This approach of delegating responsibilities and roles to heads of departments helps in redirecting the risk. This means that one failure in one of the developments does not affect the entire central operations. One a risk is detected, it is dealt with differently until it resembles uniformity index of the central business (Kolli 2000, p. 20). Risk Management During the trip to the centre, it was realized that the risk management of the centre represents a unique part of elemental business management strategies. In most cases there have been failures of much business in Australia because they always deal wit their operations under one roof. However, the management of the centre is split or segmented into various departments, which are in turn headed by professionals (Hopkin 2010 p. 6). Each department at the centre is headed differently but the financial system is channeled to the main or central financial unit. The processing done at the department level, and after that, the entire sales and records are core-shared through the company sharing portal. Log in passwords are unique and therefore management and risks involved may be detected by any employer or member of the centre. It is such that the centre is divided into various departments including the industry, transportation, arts, foods, music, painting, and or IT. Even architectural designs forms part of the exhibitions, and building industry whereby renovations and cheap or sustainable building resources are displayed for betterment of lives and humanity (Hussain 2000 p. 6). Quality management Different rates strategies and frameworks have also been offered by the management to attract all industries but the pricing keeps on varying with amount of revenues generated by any specific company. All prices outlining the procedures and payment methods are clearly displayed on the wall chart for every interested individual to see or have an overview. Use of resources in a unique way has also enabled the centre to remain relevant among other stakeholders in the market (Murphy 1997, p. 8). This is because more spaces are availed to companies, and there are also numerous communication devices that generate loud and clear sounds for audiences to hear. Enough space provision also allows lot of audiences to attend the exhibitions, and who at the same time helps in marketing. Properly installed sanitation and hygiene structures are available to aid clients and audiences to remain focused on topics and exhibitions without any massive movements in and out of the centre. Security provision in addition to gated entrance has also helped clients and audiences to trust the centre because at any time, their equipments or vehicles are safe against thieves or smugglers (Crouhy, Galai & Mark 2000, p. 7). The organization has a right track and effective quality management model but there are improvements that must be put in place to enhance sustainability and strategic management. The staff members are also in good position of enhancing quality because they are professionals who have a good background on business frameworks and have been equitably trained to foster good quality networks within the organization. The best two dimensions best is pricing and production, even though the third aspect of promotion is also evident. During presentations and exhibitions, gifts are given inform of soft drinks, and low priced food items (Kolli 2000, p. 18). TQM practices TQM is highly practiced because every event and practical action is done at central places and the results generated are then shared through the official portal or website. Through networking and sharing of experiences limitations are minimized and considered for future corrections. However, being selected the best centre in 2014 outlines that the centre has been meeting customer’s expectations or the customers are much aware of the determinations the company is making to guarantee their demands are met. Skills gaps however exist between service providers and expectations of customers because for numerous reasons, the suggestion boxes have never been empty. In today’s world of business TGM models have been put in place to accommodate fluctuations in customer’s perceptions, aims, and notions (Elearn Ltd 2005 p. 14). The model at the centre has allowed for improvement of their service by involving customers in the overall decision making process through suggestions and view point or ideological forums. Communication networks provide a continuous flow of ideas, views, suggestions, and identification of flaws. The provision network also provides room to capture customer’s views and if possible, make urgent or continuous improvements (Alexander 2003, p 15). Conclusions The trip was excellent, and everything at the centre presented a correlation and relationships with the class lectures and learning materials. It has effective risk management systems, and it offers total quality management outlines and experiences. It will be good if the management at the centre oversees the challenges of globalization and financial crises so that the implications associated with it does not present or become evident at the centre. References Alexander, C. (2003). Operational risk: regulation, analysis and management. London [u.a.], Financial Times Prentice Hall. Baker, S., Bradley, P. & Huyton, J., 1998, Principles of Hotel Front Office Operations, Hospitality Press, Melbourne. Crouhy, M., Galai, D., & Mark, R. (2000). Risk management. New York, McGraw Hill. Chase, R.B., Jacobs, F.R., & N.J.Aquilano, 2007, Operations Management for Competitive Advantage, London: McGraw-Hill. Deveau, L.T., Deveau, P.M., Portocarrero, N. De J. & Escoffier, M., 1996, Front Office Management and Operations, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Elearn Limited (Great Britain). (2008). Quality and operations management. Amsterdam, Pergamon Open Learning. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&A N=227603. Elearn Ltd. (2005). Quality and operations management. Oxford, Elseveir. Hopkin, P. (2010). Fundamentals of risk management understanding, evaluating, and implementing effective risk management. London, Kogan Page. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10395934. Hussain, A. (2000). Managing operational risk in financial markets. Oxford, Butterworth- Heinemann. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10186510. Kolli, S. (2000). The essentials of production & operations management. Piscataway, N.J., Research & Education Association. MCET 2005, Annual Report 2005-2006. Murphy, P. E. (1997). Quality management in urban tourism. Chichester [u.a.], Wiley. Read More