Pet Care Veterinary Services - Case Study Example

Case Study Module 3: Pet Care Veterinary Services Case Study Module 3: Pet Care Veterinary Services Dr. Amanda MacIntyre has two veterinary clinics in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. She runs both clinics as the sole owner. The business is going through a rough stretch, and she needs to make some decisions quickly to avert future losses or the untimely demise of the venture. What follows is an analysis of the Pet Care Veterinary case sighting the issues that need to be addressed, giving possible solutions to these problems. From the case as presented by Stornelli (2007), there are a number of problems facing Dr. MacIntyre’s veterinary practice. First, there is a lack of accountability. Dr. MacIntyre finds that the drug Valium in the Avery Clinic was unaccounted. Despite this, her outdated records management system is unable to affirm if the drugs were physically missing. The next problem is the increasing absenteeism of her associate Stephen Saltzman. With Mr. Saltzman not working full time, the sales figures at the Avery clinic are negatively impacted. He is also not available as often as he is expected to be thus disappointing many clients. Mr. Saltzman also seems to have a poor work ethic. Dr.MacIntyre by analyzing the amount spent on tests at the Avery clinic concludes that he may not be taking the time to diagnose properly. These issues point to a bigger problem which is the poor monitoring of the Avery clinic. It is evident from the case that Dr. MacIntyre is closely involved with the Johnsonville clinic where she puts up but not so with the Avery clinic. A new branch or venture always needs close attention to be paid. (Kishel & Kishel, 2005) Leaving the Avery clinic to its own devices seems to cause of all the problems the business is facing. A cause of immediate concern is the few hours been put in Avery and poor work ethic by Mr. Saltzman at Avery. This is because the two directly influence income and customer satisfaction. The hours Mr. Saltzman is not attending to clients are all hours not spent billing. Not taking enough time to diagnose animals is poor service delivery and leads to unhappy clients. Neglecting client’s needs ruins the reputation of the business. (Scott, 1991) As a result of the problems mentioned above, other areas of the business suffer. Profitability has gone down in the Avery clinic because as a direct result of the absenteeism of Stephen Saltzman. It has gone down in Johnsonville as Dr. MacIntyre had to reduce her hours of working to travel to and from Avery to assist with the workload there. Strategic direction for the company also suffers as the lack of sufficient manpower undermines forecast productivity and growth. The huge potential of the monopoly in Avery is hence not realized. The competitive advantage of the clinic in Johnsonville is affected as the only available veterinarian has to cover for Mr. Saltzman in Avery. This increases the chance of losing out on potential customers to rival clinics in and around the area. As a result of reduced profits and the business’ inability to offer its clients a reliable service, auxiliary staff members may lose morale. According to Parker (2008) Staff who have direct dealings with clients will be first to hear their dissatisfaction with the services provided. They will quickly realize that there may be something going wrong with the business and thus fear for their job security. This negatively affects their morale. Customer satisfaction is compromised by these issues. Absenteeism of Mr. Saltzman puts a lot of undue pressure on an already tight appointment schedule. This absenteeism causes Dr. MacIntyre to travel to Avery which also puts her clients at a disadvantage. This inability to serve clients leads to dissatisfied customers. (Parker, 2008) In this case, the constraints are the lack of reliable manpower and the distance between the two clinics. Also, the unwillingness of new graduates to work in a rural setting as well as their scarcity adds to the constraints. There is an opportunity for increased income if both clinics hire reliable personnel. A more aggressive marketing, especially in Avery, would also help. (Stornelli, 2007) From the statement of earnings as at December 31st and those of May 31st 2002, the following can be deduced. Despite the monopoly in Avery, the Jacksonville clinic is still more profitable than the Avery clinic. The cost of medical supplies at the Avery clinic is fast approaching that of the Johnsonville clinic yet the difference in cost of diagnosis through x- ray remains oddly similar over the two periods. More advertising and promotion is done in the Johnsonville clinic than in the Avery clinic. From the discussion above, it is evident that solutions and remedies to the above issues need to be found quickly. The clinics need to both have dedicated resident veterinarians. These personnel have to work on a full time basis. This will help deal with the volume of work at the clinics. If Mr. Saltzman is not able to work full time a replacement should be sought as it would be detrimental to the Johnsonville clinic if Dr. MacIntyre continued to work at both clinics. The Avery Clinic does not have the advantage that the Johnsonville clinic has. Dr. MacIntyre is known by just about everyone in the Johnsonville community. This means that contrary to what is happening at the moment a lot more funds should be channeled to marketing in Avery than in Johnsonville. On the whole, more marketing should be in both clinics so as to increase their client base. This would then necessitate the hiring of more veterinary staff, a move that would reduce the demands on the current staff. Dr. MacIntyre in her current position as the only veterinarian at the busy Johnsonville clinic hampers her monitoring of the Avery Clinic. Furthermore, the outdated records management system in place contributes significantly to this inability. Therefore, it would be an appropriate time to invest the $15,000 for computers and computer software. Dr. MacIntyre needs to free up some of her time at the Johnsonville clinic to ensure smooth running off both ventures. A possible solution is to hire somebody full time to work there as she works part time. This move will free her time for managerial duties. This would be a plus as she can now offer her support in Avery during the busy holiday months. Action Plan Goal Objectives Tasks Responsibility Timeline Evaluation Tackle the Mr. Saltzman issue Get him to work full time Offer him full time contract Dr. MacIntyre June 30th If he does not agree search for replacement Get a full time replacement at Avery Get a competent and dedicated person to take care of Avery Recruit and offer contract Dr. MacIntyre July 20th Check customer response after 3 months Get a full time replacement at Johnsonville Get a competent and dedicated person to take care of Johnsonville Recruit and offer contract Dr. MacIntyre September 20th Check customer response after 3 months Start working part time at Johnsonville and take up more managerial duites Interacting more with the Avery clinic and better managing of the business Keeping track of both clinics Dr. MacIntyre October 1st Increase advertising and marketing Have increased interest in the clinics and more clients Advertise both clinics more, Advertise in Avery more than in Johnsonville Dr. MacIntyre November 1st Check client numbers before and after increased advertising Get the new records system in place Install computers and new online records system Buy computers, purchase and install system, train staff on how to use the new system Dr. MacIntyre January 30th 2 months after training and installation check if there are still inventory issues References Carleton, R. (2010). Implementation and Management of Performance Improvement Plans. Amherst, MA: HRD Press. Direct Selling and Education Foundation. (2012). Business owners roadmap to success. Washington: Direct Selling and Education Foundation Kishel, G. F., & Kishel, P. G. (2005) How to start, run, and stay in business: The nuts-and-bolts guide to turning your business dream into a reality (4th ed.). United States: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Parker, J. F. (2008). Do the right thing: how dedicated employees create loyal customers and large profits. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. Robson, L. (1999). Expand your business! United States: Universal Publishers. Scott, D. (1991). Customer satisfaction: the other half of your job. United States: Crisp Publications.  Stornelli, J. (2007). Pet care veterinary service. Ontario, Canada: Ivey Publishers Wilson, S. B., & Dobson, M. S. (2008). Goal setting: how to create an action plan and achieve your goals (2nd Edition). New York: AMACOM. Read More