Operations Management Assignment: Reflection on Event Management Process

Question

Task: The operations management assignment is asking you to apply the idea of customer value to your own department or process in your organization, to help you explain the part that you play in achieving the strategy or mission of your overall organization.

Provide an overview of the company in which you work, and describe the strategy of the overall organization using Porter's Generic Competitive Strategies; if you belong to a public sector organization, explain your mission or mandate.

Describe your part of the organization; what department or process in the organization are you responsible for? Please do not explain your role; instead, you will describe your part as inputs, processes, and outputs (be precise!) Who are the customers of your part of the organization? Please note that customers are those who use the output of the process, for which you are responsible. Your "customer" doesn't have to be the final end-user of your product or service of your overall organization. Your customer might be an external user if your part of the organization is the final step in the process or if you're in the customer-facing part of the organization. Alternatively, your customer might be internal if you provide a service or product inside your organization

What do the customers of your part of the organization value? Describe your customer values as the five performance objectives.

Using the Four Perspective Model, discuss the current operations strategy of your organization (and the operations strategy for your selected if it is different from the overall organization strategy).

Using the models you have learned in the course, discuss areas for improvement. Please articulate these areas in terms of the five performance objectives.

Draw the processes involved in transforming inputs into outputs and assess the key relevant process variables, which may include takt time, throughput time, capacity, bottleneck…etc. Define specific areas for improvements.

Answer

Overview of the Company selected in this operations management assignment
I am presently engaged in working in an event management company which has the aim of controlling and managing different events through their service operations. My company focuses at delivering multiple event service such as birthday parties, weddings, exhibitions, fashion shows and any social events. It has the major role to envision, plan and execute these social events within the budget and schedules of their clients. The organization believes in implementing differentiation strategy to attain competitive advantage and offer high quality event services to all its clients. Henderson(2011) stated that differentiation strategy is an approach that is implemented by businesses by offering customers unique and distinct service or products compared to what competitors may offer. Differentiation strategy has helped the company to be competitive by designing a unique event for all its clients and connectwith their emotions. Our services are linked with emotions such as excitement, novelty and awesomeness, by focusing at creating extraordinary experiences for the customers such as setting up non-traditional and unique look at the event venue such as vineyards, rural setting or others as the client prefer. Various other unusual dynamics are designed by our staffs for offering a unique and memorable environment.

My Part in the Organization
In the eventmanagement company, I work in, I am responsible in managing, planning and coordinating the events for the clients. I am part of the event management, planner and coordination of the organization when I plan, manage and coordinate all event related works along with other staffs. I am involved in all three levels of production that is input, processes and output. My part in the company is to plan the event by working side-by-side with the team, inducing new ideas, communicating with the clients and coordinating with vendors (inputs). Then I also a part of processing the event such as selecting the venues, determining the cost, arranging event service and monitoring approval from the clients (processing). Lastly, I am also a part of the final event that takes place where I manage the entire event by ensuring everything is as per plan (output) for the client’s satisfaction.

Customers of My Part of the Organization
My part in the organization is in the final step of the process where I set up the entire event and manage its success. Thus, the customers of my part of the organization are the final externalclients that has reached out to the company for setting up their social events. They are the final end-user of our event service that our company targets. This is because I am involved in all three levels of production from input delivery to output delivery that is the final event. The clients that are the customers for my part of the organization are of various types such as the referral that are referred by previous clients, the overachiever, the ideal client, the picky one, the grumpy one and many other types.

Customer Value in My Part of the Organization
Customer value refers to the perception that a customer holds for the service or product it receives from an organization and the worth it has to a customer versus the possible alternatives that is available for them(Oh& Kim, 2017). The value or worth here means the level the satisfaction or benefits the customer feel he/she has got from the product or service for which they have paid. The customers that is the clients of the organization values my part of the organization that is planning, coordinating and managing. This can be traced based on the five performance objectives that apply to all types of operations such as cost, dependability, flexibility, quality and speed (Batista, 2012).

Quality- this refers to the extent to which the delivered service matches with the expectations of the customers. Some of the quality service that the client’s values are all part of the events is made to specifications, all materials used in decoration are of high quality and as planned, the food in the event are of high quality and served fresh, the on ground staffs are courteous, friendly and helpful and available all the time for service.

Speed- this is yet another objective that out clients hold that offers them high value from the event service that I offer as final product. My client’s value minimum time gap between requirement and receiving of service such as food service, table service or any emergency services needed during the event.

Dependability- in relation to dependability performance my client’s value that all the extra specifications mentioned by them are on time. For example, in a wedding event the entry of the bride and groom with an event is on time. Moreover, they value minimum proportion of late served foods in the food counter.

Flexibility- in relation to this objective my clients value product flexibility that is we are able to change any item or modify the item if their guests does not like the taste. Similarly, they value volume flexibility our ability to adjust and manage extra number of guests with adequate food and seating arrangements, if they arrive in the event.

Cost- in relation to this our clients value best quality service at low cost including vendor costs, material costs, venue costs and technology cost.

Four Perspective Model
Four perspective model or the balanced scorecard measures the performance of the company based on four perspectives such as financial, customer, internal processes and learning and growth (Ahmed et al., 2011).

Financial Perspective Customer Perspective
My event management company implement cost saving and efficiency strategy such as reducing production cost. For example, it adopts bulk purchase of materials to reduce input cost and holds partnership with best caterers, best venues and decorators in the region. My organization implements the strategy of reducing waiting time for any customer query and issues by having a separate service desk staff for only receiving customer calls.

Customer operation strategy for my part of the organization is to keep adequate staff on floor for service and keeping an alternative menu ready with few dishes for any sudden modifications.

Areas for Improvement
The areas of improvement that needs to be implemented in my part of the organization will include sustainable supply chain management and lean management method.

Quality-I will introduce sustainable supply chain management by sourcing sustainable materials and processes to reduce wastes and poor environmental impact.

Cost- the organization will implement lean management method in the production process such as just-in time inventory to reduce cost and wastage (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010).

Speed-we will upgrade our event application from the time to ensure fast communication and speedy delivery.

Flexibility- I intend to bring new food making technology in kitchen to effectively make last moment adjustment and in time.

Dependability- prepare a checklist for the event and keep a close check on the list to ensure that everything is on time and reliable service is offered.

Processes involved to Transform Inputs into Outputs
Inputs- the clients are communicated and shared with suitable venue list.
Processes- the vendors and venue are communicated and coordinated with the clients and event themes are decided.

Output- a complete and expected setup of the event is prepared. Specific areas of Improvement

The improvement will be bought in supply chain management and kitchen services.

References
Ahmed, Z., Ahmed, Z., Nawaz, M. M., Dost, K. B., & Khan, M. A. (2011). Comparative significance of the four perspectives of balanced scorecard. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 3(1), 981-993.

Batista, L. (2012). Translating trade and transport facilitation into strategic operations performance objectives. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 17(2), 124-137.

Henderson, S. (2011). The development of competitive advantage through sustainable event management. Operations management assignmentWorldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 3(3), 245-257.

Oh, H., & Kim, K. (2017). Customer satisfaction, service quality, and customer value: years 2000-2015. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.29(1), 2.29.

Slack, N., Chambers, S., & Johnston, R. (2010). Operations management.Pearson education.