Business / Case Study Based on the Quality Management Book
Table of Contents
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………2
Case Study Briefly
How the company achieved Total Quality?
Customer based and Target Segments ……………………………………………..…..6
INTRODUCTION
Case Study Briefly
As a long-time and established company among the British engineering and construction group, Costain consistently manage and optimize their operations’ efficiency by determining the standards used by international organizations. Costain deal with the new trends by employing simulation to evaluate the performance of the system and consider designing or redesigning of facility once parameters are set differently. Goetsch and Davis (2012) stressed that one or more of the considerable reasons why company lining its operation in international standard include of: reduced investment in new tools and mechanisms, minimized time needed for production, efficient utilization of the existing space, handling cost for materials and equipment are minimized, as well as expedient maintenance to manufacturing process. The performance measure of the manufacturing systems is analyzed initially to provide the necessary background check and motivation for its simulation. As the analysis of responses run with main effects and optimized interactions, the pre-defined process parameters on engineering systems are adapted with consideration of simulation-based factorial design (Goetsch and Davis, 2012).
How the company achieved Total Quality?
International Standards are important for regulated industries operating in the global economy because it constitutes occupational health and safety management systems into business, promotes potential advantages and reduces competitive disadvantages, and becomes a tool to evaluate suppliers and practitioner credibility. Among the certifications that makes Costain a highly demandable company and which the company has benefited in numerous ways include the following:
(1) ISO 9000 improves customer satisfaction. Costain’s current and emerging strategic measures in the market as venue of competition provides for approaches to accelerate growth of human capital’s behaviour and culture, in the context of economic development and better service delivery for customers’ varying satisfaction (Goetsch and Davis (2012). Costain has improved the cross-cultural management perspective and considers new approaches to effectively managing the existing resources to operate in growing complexity of inter and intra-organizational connections affect the benchmarking consequences. The source of all the best ideas for growth and development of business relies effectively on the staffs that perform the real function. As such, part of leadership strategy uphold on recognizing and rewarding their significant contributions in running and sustaining business competitiveness around the global market.
With ISO 9000, Constain gains the benefits of leading into such operations comprise of expanding market share, amplifying productivity revenue, determined customer interactions, and productivity. Over the years, these initiatives have become known to continuously improve the quality of business process. If the company would just rely to elements of cultural ethics and organizational tools that present of theoretical framework and practical applications that are essential in order to strengthen working interactions, this do not warranty achievement within the contemporary operations of company. The concept of process improvement urges that service delivery can be achieved by explicitly defining, managing, measuring and controlling the operations of company, particularly in terms of production.
(2) They also implement environmental standard or the ISO 14001. Major companies certify the ISO14001 management as standard and proof of environmental responsibility. Goetsch and Davis (2012) urged that the burden of using the environment requires certain degree of commitment and standard requirements to restrain the utilization of natural resources. This is for the purpose of strengthening the arrangement of company with its environment and hindering the multiplicity of threats available around, thus far, the requirements of innovative and multifaceted pressure for the company to manage their commitment manifests through rules is a must.
The increasing tons of wastes disposed in landfill areas in the world as a whole is observed to have convicted the growth of natural resources for productive aims. In this age of climate change, the mandate of construction industries should be recyclable to serve the sustainability concept that corresponds in attaining a higher eco-efficiency and operation of the precautionary principle for risk perception of both public and private concerns. The optimization of the recycling of modern consumer products is only possible with a detailed understanding of the total recycling system as a dynamic feedback system. In addition, the recycling scheme highlights in proceeding with active authorization and agreement with legislation, economic, and physics and chemistry with regard to the product design and deliverance and comprehensive reconciled mass balances.
Early studies that focused on the design and management of solid-waste recycling efforts found out that nonferrous metal, glass, and plastic or rubber can be completely recycled. They served as raw materials for construction materials manufacturers, which equipped for market through baling, shredding, crushing, or other techniques. From an environmental perspective, completely recyclable means that “a material, after completing its life cycle in one component, could be reprocessed, could re-enter the materials cycle, and could be reused in another component – a process that could be repeated an indefinite number of times” (Goetsch and Davis (2012).
(3). In line with the requirement of BS OHSAS 1800 is the goal of health and safety from risks. The regulations such as prescribing international Standards are important for regulated industries operating in the local and global economy because it constitutes occupational health and safety management systems into business, promotes potential advantages and reduces competitive disadvantages, and becomes a tool to evaluate suppliers and practitioner credibility. The health and safety from risks does not only cover the occupational workplace but it also includes the environment of workers.
Constain engineers are bound by principle of ethical standards. Ethics is the emphasis of the determination between right and wrong. In engineering practice, it is the application of right and wrong or ethical norms to exhibit highest standard of honesty and integrity. Recognizing the implications and importance of engineering to people and society, they make sure that there is a set of fundamental canon for the fulfilment of duties which are directed to engineers. Through this canon, engineers demonstrate greater commitment to building their brainpower and feel the need of delivering the utmost honesty, impartiality, fairness, and equity, and dedication to the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare of their co-workers. The fundamental canons that engineers need to full in the performance of their professional practice are:
a. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
b. Perform services only in areas of their competence.
c. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
d. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
e. Avoid deceptive acts.
f. Conduct themselves honourably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honour, reputation, and usefulness of the profession.
The governing ethical standards among engineers consider engineers as rational, no nonsense, and object-world, problem solver (Goetsch and Davis, 2012). Engineers are expected to highest level respect, integrity, and competence which influence their interaction to society. Ethics does not identify them as instrument of self-seeking, altruistic, otherwise something else, and make choices. It is clear; so to speak, that engineers approach to decision making is not from anyone else’s idea but only based on their own discretion. The idea of no other person can do to better the company is significantly driven by natural reason, and that is self-interest, personal survival and preservation. Though the end may justify the means employed in the strategic execution of plan nonetheless, there are people behind who have been affected by such decision made, who have never even asked for particular concerns. Indeed, this kind of ethical approach to decision making projected moral authority based not on others’ concern and welfare but govern by self-interest.
Customer based and Target Segments
Constain maintain quality service and operations in compliance with the standardization for international organization. The company utilized Total Quality Management (TQM) to ensure that service and performance rendered to their customers are based on international standards. A major practice would be ensuring the support of the management in the formation and implementation of marketing plans (Goetsch and Davis, 2012). Getting and maintaining the commitment and support of top-level executives is significant in the various phases of a project. The company is focused on running an on-going operation. In this regard, they highlighted the two different core competencies to continue sustainability: dealing with the development of the site itself, the other involving the human resources necessary to get the construction company and running (Goetsch and Davis, 2012). The entire development process was assessed to have emphasized both quality and financial performance. Simply put managers and staffs worked hard to continuous offering of enjoyable stay and conform to their clients, provide full satisfaction at all times, create a presence in the market that ensures both short and long-term profitability for the organization and full commitment of supporting the development and growth of construction business strategies.
The main focus of Constain is property and human resources. As regards property innovation, Constain utilized market customization to improve the features of their facilities and amenities and in this way, it helped attract prospective clients to use their services. The achievement of a significant competitive advantage for the company had ultimately maximized the level of service that company offered to their customers. As such, the company must differentiate their services in terms of the skills and courteousness of staffs. Significantly, the Constain executive leaders have better understanding in offering their service proportionate to quality and price, which all customers are taken into consideration. Note that Constain prepared their staffs in receiving different guests either domestic or international, and even from different culture or race. The assessment of their customers’ perception and satisfaction is what they are up to. In addition, by measuring the satisfaction levels of customers, they have assessed the current standing of the company in extent of improving existing services, developing and educating the customers for their maximum benefit.
Another competitive factor of Constain is their consistent delivery of good quality services at affordable prices augmented with a strong label policy. Their service line has combined with earning and keeping the public’s trust. Constain stressed consumers’ satisfaction not only due to low prices but the products segmentation plan merged with ecological and social considerations in mind. Their product branding in other way has also created consumers to easily remember and regard the services offered. As branding policies and procedures are already done, in terms of promotion the channels of distribution have significantly easy to advertise. Constain takes the business to business (B2B), consumers to consumers (C2C) and business to consumers (B2C) approach. Business to business targets the companies that look for enjoyment together with their staffs. Consumer to consumer is via cooperative dealing between loyal customers and prospective clients. Constain is considered better measure since the experiences of employees in giving services are personally laid down to their co-customers. Lastly, the business to consumer approach is in the way of staffs market the products they offer by giving promotional services as well as free demo, in which way both the existing and prospect customers experience services at maximum opportunity.
Goetsch and Davis (2012) cite that quality management defines an overall corporate vision at the first level, which is then translated into individual business unit objectives, and the second-level which indicates that business units are short-term targets of cash flow and profitability and long-term goals of growth and market position. This quality management leads to performance measurement system that connects the every enterprises strategy with its operation by converting objectives from the top-down and measures from the bottom up. Significantly, it facilitates as bridge that links the gap of top-level financial accounting operational measures to the key performance measures of bottom-up, in which way leads to the main strength of the operational performance measures. In this regard, this measurement targets the cash flow and profitability of the enterprise to lead in a main strength satisfaction of financial management, integrating with corporate objectives with the concept of continuous improvement in capital investments.
In the world of business, opportunities stand for innovative ways in which business can profit, thrive, and cultivate. It comes from the externalities and the opportunities to exploit the business existing strengths are the ones that initially pursue and succeed through proper measurement of financial resources. The construction industry market is affecting the currency exchange rate of firms in transaction demonstrated a potential unpredictability and an amplified level of uncertain. As such, it posits that while there may be variety of innovative financial approach to management, the international standards regulated have provided a general strategy to adopt and formulate to deal with the potential exposure. That is, it is important to consider the rapidly changing world connecting to factors in building the foundation upon which company is compensated – positive influences. Positive outlook influences business strategy’s new product movement both directly and indirectly through its influence on market direction. More so, total quality management system in construction industry indicates as pragmatic aspect that helps business to strategically focus and explicitly highlight the essential components to control of the financial aspects of company and defeat the immaterial practices that may hinder firm in obtaining market profitability and competiveness. Simply put, measurement system drives company to gather constructive machineries, including good leadership and effective communication to drive economic competencies of firm and hinder or threaten company’s weaknesses overboard.
References
Goetsch, D.L., & Davis, S. (2012). Quality Management for Organizational Excellence: Introduction to Quality, 7th Ed. Pearson.
2018/1220
