Organizations use systems of quality management to improve the efficiency of the operations. Quality management utilizes different theories coupled with operational theories to empower employees, create an atmosphere of teamwork and emphasize on the customer needs to produce required products.
Continuous Improvement
This theory focuses on continually increasing the quality of the products through constant improvements. The approach used here focuses on striving for zero defects by the employees to improve process efficiency (Suarez, 2002). This strategy proactively looks for areas that need improvement.
A Case of Starbuck Corporation
The Starbucks Corporation is focused on continuous quality improvement. The company utilizes product differentiation to accommodate the coffee quality at different levels. The coffee chain giants focus on coffee quality with premium price reward from the customers. The company focuses on excellent customer services, integrating technology into its business processes. The company also avoids standardization of its quality even for highest product output. Starbucks Corporation is also working on ensuring that there are sustainable coffee and assist farmers in growing high-quality coffee through the global farmer funds. All these activities in inclusion help the corporation in ensuring that they constantly work on heightening their product quality.
Customer Focus
Quality management and operational theories focus on what the customers require. There are external customers, who order products, and internal customers, who are the staff or departments who carry out different tasks in the company. Employees must determine the target consumers and define the ways of satisfying their needs (Kelchner, 2008).
A Case of Starbuck Corporation
The company has varied coffee products to satisfy the diversified customer needs. They are also committed in inventing new products that go along with their customers’ taste, for instance, they recently introduced the vegan menu items and the gluten-free breakfast sandwiches to cater for the customers’ evolving dietary requirements and tastes.
Team Involvement
This theory focuses on the ability of the employees in an organization to work together to improve the process. All individuals from the lowest level employees to the top-level managers must be involved in the continuous improvement of the processes (Madu, 2012). This can be enhanced by training employees in the concepts, techniques, and tools that can be used in process improvement. An atmosphere for teamwork should be created in the organizations to improve the cooperation of the workforce. The top management has a role of encouraging the rest of the employees to work together.
A Case of Starbuck Corporation
There are numerous ways through which Starbucks Corporation ensure that its workforce is closely knighted and share similar goals and objective in accordance to the company visions and missions. The corporation has benefits and compensation programs for its employees. The full-time corporation partners, based on some eligibility criterion, are offered vision, dental and health insurance as well as reimbursement accounts, employee assistance programs and working solutions. The employees also have a chance of becoming the company owners through the stock purchase. All these activities in inclusion are vital in fostering employee motivation and work unison.
Role of Project Management to Plan and Implement Projects
To successfully complete a project, planning and commitment in project management is required. The activities entailed in the management of a project to make it successful include: careful selection of a project manager, correctly planning the project’s activities, ensuring that there is adequate information and that it flows flawlessly, dynamically changing activities of the project to accommodate frequent changes, accommodating the personal goals of the employees with regard to their performance and rewards, and having the ability to start afresh in case of mistakes in the implementation (Munns & Bjeirmi, 2006).
A Case of Starbuck Corporation
The corporation has different project management positions such as the associate project management which is more geared towards partnering with the information technology and shareholders. The associate project management entails managing assigned projects, ensuring that the project management reports transparent, relevant and add value. The main director of the project management team at Starbuck Corporation is the senior program manager. The responsibilities associated with project management at Starbuck include planning, project activities and ensuring that the information availed for the project are correct and adequate for fulfilling the project need.
- Munns, A. K., & Bjeirmi, B. F. (2006). The role of project management in achieving project success. International journal of project management, 14(2), 81-87. Retrieved from https://notendur.hi.is/vio1/The_role_of_project_management_in_achieving_project_success.pdf
- Kelchner. L. (2008). Theories of Total Quality Management. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/theories-total-quality-management-55715.html
- Suarez, J. G. (2002). Three Experts on Quality Management: Philip B. Crosby, W. Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran (No. TQLO-PUB-92-02). TOTAL QUALITY LEADERSHIP OFFICE ARLINGTON VA.
- Madu, C. N. (Ed.). (2012). Handbook of total quality management. Springer Science & Business Media.
