Executive Summary

Service operations management is focused on making sure that the functional service delivery areas are effective.  In this case, employees need to focus on the right functional service delivery sectors. The service operation manager evaluates the service delivery sector by utilizing effective key performance indicator. Enhanced service operation management is helps in improving customer service which leads to improving revenues. Service operations managers are tasked with diverse responsibilities that include ensuring customers’ needs are met, making sure that the organization is successful, ensuring that the employees are continuously active to keep the customer flow and defining the accountabilities of every employee and the way of executing them. However, they have various challenges which include ensuring that the organization is managed tactically and strategically, they may lack may lack strategic influence, they may have hard time developing a business case and making sure that operations contribute to strategy. They can deal with the issues by using service concept. Service concept refers to a shared and articulating comprehension of services offered as well as received capturing.  Service operations managers also have diverse opportunities to help other employees to work towards the company’s goals.

Marriott International, Inc. Service Operations Management

Introduction

Service operations management is meant to make sure that the functional service delivery areas are effective.  It ensures that focus is provided to the right functional service delivery sectors, and assessed using effective key performance indicator (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012).  Appropriate service operation management is linked to enhanced customer service which results in improved revenues. Operation managers face various challenges as they make sure that the organization is working effectively (Parker, 2018). The challenges, as well as opportunities of the operation managers, are based on the acquisition and utilization of resources for change (Hollins & Shinkins, 2006). They are focused on the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization in terms of service delivery. Marriot International, Inc was established by J. Willard and Alice Marriott. It is a leader in the international lodging industry (Marriott International, 2018). The organization offers various hotel service on the global platform. The current study will focus on the role, challenges as well as opportunities that are faced by the operations manager with the hotel management.

LO 1 Apply a variety of management tools that lead to the success of the hospitality service operations

Service Operations

First, to understand the management tools that lead to successful hospitality service operations it is important to understand what service operations are about. The term service has diverse definitions, for instance, it is said to be a set of functions provided by a company to a user (Parker, 2018). Also, it is defined as outcomes that are produced by activities at the interface between the supplier and the client and by supplier internal activities to achieve the client needs. Services can either be tangible or intangible (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). Also, they can involve artifacts as well as other factors such as communication, environment, and behaviors. Service operation management focuses on activities, the decision as well as the responsibilities of operations managers within the service organizations (Wright & Race, 2004). Services operations management is vital as it leads to customer and staff satisfaction. Also, it helps in the enhancement of the organization and the economy. Its scope is defined by and described as including inputs that are changed and are then output to the person using the service. In this case, the inputs are changed into outputs.

Role of service operation managers

Service operation managers have diverse tasks. They are mainly under pressure to ensure that the customers’ needs are met. Service operation managers have to guarantee the clients quality services (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). They are tasked with managing the company’s resources. In this case, they have to ensure that organizations have the right resources to help them achieve their goal. The resources have to align with customer needs (Parker, 2018). Hence, they are also responsible for delivering services to clients (Reid & Sanders, 2015).  Another role of the service operation managers is to ensure that the organization is successful. In this case, they have to make sure that the team tasked with service delivery work towards the company’s goal. Some of the services provided by a company can be complex.

They can also be demanding; therefore, the service operation manager is tasked with ensuring that the employees are continuously active to keep the customer flow. The service operation manager should work towards motivating the employees which leads to efficient services (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). They can also encourage and offer support to the service delivery team. It ensures that the services and effective and roles are shared right so that service delivery is easy and quick. Another role of the service operation manager is defining the accountabilities of every employee and the way of executing them (Metters, 2006). They ought to establish effective standards for employee discretion and develop communication channels between the workers. The service operation manager is also required to treat the workers with respect and guarantee them their rights. He/she ought to ensure that the employees are involved in the service delivery process.  Hence, for successful hospitality service operations, the manager should work with the employees and effectively deliver their services.

Marriot International, Inc. is an international lodging company. Therefore, it is in the hotel management field. It is involved in the provision of lodging services (Marriott International, 2018). The organization works together with their employees to ensure that the clients have the best experience. According to the company, the way they treat their workers influence the manner in which the clients are treated. They believe that the employees play a huge part in creating a great experience for their customers. Another factor that has led to the success of the organization is that it believes in training their workers.

It has partnered with a popular service provider such as Joffrey Ballet to develop a program that helps employees in improving their service delivery (Marriott International, 2018). According to the Marriot Hotel management, great services begin with exceptional training. They also ensure that the employees are inspired towards delivering the best services. The employees are motivated by their working environment. For instance, the company maintains that its secret ingredient is making their kitchens inspiring places that nature their chefs into world class employees Marriott International. (2018). Their therapists are also pampered to ensure that they provide the best services. According to Marriot International, Inc., a therapist that works in their Spa by JW treatments are well treated. The management believes that individuals need to experience and appreciate luxury for them to provide the best services.

Therefore, Marriot International, Inc. understands the role of the service operations manager. It has ensured that the company works closely with the staff to provide enhanced services (Marriott International, 2018). The organization has included employee training to ensure that workers have the best skills to handle their clients. Based on the research, the company considers the employees as an important tool in the service delivery process. They are motivated which has helped them attain the position of a leading international lodging company. The company understand their customer needs and work towards making sure that they are offered enhanced services.

LO 2 Formulate and facilitate solutions to a variety of operations problems

Challenges of  service operations managers

Operations managers face various issues. Some of the major strategic challenges that are faced by the service operations managers include ensuring that the organization is managed tactically and strategically (Parker, 2012). In this case, a high level of tactical management may interfere with their ability to focus on strategic issues (Griffin, 2016). The service operations manager may lack strategic influence. They may also have minimal focus on innovations. Another challenge is that the service operations manager may have a hard time developing a business case.

Service operation managers are involved in ensuring that the company achieves its goals. Therefore, in strategic management the service operations manager is involved in making long-term goals (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). They may look at the market and the company’s unique strengths in their management process. It is important as it helps in ensuring that the company remains competitive. Also, strategic management focuses on people’s issues. Service operations managers look at the issues for the functionality of every person involved in the company (Metters, 2006). They consider ethical principles, codes of conduct as well as society-driven needs. Some of the factors that are required include relationships with individuals and proper communication.

In tactical management, the service operations manager focuses on day-to-day management issues. For instance, they may focus on the timing of particular resources (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). Tactical management ought to be aligned with strategic management as they play a huge role in the effectiveness of an organization. It involves planning, designing, implementing standards, as well as implementing tasks linked to service delivery (Metters, 2006). Planning includes creating schedules. Service operations manager is involved in planning service delivery processes. They are also involved in designing service delivery sector. Tactical management helps in providing a solution and allow managers to lead organizations to profitability as well as competitiveness. It involves a set of practices that a manager can utilize to attain results.

Marriot International, Inc. uses strategic management to influence its success so that to expand its operations on the global platform. One of the company’s strategic decision is to achieve 4% growth by lowering the taxes on organizations and the general public (French, 2014). Also, it planned to achieve growth by minimizing government expenditure. It would help in minimizing the economic policy uncertainty. It shows that the organization would avoid large investments. Another strategic decision by Mariott International, Inc. is the construction of a hotel in Haiti. The decision was influenced by the devastation that was caused by the 2010 earthquake.

The company is assisting Haiti to grow and reclaim success. They are doing this by creating jobs and more hotel space (French, 2014). However, the company’s tactical management may affect the realization of strategic management. Some of the tactical management include discounting hotel room prices seasonally. Some of the risks that the organization may encounter is the possibility of not making major gains.  Another challenge faced by service operations managers is ensuring that operations contribute to strategy (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). Also, developing operations into an implementer. Service operations managers are tasked with developing operations that would contribute to strategy.

However, Marriot International, Inc. is facing challenges due to the growth experienced by the hotel management industry. The company has properties exceeding 6.700 in 130 countries as well as territories. In 2017, it reported revenues exceeding $22 billion (Marriott International, 2018). However, the growth opportunities are complex as well as challenging. Therefore, companies in the hotel management industry are required to replace the one-size-fits-all strategy with the unique personalized experience. Clients have diverse expectations, therefore, companies in the hotel management sector are forced to develop personalized experience to assure customer satisfaction (Goldstein et al., 2002). There is a growing number of the middle class which will force brand restructuring to ensure that organizations meet the needs of the changing customer needs. For instance, Marriott hotels offer diverse services that are meant to meet their client’s needs.

Dealing with service operations challenges

An organization can deal with the challenges by using service concept. Service concept refers to a shared and articulating comprehension of services offered as well as received capturing (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). It is important as it helps the service operations manager to define and communicate the nature of the business.  It is important in an organization and helps service operation managers improve various service operation processes and mediate between clients’ needs and the company’s strategic commitment (Goldstein et al., 2002). One factor that leads to poor services is the mismatch between what the company plans to provide and what its clients require. Therefore, service operations managers can make sure that the design intent focuses on satisfying the clients’ needs. They are required to develop a successful service. Therefore, to avoid issues, the service operations manager ought, to begin with planning the service.

Another significance of the service concept in the hotel management sector is that it is used in creating organizational alignment. It is also utilized in developing new service concept for the purpose of innovation as well as a competitive advantage (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). Another important use of service concept is creating and specifying services and evaluating the effect of design changes (Wood & Brotherton, 2008). Mainly, there is a minimal focus on service design by service literature. Most of the books emphasize service process mapping and managing customer interactions. They fail to link service design to business strategy.

Some scholars maintain that the design of service delivery system should include the roles of the service providers, physical facilities as well as the processes that are followed in creating and delivering services (Goldstein et al., 2002). Other scholars maintain that there are four levels of service system design, they include physical setting, the design of the process, and job design (Cannon et al. 2007). The final level is individuals involved in the service design process. However, some researchers maintain that service design process is linked to blueprinting or service mapping. The literature focuses on strategical and tactical challenges.

Marriot International, Inc. needs to deal with the challenges caused by the changing expectations of the clients. In this case, the company should understand the effect of the changes. They also need to design new and innovative ways to deal with the changes taking place (Marriott International, 2018). Marriott Hotels should master the needs of the clients and work with innovative partners in creating differentiated personalized experiences. Marriott is a leader in the lodging sector, therefore, to remain competitive it has to listen and learn from the customers (Marriott International, 2018). In this case, it can constantly develop its brand by using signature experiences. Currently, investors are focusing on buying better assets, therefore, it is expected that there will be a minimal supply of assets in the core market. High competition is expected as investments change to secondary markets. Marriott Hotels need to differentiate their personalized services to remain competitive in the changing market.

They need to understand their clients as unique persons instead of statistical groupings. Their service concept design will determine their success (Goldstein et al., 2002). Organizations in the hotel management segments cannot assign clients to well-defined segments. Currently, most of the companies are focusing on understanding the clients due to the ubiquity of the internet. Also, there is information transparency that has led to the change of organization focus. Therefore, companies have to rely on technology to collect data that will help them deliver customized personal service (Metters, 2006). They should create a personal relationship with the clients. Marriott Hotels can observe customers’ behavior while they are staying in hotels. The organization uses technology to improve their customer services.

They use App to access all their services, clients can book hotels as well as track their points balances (Goldstein et al., 2002). They can also ensure that they have loyal clients by instilling a sense of belonging. In this case, they have to make the clients feel they have a connection with the hotels (Marriott International, 2018). Marriott Hotels has introduced various offers that are meant to encourage clients to continue seeking their services. When organizations give consumers offer, they have a high chance of buying from the company in the future. Apart from seasonal discounts, Marriott has different rewards for their clients. They are meant to increase customer retention. The reward program allows their customers to enjoy their services at a discounted price. Consumers can earn points with the continued use of their services. They can redeem the point in an exchange with free nights, flights and VIP access. The enhanced customer services have allowed the company to remain competitive in the current changing environment.

Opportunities for service operations managers

Service operations managers have different opportunities in the hotel management sector. They have the opportunity to design customer experience. They are tasked with overseeing the operations of the entire lodging (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). They have the opportunity to measure, control, and manage the performance of the organization. Performance measurement includes understanding and comparing service (Goldstein et al., 2002). It is also known as benchmarking. Performance measurement has diverse purposes. One of the primary purposes is to control, in this case, the service operations manager help in controlling the targets, means, feedback and HR regulations (Chary, 2009). Another purpose of measurement is an improvement. Secondary purpose includes communication, measurement allows service managers to understand what the organization needs.

Therefore, they inform workers what the company wants them to work towards. They also inform them of their responsibilities as individuals and departments (Parker, 2012). Measurement also allows the service operations manager to motivate the employees. Set of measurements motivate the workers’ behavior. Service operations manager can use a diverse approach to measure customers perspective (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). In the hotel management sector, the service operations manager can use diverse approaches to measure customer perspective. Questionnaires and surveys are among the approaches used to assess customers perspective.

The questionnaires will help them understand their consumers’ needs. It will allow the understand their clients as individuals instead of as a group.  The current challenges affecting the service operations managers can affect the success of a company (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). However, they have opportunities to help the organization grow and achieve its goals. Organizations in the hotel management sector are focusing on understanding the clients due to the growth of the internet.

Today, everyone can assess information on the internet. Therefore, there is information transparency which has led to the transformation of organization focus (Parker, 2012). Most of the companies have to depend on technology to gather information that will allow them to deliver customized personal service (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). The service operations managers can create a personal relationship with the clients. They can emphasize learning the customers’ behavior. Organizations in the hotel management industry can focus on their customers to understand their needs. They can utilize technology to enhance their customer experience. For instance, service operation managers can use diverse applications to enhance customer experience.

Service operations managers have the opportunity to use the service concept. In this case, the can use it to define and communicate the business scope.  Service concept is used by service operations managers to enhance diverse service operation processes (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). They can also work with employees to ensure that they achieve their needs.  In this case, they can mediate between clients’ needs and the company’s strategic commitment. In most cases, organizations tend to ignore clients’ needs thus leading to poor services provision (Information Resources Management Association, 2017). There can be a mismatch between what the organization intends to offer. The service operations manager has the opportunity to ensure the design intent that focuses on meeting the clients’ needs. They can create a successful service delivery procedure.

Another opportunity of the service operations managers is that they are tasked with using service concept to create organizational alignment (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). They can create concepts to help in supporting innovations that would help them deal with diverse challenges (Parker, 2012). They can also develop a competitive advantage for organizations in the hotel management sector. Another vital opportunity for the service operations managers developing services that will help in attaining company’s objective. They can specify services and assess the effect of design changes.

Conclusion

Service operations management is meant to make sure that the functional service delivery areas are effective.  It ensures that focus is provided to the right functional service delivery sectors, and assessed using effective key performance indicator. Appropriate service operation management is linked to enhanced customer service which results in improved revenues. Service operations managers in the hotel management sector are tasked with ensuring that the customers’ needs are met. They have to guarantee the clients quality services. Also, they are tasked with managing the company’s resources. In this case, they have to ensure that organizations have the right resources to help them achieve their goal.  However, there are various challenges that affect their operations. Marriott International, Inc. is involved in the lodging business. The company offers its clients various services. They make sure that their employees are well trained to meet the consumer’s needs.

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