$9$:$28$

MGT$321-$TQM Case analysis...

Case Study: Quality at the Ritz$-$Carlton Hotel Company

$(20$ points$)$

Instructions: Please read the case study carefully and view the Video Case online for additional information. Answer the discussion questions that follow. You must provide a detailed response to the questions, be well$-$written, spell check, and be professionally organized. Please use Times New Roman $-12$ font size and double space. Submission requirements: $1)$ One representative in each group can only submit the case on behalf of its group members. No multiple submissions from the same group; $2)$ before you submit, convert the Word document to PDF and save it using the submitter's full name and ID$.$ Failure to follow the preceding will be penalized. Due date: Monday, April $15,2024,$ before midnight.

Ritz$-$Carlton. The name alone evokes images of luxury and quality. As the first hotel company to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the Ritz treats quality as its heartbeat. This means a daily commitment to meeting customer expectations and ensuring each hotel is deficientfree.

In the hotel industry, quality can be hard to quantify. Guests do not purchase a product when they stay at the Ritz: They buy an experience. Thus, creating the right combination of elements to make the experience stand out is the challenge and goal of every employee, from maintenance to management.

Before applying for the Baldrige Award, company management thoroughly self$-$examined its operations to measure and quantify quality. Nineteen processes were studied, including room service delivery, guest reservation and registration, message delivery, and breakfast service. This period of self$-$study included statistical measurement of process workflows and cycle times for areas ranging from room service delivery times and reservations to valet parking and housekeeping efficiency. The results were used to develop performance benchmarks against which future activity could be measured.

With specific, quantifiable targets, Ritz$-$Carlton managers and employees now focus on continuous improvement. The goal is $100\%$ customer satisfaction: If a guest's experience does not meet expectations, the RitzCarlton risks losing that guest to competition.

One way the company has put more meaning behind its quality efforts is to organize its employees into "self$-$directed" work teams. Employee teams determine work schedules, what work needs to be done, and what to do about quality problems in their areas. To see the relationship of their specific area to the overall goals, employees are also allowed to take additional training in hotel operations. Ritz$-$Carlton believes a more educated and informed employee is better positioned to make decisions in the organization's best interest.

$9$:$29$

MGT$321-$TQM Case analysis..

They buy an experience. Thus, creating the right combination of elements to make the experience stand out is the challenge and goal of every employee, from maintenance to management.

Before applying for the Baldrige Award, company management thoroughly self$-$examined its operations to measure and quantify quality. Nineteen processes were studied, including room service delivery, guest reservation and registration, message delivery, and breakfast service. This period of self$-$study included statistical measurement of process workflows and cycle times for areas ranging from room service delivery times and reservations to valet parking and housekeeping efficiency. The results were used to develop performance benchmarks against which future activity could be measured.

With specific, quantifiable targets, Ritz$-$Carlton managers and employees now focus on continuous improvement. The goal is $100\%$ customer satisfaction: If a guest's experience does not meet expectations, the RitzCarlton risks losing that guest to competition.

One way the company has put more meaning behind its quality efforts is to organize its employees into "self$-$directed" work teams. Employee teams determine work schedules, what work needs to be done, and what to do about quality problems in their areas. To see the relationship of their specific area to the overall goals, employees are also allowed to take additional training in hotel operations. Ritz$-$Carlton believes a more educated and informed employee is better positioned to make decisions in the organization's best interest.

Discussion Questions

In what ways could the Ritz$-$Carlton monitor its success in achieving quality? $(5$ points$)$

Many companies aim to provide quality products or services. What actions might you expect from a company that intends quality to be more than a slogan or buzzword? $(4$ points$)$

Why might it cost the Ritz$-$Carlton less to $"$do things right" the first time? $(3)$ points$)$

How could control charts, Pareto diagrams, and causeand$-$effect diagrams be used to identify quality problems in a hotel? $(5$ points$)$

What nonfinancial measures of customer satisfaction th