Implementing Hospitality Assured: some lessons

learned

Barbara RousakiProf. Andrew Lockwood

Dr. Angela Roper

Presentation outline

1.1. Continuous improvement implementation Continuous improvement implementation (manufacturing sector evidence based)(manufacturing sector evidence based)• principles, benefits, challenges.

2.2. The project: examining HA implementationThe project: examining HA implementation

3.3. FindingsFindings• drivers, enablers, challenges, benefits.

4.4. ConclusionsConclusions

5.5. Implications forImplications for• HA users,• Institute of Hospitality,• Hospitality Industry.

1. Continuous improvement (CI) implementation

• CI:CI: an organisation’s company-wide an organisation’s company-wide process of sustained and focused process of sustained and focused incremental innovationincremental innovation

• Continuous improvement capabilitiesContinuous improvement capabilities• involving the wider workforce in the

innovation activities, • learning and unlearning of routines, • making small and frequent changes, • systematic focus on displaying,

measuring and formalising tacit knowledge and

• enhancing structured reflection.

• Continuous improvement toolsContinuous improvement tools • EFQM & HA, IiP, Balance Scorecard,

ISO9000.

2. The project: examining HA implementation

• 8 Hospitality Assured organisations8 Hospitality Assured organisations• New and experienced/established users.

• Meetings industry, contract catering, industry, hotel industry, hospitality services.

• Interviews and meetings with 38 Interviews and meetings with 38 hospitality managers and employeeshospitality managers and employees

• What are the drivers, enablers and What are the drivers, enablers and challenges of the HA implementation challenges of the HA implementation process?process?• Benefits?• Lessons learned?

1. Drivers

a.a. Desire to improveDesire to improve

b.b. Competitive benchmarkingCompetitive benchmarking

“We did a teambuilding exercise with the senior exec team and we highlighted the fact that we had probably reached a flat line. We needed something to set our sights on so we started climbing again, and the boss came across this programme and he went through it.”

Coordinator2007

“We also feel that we want to be the best in the UK, and now we want to be world class, and the only way to be world class is to never be happy, to constantly re-assess, to constantly measure…that’s all about research, is about honesty and is about allocating the right resources to do it all the time.”

Facilitator2007

2. Enablers

a.a. Leadership functions and Leadership functions and company-wide engagementcompany-wide engagement• initiators, coordinators, facilitators.

b.b. Collective practicesCollective practices• influenced by CI experience.

c.c. Attributes of HAAttributes of HA• compatibility, • adaptability, • relative advantage and • divisibility.

“One thing which I think we have done pretty well is instead of having two people effectively responsible for Hospitality Assured which we did four years ago, we have filtered it all out and now everybody understands that they can contribute to Hospitality Assured, in much the same way, everybody contributes to us achieving our business plan and our targets.”

Facilitator2007

“I think it is the simplicity of the standard and also it talks a language, is the language of hospitality people, people understand when I say: “service delivery”, is our jargon, it is an ordinary concept that people in the industry are using.”

Coordinator2007

3. Challenges

a.a. Low staff engagementLow staff engagement• high turnover culture, lack of skilled

or career minded staff, lack of CI understanding.

b.b. Knowledge related problemsKnowledge related problems• in (un)learning, transferring,

sustaining and codifying knoweldge.c.c. CI not linked with strategic CI not linked with strategic

objectivesobjectives• lack of competitive strategic

posture.d.d. HA attributesHA attributes

• complexity of the language,• reliability of accreditation process.

“Whenever you staff turnover is high then your standards are vulnerable, and when your

standards are vulnerable then your preparation for an assessment is vulnerable too.”

Facilitator2007

““I think primarily because lots of people see that as extra work. You know, it is always the same…

whenever you come to any cultural change, any work ethic, or method or change, the people instantly

will be negative about it.” Initiator/ Coordinator2007

4. Benefits

a.a. Effective inEffective in• increasing organisational interaction, • structured continuous improvement, • organisational alertness,• proactive behaviour and• encouraging internal best practice

benchmarking.b.b. Ineffective in Ineffective in

• raising market value and • promoting consistently ways for

external best practice benchmarking.

“It is of no great value to us in the sense of advertising it doesn’t bring in any new business. So it

is really just being used as a business improvement rather than a marketing

tool.” Coordinator2007

“The benefit is the continuous improvement. The reason why we say continuous improvement is that it is good to be assessed, right? Because it is only

during assessment that you can measure.

Coordinator2007

“It has united us, not just within departments… We have actually worked close with departments we wouldn’t have …and everybody is very keen”.

Coordinator2005

Conclusions

1.1. HA enables Continuous Improvement (CI)HA enables Continuous Improvement (CI)

2.2. Development of CI capabilityDevelopment of CI capability• new HA users towards structured CI, i.e.

“developing an understanding towards CI”,• experienced HA users towards strategic CI,

i.e. “CI is goal oriented and linked with strategy”.

3.3. It is not so much the experience in tools It is not so much the experience in tools that counts but the underlying changing that counts but the underlying changing behaviours that support collective behaviours that support collective practices.practices.• although these organisations have a CI

tool, they have not necessarily reached continuous improvement.

4.4. Special characteristics of hospitality Special characteristics of hospitality context do inhibit the process.context do inhibit the process.

Source : Bessant (2003:56)

Implications for HA users

• To make most of HA as a CI tool1. Top management commitment and

company-wide engagement.

2. Dedicated meetings on CI.

3. Develop and reward CI champions across and within the organisation.

4. Recognise and promote the enhanced capability to deliver customer promise.

5. Create an (un)learning culture.

Recommendations for IoH

1. The assessment process should become more transparent and the recommendations clearer.

2. Experienced hospitality practitioners could also participate as assessors.

3. The language of the tool should become more user-friendly.

4. It is clear that the Institute needs to offer more opportunities for sharing best practice/experiences within and outside the industry.

5. The Institute needs to raise the market value of the tool and work on promoting the scheme to customers.

Implications for the hospitality industry

1.1. Invest in innovationInvest in innovation• The development of regional, national and

international innovation promoting incentives.• Continuously develop and adopt new products,

services, business models, work processes and management techniques.

2.2. Raise the industry standardsRaise the industry standards• Through the usage of CI, benchmarking tools

and peer-to-peer learning within and out of the industry.

3.3. Make work environments more attractive for Make work environments more attractive for employeesemployees• Invest in the careful selection of employees.• Employee training, empowerment and strategic

human resource management.

Thank you for your attention

Any questions?