Waterfront Lodge Hotel Recommendation - Case Study Example

WATERFRONT LODGE HOTEL RECOMMENDATION REPORT By (Student’s Name) Course Institution Instructor Date Introduction Waterfront Lodge Hotel (WLH) is currently experiencing stiff competition from 35 different hotels around its vicinity. Even though the company has been in the hospitality business for the past 40 years, it essentially needs improvements in certain aspects of its day-to-day operations. Such include the overreliance on emails in establishing communication channels between the customers and the hotel's management, the use of other hotel booking websites and travel agents for actual booking, their poorly maintained rooms that are over 40 years old and procurement constraints. Thus, there is an immediate need for an overhaul of operations to facilitate business operations for this hotel. Analysis of its operations, SWOT, and PEST, shall facilitate the development of long-term and short-term goals (Queensland Government 2015). Therefore, herein, short-term action plans over a period of 90 days (beginning September 2015) are elaborated and recommended. Also included are the long-term (more than 90 days) action plans that shall effectively increase the competitiveness of WLH. Recommended Action Plans for WLH Organizational Improvement Currently, WLH has constraints in managing its housekeeping services efficiently because the manager has to assign task using printed papers. The hotel has also been on the market for over 40 years neglecting crucial tasks such as room maintenance and refurbishment. It also relies heavy on one email service to communicate internally within its different departments leading to hurdles in communications. It has a no strategy in ensuring lean procedures such as ensuring the efficient and economical use of resources such as electricity and its website. Most customers rely on secondary sources such as other hotel online booking services to get redirected to WLH actual website. This shows the customer reach out, and effective marketing is impaired. The company seeks to improve its rating by ensuring such constraints are alleviated or done away with. Short Term Goals (90 days Action Plan) Table 1: Recommended Short Term Action Plans for WLH Over a Period of 90 days Starting September 2015 (execution of action plans matches adjacent columns respectively). Objective Action plan Resources Date (time) Due Comments Revenue increase and waste reduction Employ special IT management specialists to monitor and constantly upgrade WLH website. Transform the website into the multilingual site with enabled online booking services. Use communication applications(Emails) to facilitate internal operations including the creation of diversified emails targeting different departments. Outsourcing transport and food services. WLH website and IT specialists Sep. 15, 2015 Sep. 15, 2015 October 10, 2015. Sep. 30, 2015. This shall aim at the anticipate rise in Chinese tourist influx. Expand customer portfolio to include international travelers such as students. Expected to affect information transfer to housecleaners and facilitate procurement processes by reducing the time taken to realize the need for more supplies. Increase customer turnout due to the availability of transport and food services. Better marketing strategies Promote the frequency of using its website as opposed to the culture of using other online channels by using online advertisement channels and social websites such as Facebook. Begin using environmental-friendly processes and create awareness of the same. Outsourcing of transport services that reach the hotel and introducing opportunities for customers to order restaurant services. IT specialists. WLH staff. Sep 20, 2015 October 30, 2015 Sep 30, 2015 This is expected to lower booking prices and thus foster WLH price competitiveness. This shall boost customer morale and trust in WLH as a better nature caring facility in the hospitality industry. Marketing such strategy of transport accessibility to the hotel shall facilitate customer turn out. Solid and efficient Customer Service provision To increase the number of housekeepers before the peak season. Use of its website for online booking and checking out. This improvement is to be communicated to customers via social sites, its website and social services. HR department. IT specialists Nov. 30, 2015. Sep. 30, 2015 This ensures efficient and prompt houses services when the hotel is fully booked. Facilitates customer services especially in booking and leaving the hotel. Linking the website with credit card purchase abilities shall facilitate the instant booking of hotel rooms. Operational risk and mistakes reduction The encryption of sensitive hotel data sent over the internet. Creation of diversified emails for instant communication to departments (Bennington & Baccarini, 2004). Use Excel software to monitor procurement and speculate on future supplies demand by the hotel. Inform suppliers of needed supplies of WLH website and specific emails(Boer, Labro&Morlacchi, 2001). Create customer feedback portfolio in social media on WLH website IT specialists, manager, and WLH staff. Sep 25, 2015. October 10, 2015. Nov. 30, 2015. Sep. 20, 2015 Increases customer’s confidence in using online booking purchases on WLH websites further drawing more bookings into the website. Use of specific emails to allocate work to house service attendants and also facilitate instant information exchange between this department and other with the manager. This shall facilitate instant procurement processes and promote day-to-day operations in the hotel. Business operations automation Using the website for online booking and checking out. Use of specific emails to communicate with staff and housekeeping services. IT specialist, Receptionists, and Manager Sep. 30, 2015. Oct. 10, 2015. After booking the customers will know their rooms and only have to report at the specified date. Reduces the use of papers and also the need for the manager to communicate changes to each department. Task allocations shall not overlap among individuals in the same department and in case of this, it can be informed by the manager promptly and updated instantly via emails. Strategies to increase booking via own website Advertise WLH website over social media and advertisements targeting WLH market. Introduce online transactions linking credit cards to booking services. Make the site multilingual. IT specialists, Manager Oct. 30, 2015 Sep. 15, 2015 Sep. 15, 2015 This shall reach out to the foreign market, especially the Chinese market, alerting them of the website. Facilitates and makes easy the booking transactions automating them to the customer level. Targets Chinese-only speaking customers and other international customers such as students. Expansion of premises and refurbishment of old rooms. Expand the current premises making use of idle space for storage. Modify old rooms to fit current trends in the hospitality industry in the context of WLH. This shall include the installation of electricity meters to monitor power consumption. Manager and outsourced staff. Nov. 30, 2015 Nov. 20, 2015 This shall facilitate the availability of resources (supplies) promoting operations. Improve customer turn up, trust and service satisfaction. Conservation of vital resources shall facilitate operations and increase revenue generation. Long Term Goals (more than 90 days Action Plan) Table 2: Recommended Long Term Action Plans for WLH Over a Period Exceeding 90 days Starting September 2015. Objective Action plan Resources Date (time) Due Comments Expand its assets to include a new apartment building. Build a new apartment building near the hotel that shall improve on storage and increase the number of customers per booking. Outsourced manpower, manager October 10, 2016 This shall affect that amount of customer turnout and thus improve on revenue generation. Begin its restaurant services. The new apartment to the built shall comprise a restaurant on the ground floor to offer food services to customers. Manager, HR department, and staff November 10, 2016 Improve on revenue generation and expand WLH operations and customer turnout. Offer its transport service to and fro the hotel. Develop its own transport services by buying one bus to carry customers to the hotel. Manager, HR department December 20, 2017. To increase WLH revenue generation and diversify its scope in the hospitality market. Build a special store for supplies to increase operational effectiveness. A store shall be built to create more room for supplies. Outsourced manpower and Manager. December 20, 2015 Have to wait for three days for supplies hampers operations and an effective storage facility shall alleviate this. The adoption of keyless systems for improved security and management. Keyless systems shall be linked to online website database improving booking and checking out. IT specialist, electrical technicians, manager April 30, 2016. Improves on customer trust and facilitates reception and management operations. Further improvement internal communications using telecommunication devices. Evaluate effectively and cost-friendly telecommunications devices, buy in implement their usage. Electronic specialists and managers. March 30, 2017 Facilitates task allocations and inter-department communications within WLH. Begin to offer shuttle services to customers targeting tourism or other interests such as horse racing (Fyall&Garrod, 2005). Begin to offer shuttle services that transport customers to Australian tourist attractions and also other customer interests that shall give WLH and edge over its competitors (such as horseracing) Outsourcing, Management December 20, 2017 This can be expected to boost customer turn out due to the extra services given. Framework Recommendations and Effects for the Development of Organizational Action Plans The development of action plans for any particular organization depends on an intricate framework that dictates the possible and viable recommendations that shall facilitate operations. Some of the frameworks elaborated in Table 3 below require customization in order to objectively fit the operational missions and objectives of that particular organizations. This framework acts as an overall recommendation attempt to characterize action plans, their effect and viability once implemented in any particular business environment. Short Term Action Plans (90 days Period) Table 3: Short Term Action Plans for Organizations (execution of action plans matches adjacent columns respectively). Objective Action plan Resources Appx. Implementation Time Comments Improve on marketing. Here, the organization derives the ability to create its own website, communicate using social media and use online advertisement channels to reach to a wider clientele portfolio. IT specialists One month. Marketing invites customers making them aware of the products and services offered by that particular organization. Effective and fast communications platforms. The company builds a platform to communicate easily within itself and with the customers. This involves the use of cost-effective communication devices and emails (messaging platforms). ICT specialists. One month to two months. Internal communications are the key to operational effectiveness and improved and efficient customer service provision. Revenue Optimization through waste reduction. In this strategy, organizations make an effort to reduce unnecessary operational costs. Management Three months (90 days). By keeping operational costs at the minimum value, the company is able to raise revenue to achieve other short term and even long term goals. Automation of organization’s operations. This begins with the establishment of software that back normal operations and can be easily accessed by every person with the interest in the organization. That is from suppliers to customers. Management 60 days. Automation is the key concept in the provision of services at a customer’s level and keeps everybody in the organization informed about the daily operations of the organization. Laying down foundations for better customer service. This involves the establishment of social media and other customer follow-up platform in the organization’s website ICT specialists 30 days Customers feedback on services rendered vital to organizational growth and building of customer loyalty. Employee compensation and reward programs Here, the company lays down the foundations towards improving its HR department output by rewarding hardworking employees and increment of salaries where relevant. HR management department 90 days Employees are the vital resource that operates any organizations. The due payment of salaries and rewards for loyal and hardworking employees builds up morale within the organization. It is fundamental to realize that the implementation of long-term goals for any company relies heavily on the proper execution and success of short term action plans. Market analyzes, for instance, affects both the short and long-term goals of any company and must be constantly updated to suit the most current business environment. Most companies begin realizing their long term goals after many years of operations. Table four below indicates the most vital long-term goals that a company may choose to realize. Long Term Action Plans (more than 90 days) Table 4:Long-Term Action Plans for Organizations (execution of action plans matches adjacent columns respectively). Objective Action plan Resources Date (time) Due Comments SWOT and PEST analyzes. Analyzes of the organization's environment give it ability to develop its goals and predict its future performance Market analysts At least 90 days. The environment is the single factor that externally dictates company performance and growth. Venture into Stock market In this long-term action, any organization gears up to expanding by looking for avenues to generate capital for expansion ventures. Market analysts, management At least ten years Every organization that has a goal to expand looks for avenues to generate capital for expansion purposes. Creation of legacy and brand The company being loyal to its customers creates a legacy and brand that marks its services. Management 5 years The creation of a brand and legacy makes the company stable in its respective market and ascertains a predictable future for itself. Diversification In this action plan, the company chooses to venture into markets that are related to its own in an attempt to increase market dominance or competition and increase its revenue generation. Management Five years. This recommendation ensures that the company can provide services that facilitate its original service(s) before diversification. In this scenario, the company possesses the ability to control its sector. Conclusions To recapitulate on the foregoing discussions, WLH is currently and emerging organization with different and unique hurdles to its daily operations. This report recommends some of the most vital action plans, both long term, and short term, which shall facilitate the company's ability to achieve its goals stipulated in the mission and vision of the company. In the case of short-term action plans on how to facilitate objectives such as revenue increase and waste reduction, solid and efficient customer service provision, better marketing strategies, strategies to increase booking via own website, business operations automation, operational risk and mistakes reduction and the expansion of premises and refurbishment of old rooms were seen as the most vital short-term goals for WLH. The result of implementing these action plans affected various departments within the organization and its services to clients. Each speculated effect on WLH operations was suggested in the comment section. The timetable schedule for the completion of each action plan was also labeled. Since these were to take exactly 90 days beginning September of 2015, the due date for completion was suggested. In the long term goals, their WLH company is speculated to have operated long enough to generate enough revenue to facilitate these long term goal. They are vital to the organization of WLH despite the fact that the manager foresees some objectives and actions plans being unnecessary. It these long-term goals, the company intended to expand by the building of a new apartment building whereby it was suggested that the ground floor be used as a restaurant. Outsourcing of transportation was also recommended to be discarded and, therefore, the company is to rely on offering these services itself. This shall give it an upper hand in transporting customer to the hotel and also taking them to various tourist attraction sites in Australia as well as other customer interests such as horse racing. WLH was a perfect case study on how organizations should set their long term and short term goals. The action plan is a vital strategy that elaborates how the said objective shall be met. Depending on the company or organization, long-term goals tend to focus on sustainability and predictability while short term goals focus on service and operational improvement. This this scenario, short term goals for any organization must thus feature in an elaborate action plan to execute marketing strategies, the creation of fast and reliable communication platforms by the organization, utilization of lean measures to maximize revenue generation, the automation of operations, establishment of employee reward systems and perpetually improving on current customer services. Finally, long-term action plan relies heavily on the degree in the performance of any particular organization. Thus, they are only applicable if the company continues to operate at a profit and performs well in its own environment as speculated using market analysis tools (Queensland Government 2015). Here, for instance, the company can be expected to be allowed by law to venture into the stock market where it shall raise capital for expansion, such expansions normally include diversification into fields that directly correlate to the enterprise, the eventual service or product standardization and creation of brand and loyalty and the continuous update of its market analyses tools to determine future company performance speculations. 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