The Experiences of a Field Trip to Melbourne Convention and Events Centre - Case Study Example

Operations Management Report Name Course Tutor Institution Date Introduction The areas of operations management is concerned with designing, overseeing and regulating the area of production and make the necessary adjustments in the operations of a business to ensure that only quality services are delivered to the customers. This sector of management is always committed to ensuring that all operations in the business are effective and few resources are used for high quality services to the clients. In the commercial context, the operations management team is highly linked to the senior management team. This is because the senior management team designs the strategy and allows the operations team to make tactical decisions to achieve desired targets for the company. As much as this area is important to any other business, it central to the area of tourism as it directly depends on the experience of clients with both the managerial team and the environment in which they are hosted. Operations managers in this field should thereby listen to customers’ testimonial s and keep readjusting to ensure that they achieve standard services that will keep drawing customers to the specific site (Levinson & Horowitz, 2010). In any company, different levels of management are not entirely distinct as tactical information in every department informs the company’s and it is often to see people moving between different roles. This paper discusses the experiences of a field trip to Melbourne Convention and Events Centre, analyses the effectiveness of the operations management team in the site and makes commends on its and the areas that need adjustments (Kamauff, 2009). Melbourne Convention and Events Centre To complete this analysis, the group visited Melbourne convention and exhibition centre which is placed adjacent to River Yarra on south of Wharf in Australia. This center which hosts thousands of huge exhibitions including annual events was opened in 1996. Among the most interesting things is that the building has a pillar less floor of about 30,000m square making it the biggest floor without a pillar on the southern hemisphere. This building is primarily a long shed with separated walls. As such, the space can be split from 30,000 square meters to 84 meters wide by 360 meters long to a minimum of 3,000 meters square. Other than the place for exhibitions, the building also has a basement with a capacity enough to hold 1000 cars. Viewing from the main entrance, is clear for visitors to see the south ward vista of 450 meters and the mezzanine balconies. The entry pavilion which extends along mezzanine platforms on the first floor has function and meeting rooms that separate the concourse and the double height wall (Melbourne, 2014). Functions of operations management in Melbourne Convention and Events Centre From our observations, inquiries and experiences we identified a number of responsibilities that the operations management department in this site attend to. Apart from the clients who visit and use the place from time to time, the operations management is observably motivated by the appealing technology of the site which allows it to remain flexible to client demands (Eberlein et al, 1999). The operations management department ensures that each member is consistent and stays informed about different client needs to build greater usage. To maintain high standard performance and deliver the best outcomes in terms of the environment offered to its clients, the management team consistently tweaks the central plant of the building and building systems. It would be hard to keep with this idea without understanding its general impact to the clients and performance of the unit (Kamauff, 2009). Consequently, the operations management team gets the plenary group collecting data on the operation of the plant to develop a baseline on which to drive innovations and improvements. In 2011, the group had collected enough data to enable the unit deliver standardized operational performance across the unit’s entire calendar. Operations management strategies at Melbourne convention and exhibitions center The current dynamic economic environment poses great new challenges as well as opportunities for any business in the world (Mahadevan, 2010). Competition is ever intensifying and companies fall as others prosper. Formulating effective strategies has become a mandatory responsibility for every department let alone the operations management department. To survive the competition, firms are now considering customer oriented approaches to ensure that they attract and maintain their customers (Levinson & Horowitz, 2010). With its world class attention, it is obvious that the center faces a number of challenges in terms sustaining its brand and providing quality services to clients. Consequently, the group was interested in understanding how the unit manages the challenges and remains relevant in the market in providing quality services to its clients. The group was particularly interested in understanding how the center approaches or engages the strategies of risk management, quality service management and the experience economy. One great challenge facing the center is sustainability. Building a brand in any business is one part of the strategy while maintaining the brand is another. Businesses that build strong brands and fail t maintain them often wither off just as those that fail to establish strongly competing brands (Rondeau, et al 2006). The center has always attracted many clients and thereby it is ever booked. It rarely gets the chance to re-assess it itself and even utilize the set-back conditions that reduce the consumption of energy when not in use. Naturally, this is a challenge that any operations team would want enjoy to face (Levinson & Horowitz, 2010). However, it may pose a great challenge in sustainability if the company cannot get enough time to check its energy consumption and establish new ways to contain the overwhelming demand. The economy experience & quality service management strategies This strategy directly focuses on the clients and the experience that the operations management team would want to offer to them. It is of course the quality service that the center can offer to its clients that connects the events they engage in within the place thereby establishing experiences with long lasting impacts on the clients. This strategy is powerful in any organization as client testimonials play a great role maintaining the company’s reputation and establishing its brand (Heizer and Render, 2014). In a business like the Melbourne Conventions and Exhibitions Center which is more like a tourism venture, customer experiences which will culminate to their positive negative testimonials are central to the performance of the center. Different activities take place in the center including conferences and exhibition. However, it should be understood that activities less connected to the meaning of the place. On the other hand, experiences engage the customers with the local people, sense of the place and their by a greater involvement of the place. Quality experiences from the unit definitely create verbal promotion, enhance repeat visits and promote ongoing relationships between the staff members and the customers and customers from different parts of the world (CoBuild et al, 1998). The group observed that the center has specific guidelines that describe how its employee should operate and handle clients to ensure that they are satisfied by the centers services and pick their opinions for further adjustments if necessary. From the MCEC, employees’ handbook, clear customer expectations are outlined. The center understands that customers expect their best and thereby understand and promise to work on different feedbacks from the clients to ensure that these standards are achieved (Only Melbourne, 2014). Courtesy is a virtue that is greatly promoted both to customers and among the team members. This is to ensure that the operational management team work together to consistently deliver highly standardized services to the customers. Employees are also expected to anticipate the needs of both the team members and customers and always take initiative when need calls for it. Additionally the guidelines expect employees to communicate cooperatively and remain respectful to anyone they encounter. This is to maintain a good impression for visitors and the whole community around. Employees are expected to be sensitive to everybody, answer all questions asked and make follow-ups to ensure that clients are comfortably sorted (Only Melbourne, 2014). This among other guidelines have blended with the different managerial skills offered by members of the team to set a homelike environment that offers a serene surrounding definitely suited for what it was created for. The effect of the guidelines is very conspicuous and is felt from the time one enters the center to the time of departure. The comfort provided in terms of convenience and providing timely services. The team is ever committed to providing individualized services to the clients and one is easily captured by their flexible approaches to different clients. Above all, the staff seeks to establish a rapport with clients making any visitor feel at home at once. This environment allows the clients to conduct their business in a relaxed manner thereby maximally achieving their desired objectives. Such an environment will definitely generate great experiences and trigger positive verbal promotions which will steer the company’s reputations even higher (Mahadevan, 2010). From this, it is clear that the operations management is influenced by the environment in which it operates to lay strategies for proper services in future engagements. Risk management strategies Risk management refers to the process of identifying; accessing and prioritizing risks then formulate a coordinated economical application of the available resources, control, and monitor and minimize the probability of occurrence or reduce their impact when they occur (Mahadevan, 2010). Risks can arise from accidents, poor management, uncertainty, project threats or attacks from different adversaries. Risks are definitely a threat to tourism as an industry. For businesses such as the Melbourne Conventions and Exhibitions center, risks particularly if not well managed can attract great negative impacts that threaten the units general performance (Karlöf, 1993). As such, the operations management team is tasked with the responsibility to ensure that risks are identified early enough and well managed to reduce chances of occurrence. Being a center than runs a variety of events Melbourne Conventions and Exhibitions center can be exposed to a varied number risks. The center has a legal responsibility to make sure that the centers environment is safe for the both the workers and the visitors. The center has thereby kept specific safety standards with regard to relevant Australian security, safety and legal requirements. It established strict security and safety policies and procedures to be followed by each worker during service provision (Only Melbourne, 2014). Being assured of their safety, the workforce at this place is display the reassuring aura to the clients. The center expects each event organizer to share in the responsibility with the exhibitors’ event organizers and contractors. All the people in the center including visitors are specified safety requirements are met. The center is particularly strict with following; -Fire protection -Structural integrity standards and displays -Occupancy numbers -Contractor compliance Structurally, the center was designed in accordance with the internationally accepted environmental standards (Only Melbourne, 2014). As such, the buildings legal security is legally guaranteed. The regulations and the legislations which the center is bound to are outlined in a manual for each employee and visitor to strictly follow. Every worker is given orders to ensure that each contractor, exhibitors and client are aware of the safety requirements. The resultant environment is a safe one with less to fear in terms of security. Conclusion and Recommendation Melbourne center for exhibitions and center is a start of art building that offers up to date standards of services to it clients. For a client or any visitor, the experience in this site is appealing, probably a strategy for attracting and maintain clients. Basing on the policy of the center, employees offer individualized services to the visitors including guiding them on how to use modern equipments in the center. This makes customers immediately feel at home and feel free to take their adventure at the place. The center has also initiated policies that guide everyone’s actions while in the place to ensure safety. This is also a strategy as clients love operating in places they feel safe. However, the operations management team should more to ensure that the building is secure not only from simple local attacks but also terrorist attacks. A world class center which holds big numbers of people like Melbourne can easily be a target by terrorist. Security can be enhanced through fitting the building with modern detective gadgets that can send insecurity signals in good time before the disaster occurs. This shall ensure both security and safety which draw even more customers. References Kamauff, J. (2009). Manager's Guide to Operations Management. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Professional Mahadevan, B. (2010). Operations management: Theory and practice. Upper Saddle River: Pearson. Buckley, P. J., & Chapman, M. (January 01, 1997). A longitudinal study of the management of co-operative strategies. Contracts, Co-Operation, and Competition : Studies in Economics, Management, and Law / Edited by Simon Deakin and Jonathan Michie. Eberlein, X. J., Wilson, N. H. M., & Bernstein, D. 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Cooperative buildings: Integrating information, organization, and architecture : first international workshop, CoBuild '98, Darmstadt, Germany, February 25-26, 1998 : proceedings. Berlin: Springer Melbourne conventions center (2014). Only Melbourne, retrieved from https://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=9651#.U00CZaLEGts Read More