Porcinis Pronto Service Operations Management - Assignment Example

Porcini’s Pronto Service Operations Management Executive Summary The Porcini’s Pronto organization has adopted various aspectsof the expansion strategy and the associated challenges. The expansion concept presents a major problem, because the resource level of the organization and brand effectiveness can only effectively ensure domestic development, instead of the international expansions that are being spearheaded by the more effective multinational corporations (Heskett, & Luecke, 2011). The key operations strategy adopted by Porcinis Pronto entails initiating service and products to the interstate highway travelers. This will be implemented through the limited menu that values the products and services at moderate or appropriate prices. The company has limited resources and also capabilities that are needed in establishing an effective and efficient brand presence. Hence, it is very challenging to initiate the brand power strategy, and also enhance the market growth and development. There is a dilemma in making a decision on which brand approach will be effective in both the domestic market and the international market. The brand to be decided on depends on ownership category that is either syndication or alternatively franchising. The main aim of the most appropriate ownership model is to propel the effectiveness of the organizational brand. Appropriately integrating the interests of organizational stakeholders is a challenging experience for the management of the organization. In the new business venture, the company must strive to maintain its core value of excellent food, and hence the quality of the services and the food products must be above board. The high standards of the organization is illustrated through the performance determining factors like, adequate pricing, high service, quality food products, appropriate branding, and suitable business venues. The campaign initiative aims at ensuring the business performance achieves a minimum of 6% of the hurdle rate of the company. This performance can be achieved through majorly concentrating on quality improvement approaches (Heskett & Luecke, 2011). Background Several approaches are adopted to ensure the effectiveness of the Porcini’s Pronto brand, and also improve the operations of the company through approaches like expansion. The food service business was initiated in 2010. The outlets of the company are placed strategically along the interstate highway. The outlet locations are very suitable for attracting the travelling customers who desire high standards of food products and also food service. The locations are also suitable due to minimal competition. The major competitors Sbarro and also Olive Garden are located away from the highway venues. The strategic location ensures adequate identification or recognition of the Porcini rand. There are several steps that the management has adopted to improve competitiveness. Firstly, the staffs of the organization are encouraged to embrace the quality culture. Thus they all aim at providing services or product of very high quality. The organization has also implemented effective staff motivation approaches. These include competitive remuneration above market rates, and adequate career development opportunities (Brox, 2010). Secondly, Chef Molise was given the key responsibility of formulating a menu, which is relatively affordable and illustrates high quality food and services. The target of the fast paced travelers is appropriate, because many individuals stopover and also utilize the surrounding inns. The operational strategy of the organization is based on; recruiting the right and competent people, enquiring about customer experience, and adopting technology to improve service quality and speed. The technology is applied in processing of the bill payments. Kurt Jensen, the vice president of the company explains that the payment technology ensures financial efficiency. This is because a lot of time is lost when processing the bill of the customers through the credit cards. Thus, the most suitable technology entails swapping the credit card of the clients over the dining table. The company also has technology that illustrates the experiences of the customers, in terms of food quality and also services. Despite the adopted procedures of ensuring competitiveness, problems and challenges occur. The questionnaires are not adequate in illustrating the experiences of the customers, more so in the area of service speed (Seth, Deshmukh, & Vrat, 2004). The adopted technology is also undergoing monitoring and evaluation to determine effectiveness. Problem Statement A lot of businesses desire reaching the optimum level of operations expansion in the domestic market. This is also the strategy the Porcini’s Pronto has adopted, to effectively serve customers in the domestic market first, and later on adopt strategies that will enhance its expansion in the international market. However, appropriate domestic expansion must ensure high quality levels and also effective branding. The two concepts are very appropriate for realizing competitive advantage for Porcini’s Pronto in the domestic market. Within the domestic market, the company is adequately known for the excellent food products quality, and the high levels of customer service (Jones, Mason & Benefield, n.d.). Product and service quality must be ensured always, to ensure adequate customer satisfaction. This is the main reason why the reputation of the organization is still positive among the customers and also other organizational stakeholders like employees and financiers. Analysis In the operational processes, the employment approach has the significant ability of achieving the goals of Porcini’s Pronto. The management put a lot of effort in acquiring competent staffs. The company also has appropriate career development approaches that enhance the knowledge and skills of the staffs; for example, continuous training. Adequate measures are formulated, to motivate the staffs; for example, offering competitive remunerations. The employees are very significant in offering high quality products and services. This is because they interact directly with customers, and hence better understand customer needs and satisfaction levels. High sales levels show high customer volumes and thus high satisfaction levels. Thus, the company requires more than a questionnaire, in ensuring high service and fast quality (Ian, 2013). The National Food Service Management Institute (2002) explains various categories of the food systems; for instance, combination system, conventional approach, assembly served system, ready prepared system, and also the centralized approach. Each restaurant adopts a system that is most appropriate for its operations and customer needs. Parcini’s Pronto provides, fast, affordable and high quality food service and products. Thus the organization should adopt the conventional approach needed for the fast and high level of customer service. However, the system raises the food preparation costs. The centralized system, on the other hand, ensures lower costs in the areas of; food purchases, supply expenses, and cheaper labor. However, the centralized system can potentially lower the operation quality. Thus the company should integrate the two systems, so as to realize synergy that ensures effective product and service delivery (Seth, Deshmukh, & Vrat, 2004). Pronto should also diversify technological applications in the service operations. Technology is very effective in enhancing the quality of service and products. The applications include; resource planning, data interchanges, and the points of sale. The technology enables standardization of the work schedules and also inventory management to ensure proper foods supply and appropriate remuneration for staffs. The company is also analyzed in terms of SWOT analysis. The strength of the company lies in its employees who are very effective in providing high quality services and products. This is due to continuous training that improves skills and knowledge. The weaknesses of the organization involve limited resources. This is the reason why the company has not entered the international market. The opportunities available involve the underexploited highway restaurant market. This presents an appropriate avenue for market expansion by Porcini’s Pronto. The threat faced by the company involves increasing competition in the restaurant food and service market. The competitors include Olive Garden that is also aggressively expanding share in domestic market. The entire service operations activities are based on the desire for high quality products and services. Thus, quality is a key priority in branding. Quality and branding aspects of service operations are effectively linked together, to enable the organization achieve or realize the big picture. The big picture is effectively expanding in the domestic market, in preparation for future entry into the international market. Conclusion and Recommendation The company is putting all its efforts into effectively serving the domestic market. The paper illustrates that the brand of the business is identified and represented through high levels of service and food quality. The Pronto business concept ensures adequate observance of the reputation through enhancing the delivery speed of services and products. This is because the targeted market of highway or interstate travelers is generally fast paced. The expansion of Porcini entails involves embracing the fast food approach. But its roots is the household owned restaurant, hence quality of product or service is inalienable. The family owned restaurants are generally more quality dependent, than the fast food establishments. Porcini already has an established reputation, thus it has to just concentrate on the delivery speed in the new expansion project. Majority of the strategies illustrated are trial based. The Pronto is an approach of analyzing the business expansion strategies. But continuous experimentation has the ability of preventing original lessons, which can enhance implementation. Thus, it is important to decide a suitable system for enhancing and evaluating the quality standards. The staffs must pursue additional training, to enhance adequate understanding of the presently adopting quality enhancement system. References Brox, D. (2010). Fast food fast. Journalistic Inc. Retrieved from http://www.qsrmagazine.com/ordering/fast-food-fast. Centralized Foodservice Systems. Retrieved from http://nfsmi.org/documentlibraryfiles/PDF/20080212032530.pdf. Heskett, J. L. & Luecke, R. (2011). Porcini’s Pronto: Great Italian cuisine without the wait. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Publishing. Ian, Khan. (2013). Food Service Effectiveness. NY: SAGE Publications. Jones, S., Mason, K., & Benefield, M. (n.d.). Customer perceived service quality in the fast food industry. Retrieved from https://www.atu.edu/research/FacultyResearchGrants/10- 11/Jones_-_Final_Report_- _Customer_Perceived_Service_Quality_in_the_Fast_Food_Industry.pdf. National Food Service Management Institute. (2002). Food service system. A Guide to Seth, N., Deshmukh, S. G., & Vrat, P. (2004). Service quality: A review. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 22(9), 913-946. Read More