9 minute read
Fundamentals of business
Business analysis and process management systems involve the identification, management and continual improvement of business processes in order to reduce costs, increase revenue, efficiency, quality or customer satisfaction. Michael Donald, co-founder of Halo Business Consulting, explains why some of the most successful hospitality and leisure organizations have made these processes part of their culture.
Businesses that tend to only focus on the low-hanging fruit of challenges may never quite reach their full potential. Unfortunately, those opting for the ostrich solution, burying their proverbial head in the sand, are leaving themselves at serious risk in a competitive and ever-evolving world. Let us assume that you are aiming for the former and want to instill a culture of continuous improvement into your workplace. Firstly, there is no one-sizefits-all for every organization, and even the best workplace cultures can develop into something very different over time. However, the non-negotiable ingredient to a successful culture of process improvement is how you encourage, embrace and act upon internal and external feedback.
Hotels and restaurants have always had some sort of method of asking for feedback. This can vary in effectiveness from a simple: “Is everything OK?” to a detailed professional assessment from an experienced mystery guest. Whatever method you use, make sure that you respond to all feedback and file it so that it can be easily accessed when needed. Identifying and defining a problem sounds easier than it sometimes is, but it is essential to ensure that any improvement project is focused on a specific goal. Call on stakeholders to gain support and gather your feedback to build a business case to ensure that this problem is the right one to tackle now.
There are numerous analysis and improvement techniques to choose from and, again, which ones you choose, how you implement them into your team and which problem you are trying to solve can vary. Here is a list of some of the most common process management tools used today.
Identifying and defining a problem is essential to ensure that any improvement project is focused on a specific goal.
Brainstorming
Most of us have been involved in one of these classic sessions. It is often used in conjunction with one of the following techniques to give structure and purpose, and it is a great way to bring key stakeholders together. The five whys
Anyone with small children may balk at the idea of encouraging this but asking “why?” five times can help you find the root cause of problems. SWOT analysis
A very common tool often used in business plans is SWOT analysis. By highlighting the strengths (internal), weaknesses (internal), opportunities (external) and threats (external), you can improve the process and mitigate risks. Six thinking hats
Emotion can hinder thinking, so the six thinking hats concept allows contributors to take on the roles of conductor, creative, emotion, optimist, critic and logic without having to explain, defend or sugarcoat their thinking. CATWOE
This process identifies keys players (customers, actors, transformation process, world view, owner and environmental) and allows the assessment of the impact of the process change on them. MOST analysis
This is a great tool to map out the aims of a business through its mission, objectives, strategies and tactics. PESTLE analysis
By focusing on external factors, such as political, economic, sociological, technological, legal and environmental, a business can assess how its plans might be affected.
MoSCoW analysis
This technique casts light on must or should, could or would to help prioritize actions. Once you have found ways to improve processes and implement your solutions, it is crucial that you continue to monitor and measure the effectiveness of your actions, thus ensuring that processes don’t revert to a familiar state. While perfection is unattainable due to the ever-shifting goalposts of the hospitality industry, a culture of continuous improvement can help you reach your peak, helping you remain ahead of the competition. gohalo.co.uk
TOOLS IN A LEADER’S FRAMEWORK FOR DECISION MAKING12
History tells the tale of those who lead for all the right reasons and others who chose more dangerous routes. Mark Dickinson of DONE! Hospitality Training Solutions examines how different leadership styles affect decision-making processes and what to keep in mind.
The spectrum of leadership embraces the good, the bad and everything in between. Consequently, it is essential that there’s a framework in place to promote good leadership. Here are five types of leadership that you may encounter. Strategic leadership
This leadership style involves taking decisions that form a direction for the company, strongly influencing its future. Some of the core questions that face leaders include: Why does the organization exist? What is its purpose? What is our goal? How will we know when we succeed? Answering these critical points requires skill, experience and a degree of wisdom combined with vision.
Gut-feel leadership
Practiced most frequently by those with strong survival instincts, gut-feel leadership involves reacting to situations as they unfold. This style of leadership is important when an unexpected or unplanned situation arises. However, once the situation begins to normalize, the need for this type of leadership begins to fade. Gut-led leadership is not generally required in well-organized and structured businesses. Intuitional leaders
These types of leaders are often associated with companies that are just starting out. Being entrepreneurs, intuitional leaders have a flair for “showmanship.” Their fire burns brightly, but it is also hot and can cause damage. The energy required to start is very different from the energy to sustain; thus, intuitional leaders are often trapped in chasing the buzz — the new and exciting — which tends to lead to an ego and loss of compassion and empathy.
Egoistical leadership
These types of leaders make everything about them. They tend to achieve this by being charming at the start, but often an air of authoritarianism kicks in. This leadership style is great in the short term, but it is destructive in the longer term. Decisions often reflect the leader’s past experiences, so if you know what they have accomplished before, you can be fairly accurate in predicting what you will get in the future. Inspirational leadership
Inspiring leaders love to listen to everyone. More often than not, these leaders encourage you to make the decision and to take risks, and then review the results and learn from the experience. Inspirational leaders get everyone else to take responsibility, yet master the art of remaining accountable, allowing a true spirit of selfvalue to emerge. Twelve tools in the master framework
1. Will this improve our customer experience? 2. Is it a real problem? 3. Who can solve this better than me? 4. Do I need to answer this question myself, or can another person answer it? 5. Is it a system or process that is missing or at fault? 6. Is it an issue of skill/lack of skill? 7. Do I have all the information I need? 8. Do I need to answer now? 9. Will this contribute to the growth/success of the company? 10. Will this create a no-ROI expense? 11. Would someone from outside our business take such a decision with the facts presented? 12. Can I justify this decision in court? done.fyi
MORE THAN JUST AN AMENITY
From sustainability to luxury, we reveal the in-room and bathroom amenities guests can't seem to get enough of by chatting with three experts in the field.
FRANZISKA PURKERT
Corporate director pre-opening support and housekeeping, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation In 2022, amenities will continue to focus on smart technology and sustainable in-room solutions, with less plastic, less paper and less waste. That means for us and our hotels: moving away from singleuse amenities and implementing more eco-friendly options. This also involves introducing products that are made locally or in the region. Nowadays, we can find high-quality refillable bathroom amenity solutions which are a great start to being more sustainable.
Plastic free
Moving away from plastic is equally important; thus, replacing plastic water bottles with glass water bottles, even in guest rooms, is a great initiative. With the pandemic, hoteliers reviewed what is necessary in the guest room and what is not, and how to provide items but with more added convenience.
Tech additions
Digitalization will remain a trend; for example, by introducing QR codes for on-demand ordering or replacing printed collateral and also offering apps to work out in the comfort of your room, or to follow a workout in the gym, as well as relaxation apps to help you unwind and sleep better. These are great tools that hotels make available to guests as part of their amenity program. Going natural
Natural materials will also become more important in the future, such as when considering the filling of pillows or mattresses.
SARAH AKKARI
CEO, Senteurs d’Orient New demand
Even though we are more of a wholesale and direct consumer business through our e-commerce website, we’ve been answering growing demand from hotels and spas, especially for our hand wash and hand cream, as well as also our oil and bath salts. In Lebanon, our products are available in Al Bustan Spa, Beit Trad, Beit Douma and the Albergo Hotel. All local
These hand washes and creams are very attractive to display because they tell a story about the orient, and most of our Lebanese clients have been looking to source locally and work with natural Lebanese brands. Our products are also available in some spas in the U.S., including one in Texas and one in Maryland, where we have partnered with a medical spa. We are also available at Sloane deli cafe and restaurant in London.
Refillables and more
What we’ve seen in terms of trend in 2021, and we believe will continue throughout 2022 and beyond, is refillables. We have been providing bulk formula for the hand wash for instance (one to five kilos) to many hospitality businesses that we work with. This allows them to refill their bottles as needed. Increasingly, hotels are willing to offer bath salts, and what is good about our salts is that they come in individual pouches, which allows guests to use as many as they need, whether in their baths or in their closets.
ROSEMARY ROMANOS
CEO and founder, SALMA Client base
SALMA, a Lebanese homegrown and natural beauty, cosmetic and personal care brand, supplies amenities to more than 80 hotels and guesthouses across Lebanon and abroad.
Consumer behavior
Over the past two years, there has been increased interest in finding local brands that can supply hotels with amenities and toiletries. This is due to many factors, including the fact that the pandemic encouraged local ecotourism, and people wanted to support local production.These factors have definitely shifted the buying habits of the hospitality industry. Sustainability
Some of the trends that we have recently witnessed include a desire to become more sustainable, greener and more eco-friendly by placing bigger dispensers inside the guestrooms. This is coming from a wish to reduce the amount of plastic and waste that has to be disposed of while maintaining a superior and high-quality service. Finally, we have also noticed a desire across the hospitality industry to provide clean beauty and natural products to their guests by using paraben-free, phthalate-free, vegan and cruelty-free products. This is why our products have been in demand recently.
