The State University Experience

What breakdowns in service processes has this student experienced?

This student experienced a near complete failure in the service processes with the State
University. The campus tour, conducted by a university guide, was poorly executed, leaving the
student and parents with unanswered questions. The admissions application process was faulted
by the University admissions department, resulting in lost transcripts and enrollment files. The
student was then inadvertently enrolled into a lesser, two-year program with no majors
emphasized. Once again the student’s enrollment in the two-year program was faulted at the
application process.

What types of process management activities should State University administrators

undertake?

The State University administrators should develop a program or department that

oversees complete student enrollment. The program could include a number of functions;
specific enrollment counseling, campus orientations, registration and new student liaisons. The
intent of the program is to ensure the new students will have a flawless entry to the University
and a smooth transition into college life. The program can include organized orientation tours
that emphasize specific campus areas and topics important to new students. By implementing
W. Edward Deming’s continuous improvement [CITATION Eva16 \p 225 \l 1033 ], the University
should evaluate and be prepared to make adjustments to continue offering a quality enrollment
process. Surveys of service form the new students, parents and counselors, provides the needed
inputs to make program improvements. These improvements, implemented by department
managers, should be rational improvements, not just reaction to problems. The University
administrators should have a focus to make this entry process as smooth as possible. Additional
attention to quality can form early trusting relationship with new students and parents, lasting for
the entire college experience.

Think about where you work, or a firm with which you do business. What product or
service quality problems do customers experience? What process or processes do you
think may be contributing to those process problems? Assume you are a newly assigned
department manager overseeing the process or processes, what steps would you take to
better understand and address the issues ----- do not tell me how you would fix the
problems. Instead, tell me how you would go about understanding and the issues and the
potential solutions.

The organization I work for, is constantly questioned by citizen in terms of quality

customer service. Typical questions are about accuracy of utility billing and the level of
customer service. Public works deals with a number of service quality problems from potholes,
lack of sanitation services, and water distribution service. I feel that information regarding these
services, is not accurate or properly disseminated to customers and residents. Residential
questions about services are not group or studied to identify if there is a reoccurring issue that
should be addressed. It is difficult to make a process improvement without data. Deming’s ideas
about the “incremental changes” is sometimes lost by knee-jerk reactions to resolve current
processes inadequacies.

As a newly assigned department manager overseeing the process or processes, I would

survey department heads to identify the processes, review work orders and become involved in
the onset of service issues. This information gathering will allow me to begin to identify areas
that are working well and what areas may need to be adjusted. I would also involve myself in the
operations to gather first hand point of view, in an attempt to understand those field processes. I
would also visit with the customers to identify their concerns and what they feel the resolves
should be. I would then meet with the department heads and discuss the information gather and
include them on the planning process to improve the services. One idea behind the meeting is to
motivate the department heads through involvement in the planning and execution of the plan.
Assessing the plan and reevaluating is part of the learning cycle[CITATION Eva16 \p 227 \l 1033 ].
Service processes may not always resolve every customers concerns, however the processes
must be fair and equal for a majority of situations. Assessment and adaption are a vital part of
achieving higher quality service.

References

Evans, J. R., & Lindsay, W. M. (2016). BBA 495 Managing for Organizational Quality Excellence. Boston:
Cengage Learning.