Introduction
This audit report was prepared for AT&T Inc. The company is operating in the telecommunication industry. It has been operational for several decades now providing Americans and other countries with the best services in the telecommunication industry. At the present moment, AT&T is the biggest provider of fixed telephony services in the U.S.
The company is also involved in the supply of broadband and subscription television services in the United States. Due to the success that the company has enjoyed over the years, it has managed to be among the largest companies in the region in terms of size and revenue. In 2010, it was rated as the seventh largest company in the United States; fourth among non-oil companies in the country (AT&T, 2011).
AT&T has provided its customers with high quality mobile phones, next generation television and data solutions for multi-national corporations within the United States and its environs. The company is internationally acknowledged for the provision of IP based communication services to business especially in the United States.
In addition, the company has been credited as the firm that provides the fastest mobile broadband services in the United States; it has an international coverage. It also has the largest Wi-Fi network and hotspots in the U.S. Other than that, the company is also expanding its services to provide entertainment services through television (AT&T, 2011).
To achieve all these, the company has employed a number of policies, measures and guidelines. It has a strong leadership, strict policy with clearly set goals and objectives and purposes. At the same time, the company has competent staff on diverse fields and necessary tools and equipments to sustain its operations.
This audit report shows the status of the various aspects of the company concerning their strengths and opportunities that they have for improvement. To achieve this, eight areas of the organization were scrutinized. They included policy, leadership, objectives, inputs, performance, technology, work procedures and staff. All these areas will be discussed in this report.
General Statement of the Results
After a thorough examination of the eight areas of the company, it is true to conclude that they all support the operations of the company. This is due to their viability that is as per the expected standards.
However, for the success rate of the company to increase, it has to improve on some of its operations and procedures. Otherwise, the results of this audit report reflect a true and fair view of the organization. For more clarity, each area that was examined is discussed below.
Policy
AT&T has a strict policy that has to be followed and applied by all its employees. This policy ensures that all the activities and operations that are conducted by the organization are in line with the goals and purposes that have been set by the organization. With the strict rules and guidelines that the company has in place, it has been able to achieve most of its targets that have made making it to be sustainable in the market.
Yes, the company has a clearly stated productivity mission statement that is known by all the employees. This mission is clearly executed and is given the top priority in all the operations that the organization is involved in. The mission of the organization is “To connect people with their world, everywhere they live and work, and do it better than anyone else (AT&T, 2011).”
As a result, managers are required to submit a productivity plan that is in line with the overall organizations productivity plan. This ensures that all the branches of the organization are working together to achieve a common goal. These productivity plans are evaluated twice a year. To ensure that the operations of the firm are effective and efficient, employees of all levels are involved in decision-making.
This includes the middle and lower level staff of the organization. In addition, all the departments ensure that there is an improvement in their productivity. To ensure that all the duties and responsibilities are taken seriously, all the employees are held accountable for the productivity efforts that have been delegated to them.
In general, the policy that is in place at AT&T is strong and solid. It covers all the aspects of operations that the organization may be involved in. This policy can therefore be viewed as one of the factors that have contributed to the success of the company over the years.
The company should thus maintain its strict policy and amend some of the sections to ensure that is keeps up with the changes that may occur within the organization or the telecommunication industry.
Leadership
The leaders at AT&T support and encourage teamwork efforts. They also require a balanced effort from all the work units of the organization. They operate and encourage improvements on their operations based on innovations that arise mostly from their employees.
To ensure that their staff comes up with the best ideas, the leaders focus more on competition in the productivity ideas that originate from them rather than from in individual personality. They also utilize information that has been gathered from productivity audits.
This helps them to focus more on their strengths and improve on their weaknesses, making them a better company in the long run. At AT&T, leaders support research and development. The leaders also require that an annual report be presented to them.
Having a proper leadership model in place is essential for the success of any organization. AT&T is well aware of this fact. It has competent leaders who posses desired leadership qualities and skills.
The leaders of AT&T encourage teamwork, competition among employees, innovations, research and development, evaluation and analysis of operations. Through research and development, the company is able to come up with new ideas and innovations that are capable of meeting the needs and demands of their customers in the United States and all aroid the world.
Objective
At AT&T, all the managers have specific productivity objectives that have to be achieved within a given time period. These objectives are in line with the overall goals and purposes of the organization. However, not all the employees are aware of these productivity objectives. This has derailed the firm from achieving its objectives and targets in some instances.
Despite this, the objectives that have been set by the organization are very challenging to the employees. They are however attainable as long as all the employees perform their specific roles and objectives to achieve the desired output. At AT&T, the productivity cause of action is monitored. The company has in place powerful tools and mechanisms that can measure progress of productivity.
As a result, the organization is capable of solving the problems that occur in the course of achieving its objectives. In the process, the company is able to correct its weaknesses and prevent their further occurrence. Furthermore, a reporting system has been put in place that determines the variance in the operations of the organization in terms of attaining the objectives that have been set by the organization.
AT&T has clearly defined productivity objectives that are familiar to most of the employees with the exception of only a few of them. While formulating these objectives, the managers of the different departments have ensured that they are corresponding with the main goals and purposes of the organization.
This ensures that as the departmental productivity goals are attained, the overall goals and objectives of the organization are also achieved. This therefore ensures that both the departmental and organizational developments are realized at the same time. This is what has made AT&T a successful company over the years.
Inputs
All the resources that are required for the process of production are included in the budgets of the cost centers. These inputs include capital, labor, machinery, equipments, and raw materials. Despite the availability of labor, not all the employees allocate100% of their time to the production process. This has been a heavy blow in production due to its slow pace.
The organization has an information system that successfully monitors the employee and resource utilization to ensure that labor and other resources are utilized efficiently. This aims at minimizing costs and reducing wastage and ensuring that a maximum level of output is achieved from the limited resources that are available.
To maximize on production, the organization has always ensured that all the resources are available in good time. This ensures that all the schedules and fixtures are met. The company also ensures that the quality of input is in line with the expected quality of output.
Each work or production has a fixed budget that it has to stick with. This ensures that the costs of the organization are controlled to avoid unnecessary expenditure. Before production begins, job specifications are clearly laid down and explained. This ensures that all the goods and services are produces as per the quality and standards of the organization.
All the inputs at AT&T are carefully selected and planned. The company has a diverse labor force comprised of dedicated individuals who have the necessary skills and knowledge that is required for the process of production.
At the same time, the company has all the necessary raw materials, machinery and equipments that are required for production. These materials are provided in good time and are processed according to specific procedures and guidelines to produce a desired output that will satisfy the needs of all their customers.
Performance
AT&T has a workforce that is diverse in terms of ethnic background, qualifications and skills. The workforce at this organization is highly skilled and trained to perform specific duties depending on the position that a specific employee holds and the roles and duties that he/she is expected to perform. The standards of employees at the firm are specific, measurable and realistic.
The organization has an information system that monitors the performance of all the employees. This ensures that all the staff at the organization work according to the rules and guidelines of the organization and perform their duties and responsibilities as per the expected standards.
However, each employee is not expected to control the resources that are required to meet an expected level of output, as it is the duty of team leaders and managers of specific branches of the organization. For each unit that is produced, the teamwork effort that was put in place can be measured and credited to all the individuals that were involved in the process of production.
The firm does not measure the productivity via resource utilization levels. The results that are obtained from the performance of key productivity are good indicators of each unit of work that is produced at the organization.
For all the time that AT&T has been in operation, it has offered numerous opportunities for its diverse staff a conducive working environment. It has a diverse work force with different qualifications and backgrounds and has given them the chance to develop their careers within the organization.
Through its organization culture, these employees are able to achieve their individual and organizational goals and objectives at the same time. In addition, the organization recognizes the effort that its employees have put in the production process and therefore appreciate their efforts through performance-based rewards. This rewards teams and individual efforts, a move that motivates the employees to work even harder.
Technology
All the costs that have accrued because of expenditure on new technology have been justified by the productivity improvement data. The schedule of using the machines has been organized in such a way as to reflect maximum productivity of the firm. In addition, each department is responsible for its work unit and machine utilization.
This means that each unit ensures that its production is efficient with regards to the utilization of the available machineries, equipments and that it has. To be sustainable, the company has in mind both the long term and short term considerations of the organization.
To ensure that the operations of the company are consistent, short-term considerations do not compromise the long-term goals and purposes of the organization. In fact, the short-term considerations act as the means through which the organization can achieve its long-term goals and objectives. AT&T has up to date technology that is available in the market given despite their budgetary constraints.
Although having the latest technology is costly, it ensures that production costs are minimized through the reduction of operating costs in the long run. Technology also maximizes the production process that every employee at the organization is involved in.
It makes operations to be conducted with ease and perfection. At the same time, employees need not to use much time and energy in the process of production. As a result, the rate of production is increased and the organization is able to meet the needs and demands of its customers without any delays.
AT&T has been operational for several decades now. In the course of its operations, it has faced a number of challenges in terms of production and meeting the consumer requirements. As so, the organization realized that it is only through embracing technology and coming up with sophisticated innovations that will meet the ever-changing needs of the consumers.
In this respect therefore, AT&T has budget allocated for technological needs and advancement. Technology is essential in almost all the operations that AT&T conducts. It has ensured that all the processes and applications are conducted effectively and efficiently to meet all their requirements.
Work Procedures
AT&T has high quality products and services. This has made the company to attract many customers within the United States and neighboring countries. To meet this increased demand, the company had to boost its level of production. However, to ensure consumer retention and loyalty, the companies has a strict policy that ensures that the quality of their products and services is maintained as production increases.
Security and safety procedures also have a positive effect in the production. This ensures that both the employees and the assets of the company are safe from any danger. To ensure that production is maintained at a high rate, operations that consume a lot of time are eliminated.
Quality checks for automated procedures are also checked to ensure that the quality of production is maintained as per the expected standards of the company. On the other hand, employees do not have the power to change procedures that have negative effects on the production process.
The method analysis is done every year and the relationship between machinery and manpower aims at maximizing the production activities of the organization.
AT&T has been operational for many years and in the course of its operations, it has realized the importance of having consistency in the quality and quantity of the goods and services that it is producing.
At the same time, the company has to expand its production processes to meet the high market demand of its customers. To achieve this, it has implemented a mix of activities and procedures that ensure maximum production and quality of the goods produced is maintained.
Staff
AT&T Inc. is well aware of the need of having a strong team behind its operations. As a result, the organization has hired a diverse staff in terms of skills and ethnic backgrounds that have the productivity and awareness skills that are required to enhance the productivity of the organization (AT&T, 2011).
Employees of all levels, from the management to the lower levels are conscious about the productivity of the organization and work tirelessly to ensure that this is achieved. As a result, all the employees strive to be up to date with the knowledge, skills and technology that is required in their specific expertise. This ensures that they are highly skilled and up to date hence their work is of a high quality.
The company appreciates the hard work that every employee contributes to the organization. It recognizes both the individual and team efforts of the employees and as a motivator, the company rewards both individual and team efforts through performance based rewards. The communication system that has been put in place supports the productivity process of the firm.
It ensures that information easily flows from one point the other without being distorted. Therefore, all the employees work according to the exact instructions and guidelines that have been set by the company. The communication system also ensures that the cooperation among workers is maximized by ensuring that all the employees understand each other.
Despite all this, the company does not have backup staff that will fill the gaps in case of a high staff turnover. This implies that if such a crisis occurs, the available employees will have to multi task and this may reduce the productivity of the firm. Finally, the supervisors and managers have been trained to ensure that the ensure that the employees have the required knowledge and skills that is required to boost productivity.
Recommendations
Most of the areas that were examined showed that the operations at AT&T work to maximize the productivity of the organization. The company would not stop at nothing to achieve it targets, goals and objectives. Despite this, there are some recommendations that I would suggest for the company that if well utilized, will increase the productivity and sustainability of the company.
First, the company needs to create more partnerships with other companies in the same industry and in other industries as well. The organization also needs to involve its employees and other stakeholders in all its operations, especially decision making. Doing this will ensure that the productivity of the company is increased hence it will be sustainable in the short run and in the long run.
Value Facet Analysis
The main recommendation that I made on this report is the development of partnership between AT&T and other companies. This will lead to the organization development of the firm. From this relationship, the company will be able to interact and learn from other organizations. This will make it to be successful both in the short run and in the long run.
While the organization will be experiencing organization development, it will also be experiencing the development in its organization culture. Employees will be more focused on achieving the goals and objectives by working together as a team.
Through partnerships, the organization will see how other organizations respect the values of their employees and adopt similar practices that will ensure that the firm recognizes and respects the values of its employees. As such, a mechanism will be developed to ensure the values of the employees and that of the organization are on the same course so that both benefit in the short run and in the long run.
The suppliers, customers and other third parties are among some of the stakeholders that the company should collaborate with. To ensure that the organization benefits from the relationship that it has with its partners, it has to ensure that the values of these stakeholders are recognized and respected. From the partnership, the company will stand a better chance of understanding the values of its competitors.
It will be able to know their operations, strategies and activities. With this knowledge, the company will be able to come up with strategies and procedures that will ensure that is outcompetes its rivals and gain a large market share in the industry. This recommendation does not however consider the value of the owner. Due to the above considerations, the company should put this recommendation in practice.
Conclusion
AT&T has been one of the most successful companies in the telecommunication industry. It provides a number of products and services to individuals and business entities that are based in the United States and its environs. The company has been sustainable because of its strong leadership and management models that ensure that productivity is maximized and the costs are minimized.
This audit examined various areas of the companies and concluded that most of them were working as per the expected standards. For it to continue to be sustainable in the long run, it has to make some amendments in its operations such as the formation of partnerships with other companies. This will boost its production.