Important Aspects of Controlling Function
Controlling is an important process in the function of management. In order to be successful an organization should have its controls in place. The controlling may relate to any activity carried out within the organization. Controlling succeeds the other functions of planning, organizing, staffing and directing.
Therefore controlling can be defined as the regulation of activities in accordance with the planning done earlier. Irrespective of the activity to which it is applied, controlling function involves establishment of standards, measuring the performance against the standards fixed, comparing the actual performance with the standards fixed and correcting the deviations from standards. The important aspect of controlling function therefore is the measuring the performance against standards and correcting the deviations (Nursing Management).
Steps taken by Nardelli in Renovating Home Depot Inc
First step taken by Nardelli was to expand its at-home service program. Besides improving customer service programs, Nardelli also initiated the pro-initiative and Service Performance Initiative (SPI). The objective of SPI was to increase the stocks at night so that there could be more interaction of the associates with the customers during peak business hours. These initiatives were supplemented by the opening of more new retail outlets at a faster pace.
Nardelli also planned for the expansion of the stores through adjacencies or ancillary formats like Expo Design Centers and new markets. This was evident from the entry of the company into Mexico through acquisition of another company Total Home. This provided an extended market opportunity for the company. Centralized buying structure by adjusting the merchandising team suitably was the highlight of the steps taken by Nardelli to renovate Home Depot. The outlook of the company was changed to focus on products that would differentiate the store from others in terms of price, quality, fulfillment, innovation and terms and conditions. Working in partnership with the vendors was another step taken by Nardelli in this direction (Howell, 2001)
Application of Nardelli’s Approach in the Healthcare Setting
The healthcare industry is large and increasingly competitive. Patients have started paying more attention to the customer service in healthcare settings. If there is negative customer service experience, the patients do not hesitate to change the physician or hospital within no time. This has put tremendous pressure on the healthcare organizations to work on the avenues to improve the quality of the healthcare delivery to patients (CRMforeast.com). The idea of Nardelli to focus on the customer service can very well fit into any healthcare setting where the patient service delivery is of primary importance.
The adjustments made by Nardelli took into account the customer service on priority and this approach could easily make any healthcare organization function successfully through a committed service delivery. Another aspect of the steps taken by Nardelli is the reorganization of the buying department making it a centralized one. This step when taken in a healthcare setting with different hospitals or units would bring significant cost advantages to the healthcare organization due to scale economies. When the buying is centralized, due to buying undertaken in volume, the healthcare organization can negotiate better prices and terms for its supplies.
Working in close coordination with the suppliers would increase the performance and efficiency of the healthcare organizations. Finding new areas and expanding to new locations through acquisitions or otherwise is another strategy that would extend the service to more number of patients in different geographical locations. New service delivery designs are always welcome by the patients and the new designs and formats are sure to improve the quality level in the performance by the healthcare organizations.
Bibliography
CRMforeast.com. (n.d.). Healthcare Industry CRM Software Solutions. Web.
Howell, D. (2001). Home Depot’s Nardelli unveils blueprint for the future – president and CEO Robert Nardelli – Brief Article. Web.
NursingManagement. (n.d.). Functions of Administration. Web.