Abstract
The process improvement plan is compared to time management since it involves setting up a program in which one has to set better standards of working or living. Time management in workplaces requires skills and a properly formulated plan to accomplish major tasks or objectives. Time management requires various activities to accomplish the required objectives and projects (Fiore, 2006). These types of activities are planning, delegation, monitoring, scheduling, organizing, and prioritizing. This paper will focus on various ways which are supposed to be used by employees to manage their time properly during lunch hours. If these suggestions are used employees will be able to avail themselves at the workplace on time. Time management does not only involve work or business programs, but it also involves personal activities. Time management engages in the combination of various designs which include techniques, processes, and techniques (Fiore, 2006).
Statistical Process control
Many businesses, for example, banks mainly deal with many customers’ daily routines. These types of organizations offer effective customer services by identifying their requirements and needs which is done through re-designing products or services that suit the customers. These types of organizations require employees to work extra hard or even in shifts to make sure that customers are served effectively and continuously (Secunda, 2009). However, the time taken during lunch hours by the employees is too much and it sometimes becomes a hindrance to the customers’ services thus threatening the financial sector. Much time is consumed due to issues such as transport and the location of the organization. Much time is wasted during lunch hours, therefore, jeopardizing the customers’ service, because the management cannot force workers to forfeit lunch to attend to the customers (Secunda, 2009). The distance covered by the employees has now affected them because they normally feel tired, hence being unable to perform their duties effectively. The table below shows a representation of the time consumed by employees during lunch hours on different days of the week. The table indicates that employees consume more time when they go to eat outside the town.
If a proper method is implemented, it will ensure that workers do not spend too much time outside the organization. The organization should come up with a system where workers will be served food inside the organization rather than going to the hotels which are very far from the organization.
The pie chart below shows that 86% of the time allocated to employees will be consumed in the workplace compared to 14% used outside, during lunch hours. This mode of time management can only be achieved if only the catering process is brought closer to the organization.
With such modalities in place, the organizations’ performance will greatly improve and customer satisfaction will be achieved.
The flow chart on page 7 shows some of the problems encountered by employees during lunch hours. The flow chart also highlights some of the solutions which have been implemented by the organization so that the employees can save time for the betterment of the organization. The staff has been offered several options which will help them save time and energy and these options include lunch being prepared by an organizations’ department or a firm outside the organization and offering outside catering (Lon, 2005). Furthermore, the employees have the right to carry their lunch. The introduction of these measures is cost-effective and has enabled the organization to satisfy its customers. The flow chart clearly shows how different systems can be implemented to solve the many problems encountered by employees.
Challenges Encountered by the Organization
Even though the changes are important to all the parties i.e. both the organization and the employees, the organization still suffers some challenges. Many of the solutions which need to be implemented require additional resources. For example, the creation of a catering department would require additional staff, space, and other catering materials. The other challenge is the resistance of the employees. The change of location and process of taking lunch is highly resisted by the employees. Some of the employees consider these changes as an intrusion into their privacy and that their opinions were not considered before implementing the changes (Lon, 2005). The employees also resist this mode of arrangement since their allowances are not being reviewed. The other challenges mainly came up due to the requirements of the head office, since the organization is only a subsidiary branch. The head office requires any decisions made by the subsidiary branches to be tabled in the head office so that they can either be approved or rejected.
Effects of seasonal factors and confidence interval
The data collected in one of the weeks of the survey is as shown in the table below.
As seen in the table, Tuesday is most affected since employees use 2hrs, 30 minutes outside the organization; hence the organization ends up losing important customers because they are not attended to appropriately during these hours. It is seen that, if the employees could have taken their lunch in an outside caterer much time could have been saved (Morgenstern, 2004). The performance of the organization is also affected because of the effects of time consumed by employees during their lunch. time
The confidence level of this sample is 0.6 which is 60%. This conclusion has been proved through the use of the different data collected.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the processes discussed earlier should be implemented to minimize the time consumed by the employees during their lunchtime. These recommendations if implemented will ensure that the customers are assisted consistently without delays (Morgenstern, 2004). The challenges are there but they can be conquered if only there is proper planning and understanding. The organization should also consider reviewing the salaries of the employees so that they can embrace the new changes.
References
Fiore, B (2006). The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt- Free Play. New York: Penguin Group.
Lon, R (2005). SPC for Right-Brain Thinkers: Process Control for Non-Statisticians. London: Quality Press.
Morgenstern, J (2004). Time Management from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule–and Your Life (2nd Ed.). New York: Henry Holt/Owl Books.
Secunda, L (2009). The 15 second principle: short and simple steps to achieving long- term goals. New York. New York: Berkley Books.