Types of Planning
Organizations and corporations should embrace the power of planning before initiating a given project. Several planning processes were embraced by British Airways before the launch of London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 (T5). The first one identified in the case study is strategic planning. The company had observed that the future would be characterized by millions of passengers passing through the airport. It was the right time to come up with a strategic plan and ensure every future goal was realized. The strategic planning processes must have attracted different stakeholders, engineers, and experts in order to come up with a state-of-the-art facility that could improve the operations at the airport.
The second one is tactical planning. The case study indicates clearly that the functionality of the systems implemented in the facility was tested six months before it was unveiled. The pioneers considered some of the best strategies in order to ensure every function in the facility was automated. Different departments in the airport would find it easier to promote performance. The company used the concept of tactical planning to outline the best actions that could minimize the time taken by many passengers at the airport.
Operational planning is also evident in the presented case study. This kind of planning at the corporation focused on the major processes and procedures that were needed to maximize performance. The company had planned how different workers would be training and guided to support the new functions. The skills of the targeted attendants had been trained in order to support the systems’ efficiency. It is therefore agreeable that these planning practices supported the success and delivery of the final project. Although the operations and systems at T5 might have stalled on the first day, the agreeable fact is that the process was successful and eventually transformed the experiences of many passengers at the terminal.
Environmental Factors
The structure implemented in a given organization is usually dictated or influenced by a number of factors. Environmental factors play a critical role in defining a company’s leadership structure. For instance, the behaviors and needs of the targeted customers will force companies to transform their leadership strategies. The cultural attributes associated with a region will definitely inform organizational arrangement. For instance, the organizational structure exhibited in western nations will differ from the one associated with Chinese corporations. The culture exhibited in a firm will also reshape or dictate its managerial strategy.
Terminal 5 requires a powerful organizational structure that can result in improved performance. A divisional structure will be needed in this organization. This kind of approach will ensure different employees and teams are guided and empowered to complete various tasks. The managerial framework will ensure the employees are allowed to complete different activities based on their competencies. This approach will ensure the workers are motivated and equipped with the right resources. Each division can be characterized by more employees from different backgrounds in order to promote diversity. This is the case because T5 serves people from different corners of the world.
Conclusion
The situation experienced at T5 can be addressed using an effective control approach. The types of control commonly used in organizations include concurrent, feedback, and feedforward. After analyzing the nature of the current situation, it becomes evident that concurrent controls can be used in order to improve the level of performance. This kind of control is necessary because it makes it easier for organizations to monitor the ongoing activities and initiatives undertaken by different employees. By so doing, the company will ensure the activities are aligned with the existing quality standards. In order to achieve positive results, British Airways will be required to embrace the use of concurrent control systems. The workers in different departments will be empowered and guided in order to make constant improvements.
There are various reasons that explain why the use of concurrent controls will be suitable for the presented situation. The controls will make sure that the activities and functions in different departments focus on the targeted goals. The corporation can use analytical tools and control systems to examine whether the targeted goals are realized in a timely manner. The controls can guide the firm to focus on the experiences of the customers or passengers. The workers will be required to monitor their goals and initiatives implemented in order to achieve them. Goals or objectives that are not met in a timely manner are given more attention. Conflicts and malfunctions will be identified before they affect the effectiveness of the systems at the terminal. The leaders in each department will be allowed to present useful inputs in order to address problems before they affect the level of performance. The use of concurrent controls will eventually streamline the functioning of different systems. Consequently, the level of customer satisfaction will increase and improve the terminal’s performance.