Abstract
Various organizations use different business excellence models to increase their efficiency and productivity. Some of the models include the ISO 9001 applications and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model. In this report, the focus has been put on the EFQM Excellence Model and its role in ensuring efficiency as well as the success of Qatar Telecom Company. This model has been instrumental in improving the company’s performance. The paper is divided into sections, which include the introduction that brings out the idea of the project. The main idea in focus is the role of the EFQM model in improving Qatar Telecom. The paper will also highlight the findings from the analysis of the Qatar Telecom company and the use of the mentioned model in improving the company’s performance and productivity. Recommendations have been given at the end and if fully implemented, the company will thrive in its delivery of services to its customers.
Introduction
The EFQM model has been reviewed to suit the current global environment. It is quite instrumental in ensuring that the organization does not just depend on the rigid organizational structure, but it enhances its agility hence enabling it to a suit in the current world. The objective of this paper is to focus on the model and its role in ensuring improved performance for Qatar Telecom hence enabling the company to compete at the global level. There are new challenges on the global front where an organization is expected to use its limited resources to compete against other global brands.
The model’s framework is aimed at assessing the performance of the company by identifying its strengths and areas that need to be improved. The model focuses on the existing tools, procedures, and processes to align them and eliminate duplicates. It is quite significant in introducing a new way of thinking that encourages reflection and stimulate improvement. It intends to identify the action points that are important for the desired results to be achieved, those that need to be strengthened as well as those that should be made redundant (Kanji 50-55).
Methodology
The methodology used in this case study is the use of secondary sources with information on Qatar Telecom Company as well as the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). They have information from books, journals, articles as well as online sources.
Company Background
Qatar Telecom is a well-known telecommunications company that provides both the wireline and wireless telecommunication services within the country and beyond. The company provides telephone services at a local and international national level. It also provides internet and cable TV services to about 58 million subscribers in 17 countries. It is in a joint venture with Nawras for the provision of Oman’s mobile telephone services. It has also entered into joint ventures with other companies in the Middle East for service provision in the respective countries.
Qatar Telecom Company provides various wireless telecommunication services which include the wireless Personal Area Network Services, Local Area Networks, Wide Area Network as well as Metropolitan Area Network Services. It also provides services for mobile device networks. Its services also encompass the data and broadband networks as well as voice communication services. It provides cable/pay-TV services across various countries particularly in the Middle East (ʻAbdallah̄ 20-25).
Qatar Telecom is known for the provision of services to corporate entities and individuals. Being owned by the government, its services are often prone to government interventions. Despite starting its telecommunication services in 1949, the company was officially established under the Qatari Law in 1987. It had monopolized Qatar’s telecommunications sector for a long period till 2006 when the sector was privatized. It is known to spearhead innovation in the telecommunications sector in all aspects including the high-speed internet services provision. It has also established a subsidiary by the name Wi-Tribe which aims at providing broadband internet services to countries in Africa and Asia (Pederson 100).
With the acquisition of 40% of Indosat shares, the company has gone ahead to rebrand itself as Ooredoo which encompasses its subsidiary companies. It also provides satellite services across the region. Being a major telecommunications and internet service provider, any disruptions on this provider often results in the disruptions in Qatar and other countries that depend on it for the services. The company has won various awards as an efficient service provider in the region. The services provided by this company are used by different organizations in the government as well as the private sector.
EFQM Excellence Model
This model is used with the main purpose of improving an organization’s performance through a comprehensive management framework. The implementation of this model is accompanied by training, assessment tools, and recognition of the organization’s performance. The model helps an organization’s leadership to learn, share, and innovate. Qatar Telecom recently received the three stars European Foundation for Quality Management model award. This model has helped in gauging where it is in terms of performance and what needs to be done to enhance its productivity. By receiving this award, it was a clear indication that the company had met the threshold in most areas of this model. It has become the first telecommunications company in Qatar and the entire Middle East to receive this particular award. The organization is entitled to the EFQM model award due to its commitment to attaining business excellence (Lu 100).
It received international distinction due to its leadership, focus on strategy, customers, and ensuring effectiveness in its operations as well as strictly adhering to the required standards of service delivery. The model is meant to help the company assess its performance and focus on its progress on the leadership, strategy, and planning, customers, as well as the output. With the application of this model, there have been significant achievements in the performance of the company. Using the model has enabled the company to note its strengths, weaknesses as well as the existing opportunities. The assessment has been done on these aspects to make appropriate adjustments to improve the organization’s performance. Before applying for this model, Qatar Telecom Company carried out an internal assessment and positive results lead the organization to apply for the EFQM Model award and managed to get. The model has helped the organization to remain effective and sustainable in business (Salameh 51-60).
The implementation of this model at Qatar Telecom has ensured value addition. This has to do with the understanding of the needs and expectations of the various customers, anticipating and fulfilling them. In this particular case, it entails the needs of the customers, which might be high-speed internet services, efficient cable TV services as well as uninterrupted wireline and wireless telephone services and efficient network services.
The other aspect is the creation of a sustainable future. For an organization to be considered successful, it must positively impact the world around through enhanced performance and improving the community economically, environmentally, and socially. In the case of Qatar Telecom, this entails the improvement of the lives of customers as well as those living close to the Qatar Telecom establishments. The company has played a significant role in improving the private sector, the security firms, agricultural and financial sectors.
The model has played a very vital role in developing organizational capability. It has increased its capability through the effective management of any changes in and out of the company. In this particular case, the model has helped Qatar Telecom to manage the technological changes that occur in the telecommunication sector hence enabling it to enact changes within the organization enhancing its capacity in service delivery.
The EFQM model also comes in handy when it comes to the harnessing of creativity and innovation. Increasing the value and level of performance is vital for the organization to excel. As per the tenets of this model, Qatar Telecom has been able to enhance the organization’s performance by improving creativity among its staff and other stakeholders. Leadership is also important for any organization to excel. By applying this model, Qatar Telecom has been able to get a visionary leadership that values integrity and inspirational. The leaders of the company have been role models for their juniors as they lead with integrity. This has improved its performance as a telecommunications company.
Agility in the management of an organization is also quite vital. The company has been agile in the identification and efficient response to threats and opportunities. The company has been facing stiff competition from other telecommunication companies in the region. This has been neutralized by efficiency in the adoption of hi-tech solutions as well as partnering with other organizations. This has given it a competitive advantage over the other telecommunications company in the UAE. The organization has been known to nature the talent of its people and this ensures the achievement of both organizational and personal goals. With the application of this model, the company can sustain its outstanding results which are significant in meeting the short term and long term needs of the stakeholders (Pan 150).
Conclusion
Qatar Telecom is a company that has been expanding both locally and internationally and delivering its services to a larger client base. The EFQM Model will be very instrumental in helping it to be among the top 20 telecommunications companies in the world and be among the most preferred world-class Telecommunications Companies in the region. A well-coordinated, visionary, and ethical team is quite important. If the model if fully is applied, it will help the company to get a team that will ensure its prosperity and hence increase its performance. An agile management structure is important in this case. The model will help in checking the weaknesses and deal with them as well as pointing out the opportunities and going for them. The model is meant to ensure high performance for the company and even enable it to be at per with the current developments in the telecommunications field and hence provide the best and hi-tech telecommunication services (Baxter 200).
Works Cited
ʻAbdallah̄, Rašā. The internet in the Arab world: Egypt and beyond. New York: Peter Lang, 2007. Print.
Baxter, Lynne. Managing performance improvement. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print.
Kanji, Gopal. Measuring Business Excellence. New York: Routledge, 2012. Print.
Lu, Dawei. In Pursuit of World Class Excellence. London: Bookboon, 2012. Print.
Pan, Hui. Submarine Fiber Optics Communications Systems. Massachusetts: Information Gatekeepers Inc, 2009. Print.
Pederson, Jay. International Directory of Company Histories. The University of Michigan: Michigan, 2008. Print.
Salameh, Malik. Essential Tools for Organisational Performance: Tools, Models and Approaches for Managers and Consultants. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Print.