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Running Head: (CASE SUDY)

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Metropolitan College Adnan Siddiqui

BUSM10000D Chuck Minken November 6, 2014

Case Study

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This case study provides a detailed overview of a student service manager at metropolitan college who was preparing for the upcoming registration process. In prior years the process eluded her expectations and she classified Long line ups, frustrated staff and unhappy students as the key issues. The influx of students ready for registration this fall is approximately 1,000. She expects this number to increase each semester due to the growing popularity and expansion projects. The intent of this case study is to analyze and provide realistic solutions to avail from the opportunities to improve the process. Firstly, the idea is to highlight the reasoning that contributed for the complications to occur during the registration. Long lines and sluggish movement throughout the process was unquestionably due to the small number of staff available at the manager’s disposal. Mary indicated that she had 8 members in her department serving 1000 potential students (Johnson & Klassen, 2009).This led to discouraged staff who had to work non-stop for 8 hours answering questions and helping students throughout this rigorous process. They were allotted half an hour for break and were frantically working through the rest of their shift, constantly working at that pace will frustrate any individual. Furthermore, this led to unhappy students who saw a process which should take 16 minutes to complete stretch over the course of a few hours. It was also brought to our attention that approximately 250 students were from outside the province and 100 students had trouble filling out the registration forms resulting in a backlog costing valuable time (Johnson & Klassen, 2009). Illustrated below are the stages to complete the registration process and the time allotted to each step.

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STEP 1: REVIEW REGISTRATION INFORMATION

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STEP 2: OUT-PROVINCE MEDICAL COVERAGE

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STEP 3: SIGN UP FOR COLLEGE SERVICES

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STEP 4: FEE PAYMENT STEP 5: PHOTOGRAPH STUDENT

STEP 6: PRODUCE AND CODE CARD STEP 7: ISSUE CARD

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According to the steps provided by the manager it take approximately 16 minutes for a student to complete the registration process. This analysis is going to depict two realistic solutions that can be implemented to improve efficiency and reduce the registration time. Solution A    

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Hire more temporary workers  A friendlier experience and extra staff available to answer student inquires Attach sample registration forms to minimize errors Include options for college services in the registration form and eliminate step 3 (sign up for college services) Color code forms for out of province students to help distinguish the kids who require additional health coverage Set up office on the first floor with the student service office Take student pictures and review form in step 1 and forward the information to get the card printed. Student can finish the other steps and provide a receipt of fee payment and get the card without having to wait.

Solution B  

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Have stations on one floor to avoid students having to go up and down. Email copies of the form to students alongside a template on how to fill it and walk them through the registration process virtually. A more informed student will know what to expect and plan accordingly. Have students fill our registration forms online and email them Have separate line ups for out of province and students living on residence Give students the option of picking up their student cards the following week

Key criteria which helped me decide which solution is preferable are variables such as: Cost, time and length to implement the changes. Keeping in mind that the article is dated August 10th and we have four weeks till registration, I chose Solution A. The timeline is 20 days and this solution does not have a long-term aspect associated with it. Firstly, hiring more employees is necessary because the staff is outnumbered and students who have questions or concerns are unfortunately ignored. Since the school is considering expansion in the near future it is essential to provide a quality experience to current students, because they will be representing the college and will play a big part in recruiting for the future. Secondly, attaching sample registration forms

Case Study

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will give the prospect an idea on how to fill the form and will be a valuable tool in minimizing mistakes made in this process. Snapping a photo in the first step along with the registration form will save the headache of waiting for the card to be produced, coded and issued. Since the selection of meal plans, bus and parking pass is now part of the registration form students don’t have to go to a different station to select them. This might increase some time at the fee payment station, but students could rest easy, because they only have to provide proof of payment and retrieve their photo card which is already prepared and coded ready to be picked up. Lastly, color coded forms will make it easier to distinguish out of province students and staff can guide them towards the appropriate desk where they can sign up for health coverage, regular students can continue to the fee payment station. The gantt chart below illustrates the implementation process. Hire staff Train staff Upgrade registration forms Print forms Set up stations Set up equipment Replenish supplies Review and brief staff

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Case Study

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Registration Process – Post Changes

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STEP 1: REVIEW REGISTRATION

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STEP 2: PHOTOGRAPH STUDENT STEP 3: MEIDCAL COVERAGE * STEP 4: FEE PAYMENT

STEP 5: PRODUCE AND CODE CARD STEP 6: ISSUE CARD

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This case presents a lot of insight on certain aspects learned in our business fundamentals class. Essentially the three key qualities of service products i.e. intangibility and customization. Intangible services can’t be touched so we can characterize that as the experience the students have while going through the registration process. Customization can be classified as the different steps out of province students have to take to sign up for medical coverage. Services offered should be customized to a certain extent to suffice the needs of most students. Furthermore, location planning and layout planning is necessary when offering a service. Layout should be convenient and easy to follow and location is absolutely important so students don’t get confused and are able to locate the stations easily. Support facilities like restrooms, parking lots and cafeterias should be conveniently located as well and students shouldn’t have a hard time accessing them. Methods of improvement in services can be a good guide to help the manager organize and enhance the service experience. In this example we are in high contact services, because students have physical contact with the staff and service and information is exchanged. Service flow analysis is also an important tool because it helps the manager eliminate the unnecessary steps involved in providing the service. A good example of this is the step by step process to complete the registration. Operation control is essential because it helps the

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manager monitor and compare the results with the schedule planned. The Gantt chart depicts the necessary steps to be performed and the time each step takes in a realistic manner. A tool like quality improvement teams can come in handy as well which combines employees from different work areas to analyze solve common problems. This improves quality and allows the opportunity for team members to be heard. Employees’ attitude plays a crucial role in the service sector, since employees often are the service. Key criteria used to judge service quality include  reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles. An employee should be reliable and perform the service as promised. They should be able and willing to help customers and have the knowledge and courtesy to earn the trust and confidence of the customers. An employee should be caring and affectionate and maintain a pleasing appearance. To conclude this case presented us with a registration process scenario where the manager was not satisfied with the level of service that was provided. She felt that the process can be improved and the overall experience could be much better and productive. We were presented with some key issues and variables that led to those issues. This case study presented two independent solutions to cure the woes of the manager, based on cost effectiveness, time constraints and an implementation process we decided to select one solution. However a mixture of both solutions in the long run would be ideal and having an adequate system online to speed the process will be a great tool and will definitely make the process more efficient.

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References

Johnson, P.F. & Klassen, R.D. (2009-12-14). Metropolitan College. Ivey Management Services, 9B09D012. Ebert, Starke, Dracopoulous, Lang. (2014). Business 8th Edition. Toronto. ON. Pearson