Operational Controls

Operational Controls ISO 14001

The requirements identified on this page are derived from the International Organization for Standardizations (ISO) 14001 standard for environmental management systems. Additional information on this standard can be obtained from their Web site at http://www.iso.org/iso/en/ ISOOnline.frontpage An organization is required to establish controls over those processes that contribute to its significant environmental aspects to ensure they are carried out under specified conditions consistent with the organization’s environmental policy and objectives and targets. Operational controls are typically physical objects (e.g., a concrete berm around an above-ground storage tank), engineering devices (e.g., an overflow alarm and cutoff system on an above-ground storage tank), and/or administrative procedures (e.g., an above-ground storage tank inspection checklist). Region 7 has developed a procedure for identifying and, where necessary, developing operational controls. Through this procedure, we have identified numerous operational controls associated with our significant environmental aspects. If you have questions about the Region’s operational controls, please contact the Region 7 Office of Public Affairs. http://www.answers.com/topic/operational-control

Specifically, the main objectives of this study are to assess: * the general expectations of customers who dine in various restaurants in Hamilton * the actual meal experience in the restaurant or cafe they visited * gaps between the specific and the holistic components of expectations and actual meal experience * the role of sociodemographic variables and usage patterns as determinants of attitudes. Research Methods In order to achieve the above research objectives, a structured survey was designed based on an importance-performance measure in which respondents were asked to reflect on their desired expectations and perceptions of different factors that influence the meal experience. The factors included in the survey were (adapted from Mohsin, 2003):

* why customers visit the restaurants * how their seat reservation was attended * the selection of food and drinks on the menu * the time taken to obtain and serve drink orders * the time taken to obtain and serve food orders * the product knowledge of the staff * the willingness of staff to provide attentive service * the skills of staff in serving food and beverage * the skills of staff in clearing the table * the selection of desserts/coffee/tea and the time taken to serve and clear them * the presentation of the bill * whether there was a warm send-off. The survey had three sections. The first section collected information on the type of venue the respondent was considering for a meal experience, and the expectations of the respondent. The objective here was to gain an understanding of restaurantgoers--what are their expectations in general when they plan to eat out? Questions targeted motivational aspects and preferences such as: * the venue's flexibility in catering for large or small groups * the ambience of the venue * the presentation and manners of the staff * the skills of the staff in food and beverage service * well-timed service the product knowledge of the staff * the prices of the products * variety and quality of the products available * value for money. The following seven-point Likert scale was used to measure the above: very important 7 quite important 6 important 5 of some importance 4 of little importance 3 of no importance 2 very unimportant 1 have no opinion

The second section of the survey sought to examine the actual meal experience of respondents with reference to the following features: * The reception on arrival was prompt and welcoming * they were able to cater for our group size * assistance was offered for seating us * staff had good eye contact and were attentive * the staff uniform and presentation were adequate * the drinks order was swiftly taken and served * the food order was taken as soon as we were ready * the staff had good product knowledge * the food was served in a well-timed way * the product variety suited our needs * the staff were competent in their drink service skills * the staff were competent in their food service skills * the product quality met my/our expectations * the staff were friendly and helpful throughout * the staff appeared to be in control of all their work * the staff represented the venue well * we experienced a relaxed atmosphere * the cafe/restaurant has an excellent ambience * overall it was an impressive meal experience * overall it was good value for money. The following seven-point Likert scale was used to obtain reflections of meal experience of respondents in the particular restaurant they had chosen to dine. very strongly agree 7 strongly agree 6 above average 5 average 4 below average 3 very poor standard 2 unacceptable 1 have no opinion

The third section of the survey sought information on the respondent's demographic details. The surveys were conducted face-to-face with a total of 340 randomly selected respondents. All respondents had an experience of dining in a restaurant or eating in a cafe to reflect upon. During the face-to-face survey, additional comments were recorded and further explanation was offered, where necessary, about the survey. Restaurants and cafes were randomly selected from the downtown Hamilton. Data from the sample was coded and analysed using SPSS. The analysis involved the following: * descriptive statistics, obtained for all variables included in general expectations and actual meal experience * level of significance, determined by using t test and ANOVA * factor analysis. To assess data reliability, split-half reliability measures were in excess of 0.87, while the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.90, suggesting the suitability of data for factor analysis. Results The respondent sample showed that there were 160 (47.1%) males and 180 (52.9%) females. The age distribution was as follows: The majority of respondents were Hamilton residents (206; 60.6%), followed by national visitors (10; 2.9%), and the remainder were international visitors (124; 36.5%). The sample also indicated that 71.5% (243) responses were applicable to restaurants and 28.5% (97) to cafes in Hamilton. Table 2 shows the importance of expected attributes as ranked according to the mean values. It is clear that all items in the table were ranked as important. Value for money, the variety and quality of the available products, and the service skills of service of the food and beverage staff each showed high mean values. The lowest mean value was that of the venue's flexibility in catering for large or small groups. Table 3 sets out the features of actual meal experience and explains the scores of meal experience achieved by restaurants and cafes in Hamilton. The results in the table indicated an above average response for most of the features. However, when it comes to offering assistance with seating, good eye contact from staff, and the presentation and uniform of staff, the score was low. This reflects a reasonable gap between expectation and actual experience. To seek significance in responses based on gender, a t test was run. Findings indicated that from respondents' general expectations, only one feature had significance (.004),...

Operation

1

Definition: The act or process of operating; agency; the exertion of power, physical, mechanical, or moral.

Operation

2

Definition: The method of working; mode of action.

Operation

3

Definition: That which is operated or accomplished; an effect brought about in accordance with a definite plan; as, military or naval operations.

Operation

4

Definition: Effect produced; influence.

Operation

5

Definition: Something to be done; some transformation to be made upon quantities, the transformation being indicated either by rules or symbols.

Operation

6

Definition: Any methodical action of the hand, or of the hand with instruments, on the human body, to produce a curative or remedial effect, as in amputation, etc.

operation

7

Definition: the activity of operating something (a machine or business etc.); "her smooth operation of the vehicle gave us a surprisingly comfortable ride"

operation

8

Definition: a planned activity involving many people performing various actions; "they organized a rescue operation"; "the biggest police operation in French history"; "running a restaurant is quite an operation"; "consolidate the companies various operations"

operation

9

Definition: a process or series of acts especially of a practical or mechanical nature involved in a particular form of work; "the operations in building a house"; "certain machine tool operations"

operation

10

Definition: a medical procedure involving an incision with instruments; performed to repair damage or arrest disease in a living body; "they will schedule the operation as soon as an operating room is available"; "he died while undergoing surgery"

operation

11

Definition: (mathematics) calculation by mathematical methods; "the problems at the end of the chapter demonstrated the mathematical processes involved in the derivation"; "they were learning the basic operations of arithmetic"

operation

12

Definition: activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign); "it was a joint operation of the navy and air force"

operation

13

Definition: a business especially one run on a large scale; "a large-scale farming operation"; "a multinational operation"; "they paid taxes on every stage of the operation"; "they had to consolidate their operations"

operation

14

Definition: (psychology) the performance of some composite cognitive activity; an operation that affects mental contents; "the process of thinking"; "the cognitive operation of remembering"

operation

15

Definition: (computer science) data processing in which the result is completely specified by a rule (especially the processing that results from a single instruction); "it can perform millions of operations per second"

operation

16

Definition: process or manner of functioning or operating; "the power of its engine determine its operation"; "the plane''s operation in high winds"; "they compared the cooking performance of each oven"; "the jet''s performance conformed to high standards"

operation

17

Definition: the state of being in effect or being operative; "that rule is no longer in operation" Control is one of the managerial functions like planning, organizing, staffing and directing. It is an important function because it helps to check the errors and to take the corrective action so that deviation from standards are minimized and stated goals of the organization are achieved in desired manner.

According to modern concepts, control is a foreseeing action whereas earlier concept of control was used only when errors were detected. Control in management means setting standards, measuring actual performance and taking corrective action. Thus, control comprises these three main activities.

Characteristics of Control • • • • • •

Control Control Control Control Control Control

is is is is is is

a continuous process a management process embedded in each level of organisational hierarchy forward looking closely linked with planning a tool for achieving organisational activities

[edit] The elements of control The four basic elements in a control system — (1) the characteristic or condition to be controlled, (2) the sensor, (3) the comparator , and (4) the activator — occur in the same sequence and maintain a consistent relationship to each other in every system.[3] The first element is the characteristic or condition of the operating system which is to be measured. We select a specific characteristic because a correlation exists between it and how the system is performing. The characteristic may be the output of the system during any stage of processing or it may be a condition that has resulted from the output of the system. For example, it may be the heat energy produced by the furnace or the temperature in the room which has changed because of the heat generated by the furnace. In an elementary school system, the hours a teacher works or the gain in knowledge demonstrated by the students on a national examination are examples of characteristics that may be selected for measurement, or control. The second element of control, the sensor, is a means for measuring the characteristic or condition. The control subsystem must be designed to include a sensory device or method of measurement. In a home heating system this device would be the thermostat, and in a quality-control system this measurement might be performed by a visual inspection of the product. The third element of control, the comparator, determines the need for correction by comparing what is occurring with what has been planned. Some deviation from plan is usual and expected, but when variations are beyond those considered acceptable, corrective action is required. It is often possible to identify trends in performance and to take action before an unacceptable variation from the norm occurs. This sort of preventative action indicates that good control is being achieved. The fourth element of control, the activator, is the corrective action taken to return the system to expected output. The actual person, device, or method used to direct corrective inputs into the operating system may take a variety of forms. It may be a hydraulic controller positioned by a solenoid or electric motor in response to an electronic error signal, an employee directed to rework the parts that failed to pass quality inspection, or a school principal who decides to buy additional books to provide for an increased number of students. As long as a plan is performed

within allowable limits, corrective action is not necessary; this seldom occurs in practice, however. Information is the medium of control, because the flow of sensory data and later the flow of corrective information allow a characteristic or condition of the system to be controlled. To illustrate how information flow facilitates control, let us review the elements of control in the context of information. n contrast to organizational control, operational control serves to regulate the day-to-day output relative to schedules, specifications, and costs. Is the output of product or service the proper quality and is it available as scheduled? Are inventories of raw materials, goods-in-process, and finished products being purchased and produced in the desired quantities? Are the costs associated with the transformation process in line with cost estimates? Is the information needed in the transformation process available in the right form and at the right time? Is the energy resource being utilized efficiently?

Problems of control The perfect plan could be outlined if every possible variation of input could be anticipated and if the system would operate as predicted. This kind of planning is neither realistic, economical, nor feasible for most business systems. If it were feasible, planning requirements would be so complex that the system would be out of date before it could be operated. Therefore, we design control into systems. This requires more thought in the systems design but allows more flexibility of operations and makes it possible to operate a system using unpredictable components and undetermined input. Still, the design and effective operation of control are not without problems. The objective of the system is to perform some specified function. The purpose of organizational control is to see that the specified function is achieved; the objective of operational control is to ensure that variations in daily output are maintained within prescribed limits. It is one thing to design a system that contains all of the elements of control, and quite another to make it operate true to the best objectives of design. Operating "in control" or "with plan" does not guarantee optimum performance. For example, the plan may not make the best use of the inputs of materials, energy, or information — in other words, the system may not be designed to operate efficiently. Some of the more typical problems relating to control include the difficulty of measurement, the problem of timing information flow, and the setting of proper standards. [7]

Process of Controlling • • • • •

Setting performance standards. Measurement of actual performance. Comparing actual performance with standards. Analysing deviations. Correcting deviations.

[edit] Kinds of control Control may be grouped according to three general classifications: (1) the nature of the information flow designed into the system (that is, open- or closed-loop control), (2) the kind of components included in the design (that is man or machine control systems), and (3) the relationship of control to the decision process (that is, organizational or operational control). [3] [edit] Open- and Closed-Loop Control

The difference between open-loop control and closed-loop control is determined by whether all of the control elements are an integral part of the system being regulated, and whether allowable variations from standard have been predetermined. In an open-loop system, not all of the elements will be designed into the system, and/or allowable variations will not be predetermined. A street-lighting system controlled by a timing device is an example of an open-loop system. At a certain time each evening, a mechanical device closes the circuit and energy flows through the electric lines to light the lamps. Note, however, that the timing mechanism is an independent unit and is not measuring the objective function of the lighting system. If the lights should be needed on a dark, stormy day the timing device would not recognize this need and therefore would not activate energy inputs. Corrective properties may sometimes be built into the controller (for example, to modify the time the lights are turned on as the days grow shorter or longer), but this would not close the loop. In another instance, the sensing, comparison, or adjustment may be made through action taken by an individual who is not part of the system. For example, the lights may be turned on by someone who happens to pass by and recognizes the need for additional light. If control is exercised as a result of the operation rather than because of outside or predetermined arrangements, it is a closed-loop system. The home thermostat is the classic example of a control device in a closed-loop system. When the room temperature drops below the desired point, the control mechanism closes the circuit to start the furnace and the temperature rises. The furnaceactivating circuit is turned off as the temperature reaches the preselected level. The significant difference between this type of system and an open-loop system is that the control device is an element of the system it serves and measures the performance of the system. In other words, all four control elements are integral to the specific system. An essential part of a closed-loop system is feedback; that is, the output of the system is measured continually through the item controlled, and the input is modified to reduce any difference or error toward zero. Many of the patterns of information flow in organizations are found to have the nature of closed loops, which use feedback. The reason for such a condition is apparent when one recognizes that any system, if it is to achieve a predetermined goal, must have available to it at all times an indication of its degree of attainment. In general, every goal-seeking system employs feedback.[3]

[edit] Man and Machine Control

The elements of control are easy to identify in machine systems. For example, the characteristic to be controlled might be some variable like speed or temperature, and the sensing device could be a speedometer or a thermometer. An expectation of precision exists because the characteristic is quantifiable and the standard and the normal variation to be expected can be described in exact terms. In automatic machine systems, inputs of information are used in a process of continual adjustment to achieve output specifications. When even a small variation from the standard occurs, the correction process begins. The automatic system is highly structured, designed to accept certain kinds of input and produce specific output, and programmed to regulate the transformation of inputs within a narrow range of variation. [6] For an illustration of mechanical control, as the load on a steam engine increases and the engine starts to slow down, the regulator reacts by opening a valve that releases additional inputs of steam energy. This new input returns the engine to the desired number of revolutions per minute. This type of mechanical control is crude in comparison to the more sophisticated electronic control systems in everyday use. Consider the complex missile-guidance systems that measure the actual course according to predetermined mathematical calculations and make almost instantaneous corrections to direct the missile to its target. Machine systems can be complex because of the sophisticated technology, whereas control of people is complex because the elements of control are difficult to determine. In human control systems, the relationship between objectives and associated characteristics is often vague; the measurement of the characteristic may be extremely subjective; the expected standard is difficult to define; and the amount of new inputs required is impossible to quantify. To illustrate, let us refer once more to a formalized social system in which deviant behavior is controlled through a process of observed violation of the existing law (sensing), court hearings and trials (comparison with standard), incarceration when the accused is found guilty (correction), and release from custody after rehabilitation of the prisoner has occurred. [6] The speed limit established for freeway driving is one standard of performance that is quantifiable, but even in this instance, the degree of permissible variation and the amount of the actual variation are often a subject of disagreement between the patrolman and the suspected violator. The complexity of our society is reflected in many of our laws and regulations, which establish the general standards for economic, political, and social operations. A citizen may not know or understand the law and consequently would not know whether or not he was guilty of a violation. Most organized systems are some combination of man and machine; some elements of control may be performed by machine whereas others are accomplished by man. In addition, some standards may be precisely structured whereas others may be little more than general guidelines with wide variations expected in output. Man must act as the controller when measurement is subjective and judgment is required. Machines such as computers are incapable of making exceptions from the specified control criteria regardless of how much a particular case might warrant special consideration. A pilot acts in conjunction with computers and automatic pilots to

fly large jets. In the event of unexpected weather changes, or possible collision with another plane, he must intercede and assume direct control.[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_(management)