Operational Plan For Hotel Futura's Tea Service Essay.

Business Overview

The Hotel Futura management has adopted a proposal to utilise a sunny indoor section of the lobby as a service point for morning and afternoon teas. It fits all the legal requirements regarding the serving of food and after a cost-benefit analysis, it was seen to potentially create a lucrative new revenue stream in a previously revenue-neutral floor space.

As the Financial Controller, the next part of the operational planning phase requires you to do an analysis on the financial positions of two different options. The first option is to install a full espresso coffee service station in the designated area and the second option is to utilise the existing coffee facilities inside the busy 24 hour coffee shop outlet, situated 30 meters diagonally across the foyer.

Among other evaluation activities in the initial planning phase, a guest marketing survey was conducted, the trading figures for the coffee shop were analysed and the following data emerged:

• Initial estimated covers per lobby tea service per week = 250 customers
• Budgeted average spend per cover excluding including GST = $18.50
• Two existing food service attendants are allocated for 2.5 hours for each service period.
• One food service attendant will need to be hired to ensure the operation can operate 7 days a week.
• Each tea service operates for 2 hours only i.e. 10.00am-12.00pm and 2:30-4:30pm
• The existing low tables and comfortable lobby style seating are to be used so no other capital outlay is required to establish the revenue stream
• The room service kitchen prepares the sandwiches and delivers them to the pass in the pastry section of the main production kitchen, located directly behind the proposed outlet. Gâteaux and pastries are prepared and plated up by the pastry section
• The 2 food service attendants order and collect all food orders for this outlet from the pastry section pass in the main production kitchen, via a convenient service entry door located directly behind the proposed lobby tea area
• A set of service fridges in the front kitchen can be utilised for the storage and service of chilled alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Develop an operational plan using a suitable template which needs to include the following details:

1. A description of the operation.

Operational plans covers the short to medium terms requirements of a business. There are many situation that will require an initial or an adjustment to an existing operational plan.

2. The aim of the operational plan – What are you trying to achieve?

Operational planning is taking place it must be done with reference to the goals and objectives of the business. Operational planning should be carried out with the aim of achieving the goals set out in the business plan. Remember that operational planning involves determine how and who.

3. A SWOT analysis of the business environment – This could include similar scenarios relevant to your area and must include legal requirements for this type of operation.

The market mix and McKinsey 7s framework strike a balance between the internal and external environments. The other techniques seek to categorise the market and your competitors so that you can best tailor your product and service delivery to the right people in the right way.

4. A detailed overview of resource requirements and options:

Technology, there will be adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards.

Human Resources needs, New staff, new menu,

An overview of financial requirements related to all resource requirements and options including financial requirements (given the first 3 months are used to establish the operation and are budgeted for). Using current trade equipment prices, analyse the most financially viable option for the hotel, either by purchasing or leasing and installing a full espresso coffee station or utilising the existing coffee facilities from the coffee shop outlet,

Aims and Objectives of the Business

If every year we will buy new coffee machine it will cost approxmtely $1127 and we have to oragnise new staff as well make sure all staff fully trained.

Requirements for intellectual property rights and responsibilities in recruitment and acquisition of resources and services.

Staff, Grinder, tea towel etc.

5. A contingency plan with alternative options for each key aspect of the operational planning stages.

Profits or return

Increase in business revenue

Financial ratios

Business growth or expansion

Customer satisfaction

Increase in market share

Product sales

6. The timeframes required to implement this project

The timeframe required to implement this project nearly 3 to 4 month.

7. The consultation requirements and provisions including timelines.

This requirement managing your staff, contractors, suppliers and others involved in the plan. In order to do effectively you will need to employ good time management, people management and project managements skills.

In this part of the assessment you are required to outline the processes and procedures you use for planning and managing the required physical and human resources. You are required to address the following aspects:

1. your findings for the different options for the coffee machine you have researched in Part A with the Executive chef and F&B manager in your workplace, or as a role play with fellow students and/or your trainer. Provide a script of the details that were discussed and the findings of discussions with the Executive Chef and the Food and Beverage Manager regarding the pros and cons of operating a high quality food and beverage service in each situation. Depending on your training situation this may be completed in form of observation of your discussion with the 2 staff.

Every year if we buy new coffee machine so we have oragnise staff as well and make sure all staff fully trained and we have to oragnise training for staff so they cant burn their self. If we using the old machine make sure it work properly.

2. Provide an overview of the Standard Operating Procedures which would be required to implement this operation with staff to ensure all operational and legal aspects are covered.

Make sure all staff fully trained.

Make sure all staff fully uniform.

If we oragnise new staff for business so we oragnise training first for them so they know about the coffee machine how to use it.

3. Provide a job description for the role of a food service attendant for this particular operation. Which duties would this need to include and how will you ensure these are performed by the staff member? Provide an overview of the documentation, communication requirements and any other strategies you will use to ensure performance initially and monitor ongoing performance.

The Hotel Futura in Platanias, Greece is a multi-facilitated five star hotel that have been attracting a decent amount of customers towards its luxurious premises. The hotel have throughout this period have garnered enough reputation in the field of hospitality industry. Furthermore, the hotel have an ambience and facilities that enables family and friends to enjoy and have a good time. The hotel follows a modern art deco which compliments with the beautiful surrounding landscapes. The hotel aims in providing its customers with quality services and an ambience that makes them feel homely. The mission of Hotel Futura is to provide the guests a pleasant stay and offer them a varied range of services that makes their stay relaxing and luxurious.

Among its wide range of facilities and services that comprises of children’s pool, bar/lounge, restaurant, shopping on site, supervised childcare or babysitting and many more. The staff members of the hotel work together hand in hand in order to provide the guests a relaxing stay that they seek to gain. In the following report, an operational plan of Hotel Futura is developed since the hotel has decided to utilise a sunny indoor section of the lobby and turn it into a service point were morning and tea shall be served. Now, in order to create and convert the space the hotel needs to prepare an operational plan.

Hotel Futura have a set of aims that enables them to channel and function in a way they do. The following are the aims of the hotel –

• To provide guests with excellent services and luxury that would satiate their needs.
• To maintain the services and facilities of the hotel that would give the guests a homely feel.
• To train and develop the staff members sufficiently in order to enable them with skills that would help them to excel in their job role.
• To build a good reputation of the hotel so that it could attract maximum amount of guests to its hotel.

In order to assess the competitors in the market and identify its position in the competitive market a SWOT analysis is conducted on Hotel Futura.

Strengths

Hotel Futura is located in a quite favourable location that have scenic landscapes in its surrounding. This feature attracts numerous guests to its hotel and as a result increase its popularity to a great extent. In addition to this, the hotel has a wide variety of facilities within its premises such as children’s pool, on site shopping, gift shop, bar/lounge space, restaurant and many more. The hotel also provides its customers with supervised childcare activities that would benefit families to a great extent as they would be able to enjoy their stay there without worrying about their children since they would be in the hands of professional child caretakers. The staff members of the hotel are professional and skilled workers that provides premium services to its guests. Additionally, Hotel Futura have an aesthetic modern art deco that gives the hotel a beautiful and charming feel. Along with this, the hotel is set up in a private location that enables the hotel to provide its guests a homely village ambiance.

Aims and Objectives of the Business

Weaknesses

Hotel Futura have a number of issues that slows down the functioning of the business. For instance, the reception and execution of services is interrupted and as a result of which customers are left frustrated. In addition to this, even though the staff members highly skilled, they require extra training and development programmes in order to adapt with the new technology. The new espresso machine that would be set in the open area of the lobby would require skilled staff that would be able to assess the machine. However, the hotel fails in providing sufficient amount of training and development programmes.

Opportunities

The hotel have a plenty of opportunities to flourish and excel in the field of hospitality industry. It can be observed that the hotel have a high potential in the merging market and have the ability to be popular extensively. In addition to this, the scope of digital marketing would provide new opportunities for the business to flourish and grow on a significant level. Additionally, the hotel have would have a lot of scope if innovation in its customer services department would be brought in. Since the hotel suffers from executing a smooth customer service, an opportunity as such shall enable the business to overcome that issue for a long run.

Threats

The hotel have a major threat from other international hotels that are plenty in number in the competitive market. Apart from this, other competitors in the field have been offering more lucrative price range and therefore, there is a competition on price point as well that poses a major threat to the business. In addition to this, the political and economic instability in various countries may affect the business of Hotel Futura to a significant level.

In order to ensure safe and comfortable stay of the guests in the hotel, the Hotel Futura have established certain regulations. These regulations must be followed by every guests and their cooperation towards these regulations are extremely significant. The following regulations are supposed to be maintained by all the guests strictly and if anyone fails to abide by it, the Hotel may choose to discard the permit to use the hotel rooms and other facilities by the guest or guests. The following are the regulations established by the Hotel Futura –

1. Prohibition of the use of hotel facilities in case:-

• The guest or guests are involved/associated/engaged with any of the criminal activity or organised crime groups or a gangster.
• The guest possessing any arms or weapons of any kind that would cause terror and discomfort to other guests.
• The guest does not have any valid photo identification document at the time of registration.
• The guest does not attain the legal age and is still a minority.

2. Prohibited activities

Some of the activities is strictly prohibited in the hotel grounds as it may give rise to disturbance and discomfort of other guests present in the hotel. Henceforth, the activities that are prohibited in the hotel grounds are as follows:-

• Bringing pets which comprises of birds, animals unless it is approved by the hotel authorities.
• Items or devices that possess extreme odour or sound that may cause a disturbance to other guests.
• Inflammable and combustible items for instance gunpowder or volatile oil as such.

3. Payment

• A guest staying at the hotel and using other services of the hotel such as restraint, bar/lounge, gift shops and others may settle at the front desk of the Hotel simultaneously during the check out from the hotel. In order to do so, the guests are required to show the key of the room they are staying in at the time when the charges of the services are incurred.
• If any of the payments of the charges that came along with the usage of services fails to be paid by the guest then the hotel authorities have the right to take all the necessary counter measures against that particular guest.

4. Other provisions

SWOT Analysis

It is to inform all the guests that the hotel staff may enter the hotel room during the guest’s absence for the purpose of room cleaning or bed making and for other reasons. However, the guests shall be informed prior to entering the room and also notify the name of the staff member entering the room.

In order to develop and execute the operational plan that the hotel aims to implement certain resources are essential and are required for the purpose of successfully implementing the operational plan. Hotel Futura aims in utilising the sunny indoor section of the lobby and in order to do that the lobby space would be utilised as a morning and evening tea point.

Profits or return: In case this does not work, another way to earning profit includes offering discount to the first 10 customers that visit the indoor sunny lobby for tea along with offering discounts if they are members.

Increase in business revenue: The business revenue can be increased in future by organizing magic shows or live music performance in the indoor lobby that will keep the customers engaged. However, the events organized needs to be soft, as they customers will visit to enjoy each other’s company.

Financial ratios: The financial ratios can be increased in the future can dwindle in the future due to tough competition in the market and can be made stable by offering discounts to the customers.

Business growth or expansion: In future, business can be grown by opening such morning and evening tea option near the pool side where the customers can enjoy the pool while sipping their tea and coffee.

Customer satisfaction: Customer satisfaction can be achieved in the future by calling the customers to the table surprisingly during their stay in the hotel without prior notice. In addition to, remembering the choice of the customers will also help in increasing customer satisfaction.

Increase in market share: In this highly competitive market, one of the best ways to increase market share will be by promoting this new venture to the customers through technology such as social media.

Product sales: Along with espresso, a variety of coffee can be offered in the future to the customers for individuals with special medical conditions. In addition to, we can also offer promos such as buy 1 get 1 free offer for the customers that will help in attracting them.

The timeframe required to implement the project is as follows:

Resource Requirements and Financial Considerations

Regular team meetings: A team meeting needs to be conducted regularly for at least a month prior execution of the plan of setting the indoor sunny lobby for morning and afternoon tea.

Allocating responsibility: Once decided, allocating responsibility to the selected staffs will require another 2 weeks, as the convenience and experience of the staffs need to be counted.

Revising position descriptions: This will require another week for revising the position descriptions for the staffs.

Hiring and providing training to staffs: For continuous and uninterrupted service of this new operation, another food service attendant needs to be recruited that needs another month.

Coaching and mentoring: This is a everyday task, as the supervisors need to coach and mentor the staffs on the new service.

Monitoring and measuring systems: 2 weeks for this process.

Arranging the indoor lobby: 2 days for this process, as the indoor lobby is already there and few modifications need to be made.

Approximately 3 months is required for implementing the operational plan by Hotel Futura.

As this concept is new for Hotel Futura, it is important for the hotel to make required consultation in order to achieve the best of the plan. The hotel needs to manage the staffs, suppliers, contractors as well as the other stakeholders in the plan. In order to do so, it is important for the hotel to ensure and employ effective time management, project managements and people management skills.

As per the discussion which has already taken place with the Executive Chef and the Food and Beverage Manager, certain advantages and disadvantages have been identified through the conversation. The Chef and the Beverage Manager were highly excited about the fact that the hotel has installed a new coffee machine which shall be producing the premium quality espresso coffee, exactly the way it is made in Italy. They had opined that it was a necessary move to ensure that the needs of the foreign guests are catered to in a proper way that would render them the feeling that they have got a service which is worth the value of the money that they have paid.

They had also responded very convincingly to the query which was mainly concerned about adapting oneself to the new machine and how to keep oneself safe from getting burnt. The reply which they gave was that the staff who shall be placed at the charge of the newly installed coffee machine shall be given proper training and shall be very meticulously taught about the nuances of how to use the machine in a proper way.

Concerns were also raised whether the newly installed coffee machine shall be only producing espresso coffee or it shall be churning out other varieties of artisanal coffees like cappuccino, café latte et cetera. It was also asked whether the old machine could have been retained. The answers provided by the Chef and the Manager was that the newly installed coffee machine was indeed quite versatile and could churn up any variety of coffee but that depended upon the skills of the coffee maker who could make the machine work in a desirable manner. With regard to the old machine, it had to be replaced as it had quite a lot issues and that could cause the quality of the coffee to be compromised.

The staff employed at hotel shall be abiding by and reinstating the legal and procedural commitments that the hotel pledges itself to. The hotel shall be taking all such steps to ensure that none of the visitors go unsatisfied, with a bad impression of the hotel. Hence several steps have been taken to ensure that the work goes in a desirable way:-

• Staff shall be hired on the basis of their qualification and their expertise in the field they shall be performing, and shall be made to undergo training to get them acquainted to the work culture of a hotel.
• Staff shall be uniformed and well groomed as per the code of conduct and standards of decorum agreed upon internationally to generate a feeling of professionalism in the hitel oremises
• The operation of the new coffee machine shall be very meticulously taught to the coffee makers by the head chefs who have an understanding of the flavour combination and the variations of the coffee.

The food and service assistant in this particular field of coffee making must have good communication and comprehension skills to understand the preferences of the hotel guests and convey it to the coffee maker with acute promptness. The coffee makers on the other hand must be able to provide for the needs of the visitors exactly the way they want. The strategy that has been planned out to ensure that the operation goes fine is that of a training and an on job training which shall enable the coffee makers to absorb the stress of the job in a better way. The duty hours of the coffee makers shall not be exceeding 38 hours a week, and that shall be strictly adhered to.