Compass Group UK And Ireland: Essay On Services, Customers, Goals, And Factors Impacting Business.

Introduction, Mission statement and values

A list of what the organisation produces or the services that it offers to its customers.

An identification of the main customers (e.g. other businesses or clients etc).

The purpose and goals of the organisation.

An analysis of a minimum of 4 external factors and their impact on the business activities of an organisation. (PEST)

The structure of the organisation that includes at least 4 functions.

An explanation of how these different functions work together within the organisation to optimise performance.

An identification of the culture of the organisation and 2 ways this affects operations.

How 3 HR activities support the organisation's strategy.

3 ways HR professionals support line managers and their staff.

Compass group is one of the top service providers of contract catering and other support services in the United Kingdom as well as Ireland.

Compass Group that operates in the United Kingdom and Ireland comes under Compass Group PLC, a top food and support services provider globally with yearly returns of close to 18 billion pounds in the year till 30 September 2013. UK and Ireland accounted for about 2 billion pounds of revenue. (Compass Group PLC, 2014)

Its mission is to assist and help their clients in completing their financial objectives.

The company has various strategic alliances and ventures with the other companies to provide the best service with a wider scope.

On the Company’s behalf I am appointed to provide a briefing note to the newly appointed manager. The repor[1]t consists of the brief about the company Compass Group UK, the services it offers, purpose and goals of the Organization. It also gives an idea about the external factors that affect an organization, namely Political, Economic, Social and Technological Factors.  (Compass Group team, 2014) The Culture of the Compass Group UK and the HR activities, it undertakes are also mentioned in this report. [2]

1. Food Services

The company’s Core Concepts food programme provides a variety of self developed concepts and our much experienced executive chefs have the ability to develop a variety of bespoke solutions. This programme has been strategically created to fulfill client’s requirements.  We undertake surveys of more than thirty thousand customers annually to ascertain ways of delivering the most suitable solutions to fit the most up-to-date culinary trends in the food industry. The outcomes of these surveys are adopted by our New Product Development team for better development of our Core Concepts food programme. Among are the latest offerings, we have products such as Wild Greens, Zona Mexicana, Green Masala, Bamboo, Trattoria and of course Best of British & Taste of Ireland.

Our healthy eating programme called the Balanced Choices offers a range of products and food dishes that caters to people who are health and diet conscious.  The programme also offers more point of sale understanding that assists clients in choosing healthier items.  (Compass House , 2012) Our special steamplicity brand employs the newest steam technology to supply a vast variety of freshly cooked food items. [3]

2. FM Services

Facilities management or support services are an important component of Compass Group’s offerings. More and more clients have started trusting us for a complete series of outsourced support services. We offer services of professional front office staff to late night office cleanup. The Company has managed to develop a great range of potential and skills in the field of support services with a clear expansion strategy.

3. Retail

A list of what the organization produces or the services that it offers to its customers

In offshore areas, consumers need to have access to a variety of products like food packets, medicines, gift items and products of daily use to meet routine demands. Our every retail shop offers a vast variety in terms of price range and sizes to fulfill the customer demands.

Compass Group UK and Ireland offers 4 unique formats. Every such offering has distinctive benefits.

Countertop: It’s a great add on to existing food stalls/stations. Such little stands, display snacks for impulsive sales and just needs at least thirty transactions per day.

Walk-in shop: This is our biggest retail format. The walk-in shop remains open for minimum 8 hours a day and has a great range of products of everyday use amongst its offerings.

Express: The compact design of the Express makes it specifically flexible. (Group, 2013)

Retail bays: Our retail bays help in increasing sales of multiple items right from chocolates to gift items. Retail bays just require space up to four meters. [4]

Today, about 1,500 enterprises trust our subsidiary company Eurest Services. The trust of the clients allows them to focus on their own business and clientele.

Increasingly, companies with worldwide operations are focused to:

Guarantee the maximum quality service to sustain their businesses;

Ensure greatest health, protection and ecological standards;

Diminish expenditures through simplifying their present service providers

Attain high effectiveness and uniformity through evenness. (Hoover’s Inc, 2016)

Compass Group has the international reach and the ability to accomplish these objectives and provide high class food and support services globally in the most effective manner, constantly and most importantly safely. [5]

Our vision

To be a top provider of contract food and support services internationally. To be known for our great workforce, service and the support solutions.

Our mission

The employees of the Compass group are committed to constantly deliver better-quality services in the most appropriate manner for the advantage of our clientele, stockholders and workforce.

Our guiding principles

For us, Health, Safety, Security and Environment come first

Delivering for customers and clients

Evolving our people and respecting diversity

Gainful expansion and growth. (Rosencrance, 2016)

Regular focus on company’s performance and effectiveness. [6]

There are several external factors that affect the decisions of managers in any enterprise. Tax fluctuations, new rules and regulations, trade barriers, change in technology, demographic changes and change in state policies are some of the macro factors that affect an organization.  These factors can be analyses by the managers through the PEST analysis. It provides a list of influences on the future victory or failure of a specific strategy. PEST Analysis includes political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors.

• Political

Change in government policies, rules and regulations have a direct impact on the functioning of the company. For an example, an increase in the tax rates may eventually increase the price of product and services that a company offers.  (Studymode research, 2014)

(ii) Economic

Economic factors refer to external factors such as business cycles, exchange rate as well as financial growth rates globally. [7]

Organic business growth is the key approach that Compass group engaged in from the year 2001 to 2005. During this period, mergers & demergers, acquisition and divestures chiefly described the business operation of the company. Though conventionally, organic growth is usually witnessed as a denial to mergers, acquisitions and takeovers, Compass shared both energies of organic and venturing approaches that lead to optimization of the economies of scale and multiplying the return on investment plans that tend to be operationally and financially effective for Compass.

Identification of the main customers

Before the onset of the new approach, Compass had a little unsatisfactory attractiveness within the food and catering sector and on the whole performance view in the next 45 years looked dim. However, the demerger from Granada provided the Compass group greater prospect to concentrate on contract catering and also other seven different market sectors.

• Socio-Cultural Factors

The social factors which include consumers taste and preferences also impact the functioning of an organization. North America and United Kingdom are amongst the greatest performing areas of the Compass Group. The prospects for Compass Group in North America comprise of the huge bargaining power of the customers and their way of life. The people of the US are well-known for having huge indulgence in fast food irrespective of the price and without compromising on quality. For Compass group, focusing on superior quality, healthy food offerings have a great result of increase in market share and financial gains. .

• Technological factors

Any change in technology has an impact on the company. That is why various organizations, including the Compass Group attempt to remain updated with technological changes so that the business doesn’t suffer.

The group deals in various sectors such as of Commerce & Industry, Medical, Defense, Education, Sports, Leisure & Hospitality with a vast customer base.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the activities extend to about ten thousand sites including offices, popular sports & leisure sites, educational institutions, medical centers, oil rigs and rural areas and many more. Our employee base exceeds 60,000 people and is at the service of millions of clients on a daily basis.  (Ricker, 2014) The Functions include Food Services, Facilities Management or support services and Retail services. [8]

Compass is the sole competitor in the catering sector, which deals in combination of segments. Compass is the sole business in the catering sector that has best entries in several other sectors. The workforce of the Compass group is committed to constantly deliver better-quality services in the most appropriate manner for the advantage of our clientele, stockholders and workforce which results in better performance.

The different functions work together to optimize performance by:

Employing set processes through the company’s international leading operating platform known as the  Compass Service Framework, that brings in uniformity and continuity;

A delivery system based on self-performance, which means it is our people providing support to your people. We train our staff to be multi-skilled, providing add-on services, being more and more efficient and reduction in third party contractors. (Thani, 2015)

Another programme called the International Clients Management provides an international management model with a single point of contact for co-ordination, digital performance reporting down to site level and a single point of responsibility for delivery. [9]

1. Safety is considered as the top most priority

It is the top most priority of the company to ensure that the clientele and the customers are safe. Safety is kept as the number one priority in whatever is being done. The company operates in 10000 places and in very difficult settings. Therefore, there can be many limitations, but still safety of the team members is ensured all the time. There is also a health and safety training programme as part of the curriculum. The training is imparted to every individual as part of induction training, and before walking into the kitchen or the office premises. The senior members of the team have to compulsorily complete the HSE training programme. The various activities range from audits to various risk assessments. In the management capacity for every manager, one target has to be HSE inclined. A team of experts helps in increasing the performance via various audits, mentoring and on-site reviews.

Training programmes, as part of the culture

Right blend of skill is the necessity in any work environment. The company is a big recruiter and recruit different age group personnel that range from 16 years old to college students. There is a meticulous and fair recruitment process. After the selection there is rigorous induction, on the job training programs and growth training programmes along with performance reviews at regular intervals. There is an excellent opportunity to learn and develop after the selection process. As every colleague has access to these developmental training programs. The training programs take good care of the technical, behavioral and leadership development of each individual.

HR team and other heads

The below mentioned are the heads of the various teams

Executive Team, Managing Director – Dennis Hogun

Managing Director – Andrew Barry

Function	Director
HR	Fiona Ryland
Sports, Leisure, Hospitality	Colin Bailey
Marketing	Louise Pilkington
Finance	Paul Galvin
Healthcare	Steve Cenci

• The HR understands that the teams have similar rationale and social answerability therefore they help in making clear the roles and responsibilities of the employees of all the other departments. Employees give better performance when they have good clarity about their roles and responsibilities. The clarification of the roles and responsibility helps in the efficient execution of work.
  
  
• The various department discuss with the HR team the metrics to exhibit the ROI of their     department’s strategy.  (Leatherbarrow & Fletcher, 2010)
  
  
• The HR teams help to spread the vision and mission of the company. [10]

• The HR department supports the finance department manager by  integrating HR and financial systems, So that the data is made available to the decision makers. The integration helps in lowering down the costs and increasing the productivity of  the business
  
  
• Similarly the HR department supports other line managers by providing cross departmental information which is required for decision making.  (Perez & Harris, 2013)
  
  
• It supports its staff by counseling them from time to time. [11]

Compass Group PLC, 2014. Pillar one: Our people. [Online]
Available at: https://www.compass-group.co.uk/our-people.htm

Compass Group team, 2014. Our company. [Online]
Available at: https://www.compass-group.co.uk/our-company.htm

Compass House , 2012. Compass Group UK & Ireland: Growing Responsibly, United Kingdom: Compass Group PLC.

Group, B. I., 2013. Why Marketing and HR need to work together on the employer branding strategy. Marketing and HR need to work together, 27 April.

Hoover’s Inc, 2016. Top Competitors for COMPASS GROUP PLC. [Online]
Available at: https://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/competition.Compass_Group_PLC.34e465c8b2687589.html

Leatherbarrow, C. & Fletcher, J. A., 2010. Introduction to Human Resource Management: A Guide to HR in Practice. Introduction to Human Resource Management.

Perez, E. V. & Harris, S. a. L., 2013. Why Marketing and HR need to work together on the employer branding strategy. Marketing and HR need to work together.

Ricker, H., 2014. THE DISCOVERY OF THE MAGNETIC COMPASS AND ITS USE IN NAVIGATION, s.l.: s.n.

Rosencrance, L., 2016. Bringing HR and finance together. HR and finance together.

Studymode research, 2014. PESTEL analysis. s.l.:studymode.

Thani, K., 2015. Compass Group: Business case. Business case.

[1] Footnote: Team, C. (2014). Pillar one: Our people. [online] www.compass-group.co.uk. <https://www.compass-group.co.uk/our-people.htm>

[2] Footnote: Our company. (2014). [online] https://www.compass-group.co.uk/. <https://www.compass-group.co.uk/our-company.htm>

[3] Footnote: Compass Group UK & Ireland: Growing Responsibly. (2012). Compass Group UK & Ireland. [online] United Kingdom, pp.1-16. <https://www.compass-group.co.uk/images/CSR_Activity_Summary.pdf>

[4] Footnote: Why Marketing and HR need to work together on the employer branding strategy. (2013). [online] <https://bluivygroup.com/why-marketing-and-hr-need-to-work-together-on-the-employer-branding-strategy>

[5] Footnote: Inc., H. (2016). Top Competitors for COMPASS GROUP PLC. [online] www.hoovers.com. <https://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/competition.Compass_Group_PLC.34e465c8b2687589.html>

[6] Footnote: Rosencrance, L. (2016). Bringing HR and finance together. [online] <https://searchfinancialapplications.techtarget.com/feature/Bringing-HR-and-finance-together>

[7] Footnote: research, S. (2014). PESTEL analysis. [online] www.studymode.com. <https://www.studymode.com/essays/Pestel-Analysis-46106475.html>

[8] Footnote: Ricker, H. (2014). THE DISCOVERY OF THE MAGNETIC COMPASS AND ITS USE IN NAVIGATION. [online] gsjournal, pp.1-10.<https://www.gsjournal.net/old/science/ricker4.pdf>

[9] Footnote: Thani, K. (2015). Compass Group: Business Case. [online] Ozone. <https://www.ozone-oo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34%3Acompass-grouppdf&catid=5%3Aalgemeen&Itemid=9&lang=en>

[10] Footnote: Leatherbarrow, C. and Fletcher, J. (2010). Introduction to Human Resource Management. A Guide to HR in Practice by Charles Leatherbarrow and Janet Fletcher. [online] CIPD, p.3rd Edition. <https://www.alibris.com/Introduction-to-Human-Resource-Management-A-Guide-to-HR-in-Practice-Charles-Leatherbarrow/book/14967426>

[11] Footnote: Vazquez Perez, E. and Harris, S. (2013). Why Marketing and HR need to work together on the employer branding strategy. [online] <https://bluivygroup.com/why-marketing-and-hr-need-to-work-together-on-the-employer-branding-strategy>