Tools and Techniques: Emirates airlines

Quality management Tools and Techniques: Emirates airlines- Dubai
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Total Quality Management (TQM) is increasingly being adopted in the management as a way to improve on quality and productivity. TQM is a model to organizational change and improve customer that has taken various forms throughout the years (Morfaw, 2013). Nonetheless, the techniques have not always had positive results because of improper understanding son how the techniques ought to influence organizational change. At the same time, imposing a singular model to various organizations led to slow less impressive change following adoption of these techniques. Thus, even the cultural context affects the adoption of TQM practices, and the subsets of an organization need to be fully incorporated when adopting TQM techniques (Morfaw, 2009). This paper explores the application of TQM techniques in Emirates Airlines based in Dubai.
Emirates airline is fully owned by the Dubai government as part of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (Emirates, 2013). Being the largest airline operator in the Middle East the company also operates in six continents, but mainly operates in Dubai International Airport. At the same time, the airline is one of the top 10 operators in the world and is the highest revenue grossing company in the airline industry. At the same time, in 2012, the company was the fourth largest company in terms of international carried. The company came into being in 1985, following the development of the Gulf Air with support from Pakistan International Airlines complimented with the support of the royal family (Emirates, 2013). The airline later relocated all its operations to the Dubai International airport, with this becoming the main hub to improve on its operations and growth efforts in 2008. The airline mainly operates under the Airbus and Boeing aircraft (Qatar today, 2013), and being a recognized brand name the company has utilizes quality management and techniques to reach out to its customers (Emirates, 2013).
Tools and techniques of TQM
There are various techniques to enhance total quality management practices, and use of the appropriate tools helps to achieve this by focusing on continuous improvement and improving customer relations (Morfaw, 2009). Thus, brainstorming is one of the techniques applicable for Emirates airlines. Even though, Emirates Airlines is a global brand use of brainstorming helps to generate ideas on how to improve company operations. In essence, the brainstorming sessions ought to involve the heads of the airlines’ in areas of operations during meetings, given that the local market conditions differ depending on the area of operation. By discussing how to improve operations in other markets beyond the traditional markets, the results of the brainstorming session should provide an opportunity for the company to choose the best in light of the strategic position of the company.
In the daily running of the company, the employees mostly rely on the cause effect tool and check list to ensure quality compliance. Checklists typically help to list down the problems affecting the airline, and the possibility of occurrence of such problems. With this tool the checklist allows employees to collect relevant information that requires correction. At the same time, the checklist tool allows employees to focus on booking problems, as the company continues to expand globally. The logistical problem is one of the likely problems because of expansion efforts. Consequently, the company has increasingly adopted online booking as one of the effects of the problems underlined in checklist tools. Online booking has in turn led to reduced delays in the airlines for customers, and this is possible with minimal inconveniences.
The cause and effect diagrams are also useful tools in quality management for Emirates Airlines. These tools show the relationship between the problems and their causes, and are also commonly referred as Ishikawa or fishbone diagrams (Force, 2012). In the services industry the tools incorporate the equipment, policies, procedures and people involved . The diagram also helps to point out the areas that require improvement through graphical representation through an interrelated diagram. Employees of Emirates Airlines identify the quality problems and group them, and through brainstorming it is possible to come up with possible solutions to the problem. One of the main problems sin the international market is political back clash. Thus the company seeks to maintain strategic partnership with airlines in countries where the business environment is highly regulated.
The six sigma approach is an important methodology that helps to improve on quality through focusing on the cost implications of doing business (Lucas, 2002). In this case, Emirates airlines would have to deal with primary costs. The primary costs involved in the company are failure and control costs. Thus this approach helps to identify costs in terms of internal, external and preventions costs. For the management of the Emirates airlines the six sigma methodology is the most applicable given the global scale of operations. The six sigma approach is highly formalized and focuses on data collected and seeks to take actions as it is oriented towards improvement (Lucas, 2002).
Quality improvement team
The team chosen to deal with the problems of increasing cost of operation will focus on ways through which to reduce the cost of the airline on a global scale. Even though, fuel price changes have a direct impact on volatility in the industry, it is now the main strategy of the team to deal with improving customer service in a cost friendly way regardless of the fuel price changes. At the same time, the company is affected by global economic shocks as seen in the 2008 -2009 global financial down turn. To hedge against the risk of drastic changes in customer numbers, the team will be divided depending on their past performance and ability to improve on the airline quality. The six sigma approach has the advantage of improving on soft skills through training and applicable for a team (Ellid, 2001).
Quality management teams in any organization is a way of continuously improving the quality of services provided. At the heart of quality improvement is the role of teams, whereby team members combine their talents, skills and knowledge to make long lasting improvement in the company. Nonetheless, teams are mostly applicable when there is need for employee commitment .involvement of employees in using quality tools and techniques would ensure that they would be committed. At the same time, teams are more effective if they follow a frame work. Similarly, quality improvement tools help the team members to better understand the process that needs change. The Emirates airlines improvement team will first come into being after the establishment of infrastructure to effectively use resources to achieve the set objectives.
The leader of the quality improvement team will focus on building a stronger working relationship among the team members, as with little support other members are less likely to have a positive view on the team effort. The quality council will look into ways through which to improve the momentum of the group will also be focusing on ways through which to channel resources for the team. The team leader is also tasked with providing motivation in a way that encourages all the members to be involved in improving quality. The set principles to guide the team will also be aligned with the vision, mission and values of the Emirates group of companies. Besides improving the quality of operations in Emirates airlines the team will also incorporate internal and external experts to guide the team in a...