Question

Skill Builder 13-3 SUPERVISORY MANAGEMENT 9 EDITION

Competitor Assessment (Group Activity)

Assemble teams of three to five members. Choose two well-known direct competitors (e.g., Jimmy Johns and Firehouse, Walgreen and CVS, and Walmart and Target), and using the Internet, finding information (articles, blogs, company websites, etc.) about each organization.

Instructions

1. Specifically, your team should identify and classify (feedforward, concurrent, and feedback) the different types of control systems each competitor utilizes.

2. Pick one form of control for each company and evaluate its effectiveness based on the characteristics of effective control systems presented in this chapter. What improvements could each company make?

3. Prepare and give a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation of your overall findings to the class.

Answer 1

Two direct competitors that I have selected are Starbucks and McDonalds’ McCafé

1. Starbucks uses three control system namely Forefront control, concurrent control and feedback control. In forefront control Starbucks take measures in advance. For example of this that Starbucks provide training and manual to all employees before placing them on job.

In concurrent control Starbucks take measures to improve their current activities. For example Starbucks offer gift cards to employees to ensure their concurrent activities are as planned.

In feedback control Starbucks ensures that their customers proactively give feeback for services and products at their café.

McDonalds’ McCafé is amongst the top competitors of Starbucks. It is also known for proactively implementing all three control systems like Starbucks. McDonalds McCafe has strict regulatory process of establishing standards.

Managers of McCafe are given regulatory training to ensure that Feed-forward control is maintained with high standards. Employees can take assistance of superiors at any time. Apart from it, proper training is given to staff before they join on duty.

Feedback control is also maintained with high standards. Customers are proactively ask to submit their feedback about services and products.

Concurrent control of Mc Café ensures that all their customers receives updates about offers and updating in menu.

2.

Evaluation of Starbucks forefront control:

• Forefront control measures of Starbucks like providing manual and training to employees, creating unique customer service experience and enhancing layout with customer service screen are determined to be highly effective based on following characteristics of control system:
  • Accurate,
  • Timely,
  • Flexible,
  • Up-to-date,
  • Realistic,
  • Economically feasible

Evaluation of Feedback control of McCafé:

• It was determined that although feedback control of McCafe is effective, there is a scope for improvement based on following characteristics:
  • Economic feasibility,
  • Better coordination between employees and customers,
  • Comprehensibility,
  • More focus on strategy