Question

Identify and explain three types of control and the components common to all control systems.

Answer 1

The three types of control are:

• Feedforward control: This type of control is used to prevent problems from occurring in the organization as they are identified early. This is a proactive method where they plan ahead by focussing on material, humans, financial resources, and capital.  For example, organizations while hiring employees are careful as they ensure that the selection is based on a certain standard which prevents performance issues later. This kind of control can be expensive and time-consuming but they prevent problems in the future.

• Concurrent control is the type of control where problems are identified and prevented when they occur. This involves problem-solving in real-time, unlike the feedforward control. The employee activity is monitored in real-time and they are evaluated according to the standards of the quality set. In this type, every activity is monitored as it occurs and there are guidelines and standards to measure every activity. For example, in a manufacturing company, the products are tested for quality as they are being produced. They are monitored by a specific department of employees assigned to that role. The defects are corrected after evaluation.
• Feedback control is a type of control where the performance is evaluated based on reviewing the information related to the performance and the objectives that were set. This kind of control evaluates the process or the performance of the organization only after the occurrence of the event. This is more of a reactive control where decisions are made based on the feedback received. For example, if a car manufacturer plans to hit a revenue of 100 million in 5 months, and after 3 months it has only reached 50 million in revenue. Based on this feedback, the organization will take effective steps to ensure the objective of 100 million is accomplished in the next two months.