Management
Introduction
Total quality management (TQM) is an important measurement tool associated with an organization. It is a method through which an organization can gain in their operations and services (Baldacchino and Farrugia 56). For example, by continuously improving the quality of services or products an organization can grow and compete; the success is measured by the quality of services (Baldacchino and Farrugia 56). Management is a strategy that is usually interactive on the basis of four elements known as planning, controlling, organizing and leading. These four elements are there to examine the effectiveness of an organization, and it has a direct linkage with the financial and strategic prosperity of an entity.
The value of TQM and simple management schemes are wonderful as it relates with the operational mechanism of an entity. In fact, it is the only thing through which an organization could support effectiveness and equality in particular (Baldacchino and Farrugia 88). There are certain functions and operations that are effective for companies and organizations who must deliver their effectiveness on the said situations. Those organizations which have a proactive approach towards managing their operations are more effective than those of other organizations (Bettinger, Boston and Siry 77).
Every organization in the world must provide effective management to their entity and to cater to their consumers in a more effective and efficient manner; especially in the scenario of a health care organization. The main theme of this paper is aimed at health care companies. This is a scenario based assignment that is associated with a clinical laboratory of a 300 bed care hospital. It is a management report in which the problems of turnaround time need to be changed for the sake of company prosperity. There are four important sections of the laboratory on which the entire operation will operate and manage accordingly, hematology-coagulation, chemistry, blood bank, and microbiology-immunology.
Analysis and Findings
There are two important phases of this assignment that need to be completed. There is no need to devote a certain amount of percentage on each of the scenario or phase, but the main thing is to answer both of the phases accordingly and effectively.
The Problem Occurring in the Lab
The management of an organization is essential, however the management of time is more important. Time management is more than essential for an entity as it has a direct link with the strategic wellbeing of an entity, and organizations always try to manage the timing of their operations to take advantage of the situation (Devlin 66). Organizations can manage time more wisely by clearly defining tasks and motivating professionals and clients (Baldacchino and Farrugia 75). Additionally, time management is a tool that ensures every objective is met (Baldacchino and Farrugia 74).
In the current globalized and fast paced environment, the most effective tool in operations is time management (Lester 90). The operational aspects of the company regarding management and completion of operations is important (Lester 90). All multinational organizations of the world agree that managing time is essential for them and they created their names and enhanced their goodwill on the basis of this particular aspect of management. A customer simply can’t wait and there is no reason for a customer to wait. A customer has many options to do business with another company; the same situation is found with the Clinical Laboratory. The medical director of the Clinical Laboratory found a serious delay in turnaround predominantly in the night shift. The delay reported by the medical director is higher than sixty minutes which is not at all effective for the Clinical Laboratory as well as for the patients. Also, the basic problem is addressed only in the night shift from 11Pm to 7am.
Turnaround Time and its importance in the Clinical Laboratory
In the current scenario, the Clinical Laboratory had a serious delay in the turnaround during the night shift as the time of turnaround was higher than the standard level of sixty minutes. There are numerous issues and problems that are specifically associated with such a delay in the operational services of the Clinical Laboratory. The Clinical Laboratory has 300 beds inside their premise. Therefore, any delay may disrupt the overall momentum of care.
The essence of turnaround time is essential for a Hospital or Clinical Laboratory because complicated and sophisticated surgeries are likely to be done in the laboratories; The Clinical Laboratory defined in the case study is a laboratories that provides surgery based operations and functions to their clients and patients. Any delay in the test may result in increasing the risk of severe complications among the surgeries. It would also be ineffective or fatal for the individuals which would lead to decrease the level of efficiency. This particular turnaround section is very important for all future concerns of the company. Therefore, it is requested that the issue should be resolved as soon as possible, otherwise, the company would not only lose its operational efficiency but also decrease the amount of clients at the Clinical Laboratory. It is also found from the case study that there are four important divisions of the Clinical Laboratory. Delay in any of the sections may result in serious humiliation of the company while decreasing the financial belongings of the company.
Problem Solving Strategy for Clinical Laboratory
Organizations are obliged to deliver the best services to their customers by managing their operations in an effective and organized manner. Organizations create and deliver the best strategies for their operations by enhancing their productivity in a best possible manner. Strategic functions and the wellbeing associated and addressed with almost every department of an organization are very much effective at directing the performance of the departments in an organized and perfect manner. Usually upper management is held responsible for creating and devising strategies for the company accordingly (Wilson and Gilligan 23).
In this case study, the problem of high turnaround time has been introduced and described such that the improvement of the company relies on changing their current working scenario and operational capability. There is a need to solve this particular problem with the help from the tool found in the lab problem. It is also required to describe and implement each step which was described in the lecture managed and introduced by John Dewey. According to the author, with the help of problem solving model, the probability of resolving the problem would increase considerably for the entities as well as for the management of the company. It is not only effective for the management of the company but it also empowers the employees to put their efforts into its productivity. According to John Dewey, it always brings a win-win situation for the companies when the strategy of problem solving was used. The five steps that were described and introduced by John Dewey is as follows
- Identifying the Problem
- Analyze the Problem
- Establish the Criteria
- Develop the Alternatives
- Problem Solution & Feed Back
Identifying the Problem
As per John Dewey, the foremost activity that was introduced in the problem decision making stance is Identification of a Problem (Wilson and Gilligan 45). It means to identify the problem which is creating difficultly for an entity, both from a financial and a non-financial angle. In this particular scenario, the core problem is the high amount of turnaround time predominantly in the night shift which is creating problems in terms of delivering the best services regarding surgery and tests. The standard time is 60 minutes, but the turnaround delays are higher than the standard.
Analyzing the Problem
Once the problem has been identified then the next step is to analyze it. Thus, the second level is Analyzing the Problem. Analyzing the problem is to check the level or intensity of the problem (Bettinger, Boston and Siry 109). The problem which has been described in the case study of the Clinical Laboratory might not be as intensified and harsh for other organizations, but it is more intensified in the Clinical Laboratory because every single delay may increase the risk of surgery and increasing the associated complications such as not treating the clients on time.
Establishing the Criteria
Consistent with the case study, the current volume of tests in the Clinical Laboratory is approximately 200,000 per year and the Clinical Laboratory has a MediTech lab information system which is now obsolete. The criterion is simple, decrease the large gap in the timings or turnaround of the second shift to bring positivity and effectiveness to the surgery function and operations.
Developing the Alternatives
Development of alternatives is an important aspect as far as resolving a particular problem is concerned. It usually depends upon the fact that alternative approaches may be more effective for the companies (Bettinger, Boston and Siry 99). The developments of alternatives are essential for completing and resolving an issue or problem. There are two alternative procedures or methods that can be used by the Clinical Laboratory to resolve this particular issue which are Six Sigma Strategy and Total Quality Management (TQM) implementation. The Six Sigma is a quality based process that identifies and removes the defect or error within the process. Apart from removing, the intensity or level of the problem can also be decreased accordingly. It is an important approach that is used by different companies around the world to bring effectiveness into their operations. Total Quality Management (TQM) usually consists of organizational wide efforts which permanently and continuously improve the ability to provide products and services.
Problem Solution & Feedback
Identifying a Quality Practice
Apart from the problem and its related solutions, there are certain problems that are associated with companies and especially with the Clinical Laboratory found in this particular case. There are certain ethics that are specifically associated with almost every company and industry (Bettinger, Boston and Siry 109). Hence, there are certain ethics and regulations that are specifically associated with the health care industry. The Clinical Laboratory has to adopt a perfect qualitative strategy in which the lab manager applies the ethical concept to the lab. It is important to the Clinical Laboratory to deliver quality practices to the individuals specifically regarding tests and surgeries; also, ethics will increase with quality practice. The lab manager is responsible for educating the employee; the first priority is to serve the people and humanity. Any detraction from this priority would be detrimental.
Phase-2
There are number of bullet points have been mentioned in the case, and it is required to select any two of them and write about it
Effective Communication for working together
The essence of working together is a significant matter as it leads to increase the financial outcome of an entity (Bettinger, Boston and Siry 12). It is very difficult to manage all the employees of an organization on a single platform but effective communication can be a major solution of this particular problem. The same aspect can be applied over the case of Clinical Laboratory as well. The lab manager has to check out the total number of professionals who are working in the company with their designations. Secondly, the manager has to welcome each individual to discuss their problems. After hearing the problems of the employees, the lab manager should communicate that the entire company is like a family and cumulative action would be essential for the sake of the Clinical Laboratory in future. There are two communication models that could be applied; the problems and solutions will be delivered from both angles. The steps of communication that could be taken by the lab manager to overcome the conflict are as follows
- Gathering employees in large premise
- Asking them about their problems
- Communicate their main duties to them
- Communicate the ethical laws and considerations
- Get them to participate in the decision making process
- Welcome their suggestions
Quality Methods for the Future
Every organization of the world works hard to gain certain competitive advantages in their productions and services. A sense of quality services and methods are vital for the sake of an organization and it is equally beneficial in the current scenario of the Clinical Laboratory as well. The quality method that can be applied by the Clinical Laboratory depends upon the model of TQM. The Clinical Laboratory can enhance their quality by providing the best quality base services in town to the patients by decreasing the time of tests and surgery. It can only be accomplished if the prescribed timing or the turnaround can be decreased (Bettinger, Boston and Siry 123). Another aspect that is essential for Clinical Laboratory is educating the professionals regarding their job and responsibility. It will help the company to provide quality methods and services to the patients for their future and should empower them to be effective for people and humanity.
Conclusion
Managerial functions are very important and effective for an entity as it is the only function that has active censorship in the organization. The managerial function depends upon four different elements and all four elements should be applied in a perfect and organized manner. The function of management is essential for the health care industry as well. Though, the case of the Clinical Laboratory has been taken into analytical consideration which has a problem of high turnaround time, higher than that standard level of sixty minutes. The analysis revolves around the case provided. It was established that there are certain ways to overcome this particular problem. It has also been evaluated that the six sigma application would be essential and extremely effective for the Clinical Laboratory. The company should use the same for overcoming problems in an effective and organized manner in the future.
Work Cited
Baldacchino, Godfrey, and Charles Farrugia. Educational Planning and Management in Small States. London: Commonwealth Secretariat, 2002. Print.
Bettinger, Pete, Kevin Boston, and Jacek P Siry. Forest Management and Planning. Burlington: Elsevier, 2008. Print.
Devlin, Edward S. Crisis Management Planning and Execution. Boca Raton, FL: Auerbach Publications, 2007. Print.
Lester, Albert. Project Management, Planning, And Control. Kidlington, Oxford, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2014. Print.
Venezia, Mike. Alexander Graham Bell. New York: Children's Press, 2009. Print.
Wilson, R. M. S, and Colin Gilligan. Strategic Marketing Management. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
