Management
Introduction
Total quality management (TQM) is an important measurement tool associated with an organization. It is basically a method through which an organization cans appreciation in their operations and services accordingly (Baldacchino and Farrugia, p.56). Management is a function cum strategy that usually found interactive on the basis of five elements that known as planning, controlling, organizing and leading. All of 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 attain the stance of effectiveness and equality in particular (Baldacchino and Farrugia, p.88). There are certain functions and operations that found effective for the companies and organizations are obliged to 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, p.77).
Every organization in the world deem effective in provide effective management to their entity to cater their consumers in a more effective and efficient manner, and this particular aspect is also in the welcome stage and scenario for health care professional organizations as well. The main theme of this paper is also towards the health care companies. This is a scenario based assignment that associated with a clinical laboratory of a 300 bed care hospital. It is a management report in which the problems of turnaround time are needed to be change for the sake of the prosperity of the company. There are four important sections of the laboratory on which the entire operation will be operating and manage accordingly. The names of these sections are hematology-coagulation, chemistry, blood bank, and microbiology-immunology.
Analysis and Findings
There are two important phases of this assignment that needed to be complete. There is no need to devote a certain amount of percentage on each of the scenario or phased, but the main thing is that to answer both of the phases accordingly and effectively.
The Problem Occurring in the Lab
The management of organization is extremely essential, however the thing which is high than important for an entity is management of timings. Time management is more than essential for an entity, as it has a direct linkage with the strategic well being of an entity, and organizations always try to manage the timings of their operations to take an advantage from the situation (Devlin, p.66).
In the current globalized and fast environment, the thing which has effectiveness in the operations is the timing of the management, and the operational aspects of the company in terms of managing and completing the operations accordingly (Lester, p.90). All the big and multinational organizations of the world are in the fact that managing of time is essential for them, and they created their names and enhanced their goodwill on the basis of this particular aspect of management of time. A customer simply can’t wait, and there is not a good sign to let the customers to be waited. Customer has many options to do business with another company, because of high association of timings. The same situation is found in this particular case as well for the Clinical Laboratory.
The medical director the Clinical Laboratory found that there is a serious delay in the turnaround predominantly in the night shift. The delay time that is reported by the Medical Director is higher than 60 minutes which is not at all effective for the Clinical Laboratory as well as for the patients as well. It is also found that the basic problem is addressed only in the night shift from 11Pm to 7am.
Turnaround Time and its importance in Clinical Laboratory
In the current scenario of the case study of Clinical Laboratory, there was a serious delay in the night shift of the company, as the time of turnaround was higher than the standard level of 60 minutes. There are numerous issues and problems that specifically associated with such a delay in the operational services of the Clinical Laboratory. The Clinical Laboratory is a big one, having 300 beds within their premises, therefore any single delay in the operations and under the catering of services for the consumers may derail the overall momentum of the individuals.
The essence of turnaround time is more than essential for a Hospital or Clinical Laboratory because complicated and sophisticated surgeries are likely to get done in the laboratories; Clinical Laboratory defined in the case study is one of those laboratories that provide surgery based operations and functions to their clients and patients. Any delay in the test may result in increasing the risk of severe complication among the surgeries. It would also be ineffective and lethal for the individuals which will lead to decrease the level of efficiency heavily. This particular turnaround section is very important for all the future concern of the company, therefore it is requested that the issue should have been resolved as soon as possible, otherwise, the company not only lose its operational efficiency, but also decrease the level and timing of the overall stay of the individuals within the premises of the Clinical Laboratory. It is also found from the case study that there are four important divisions of the Clinical Laboratory, and any delay in any of the section, may result in serious humiliation of the company with decreasing the financial belongings of the company heavily and ineffectively.
Problem Solving Strategy for Clinical Laboratory
Strategic functions and strategic prosperity are more than essential for the sake of an entity, and organizations are obliged to deliver the best services to their customers with managing their operations in an effective and organized manner. Organizations make and deliver the best strategies for their operations as far as enhancing their productivity in a best possible manner. Strategic function and well being associated and addressed with almost every department of an organization, and the strategic functions are very much effective to direct the performance of the departments in an organized and perfect manner. Usually upper management is held responsible for making and devising strategies for the company accordingly ((Wilson and Gilligan, p.23).
In this case study, the problem of high turnaround time has introduced and described that needed to be change by the company for the betterment and improvement in their current working scenario and operational capability. There is a need to solve this particular problem of Clinical Laboratory with the help of the tool found in the lab problem. It is also required to describe and implement each and every step that described in the lecture accordingly 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 well for the entities as well as for the management of the company. It not only effective for the management of the company, but it also empowers the employees of the company to put their efforts in the productivity accordingly. According to John Dewey, it always brings a win-win situation for the companies which used such great strategy of problem solving. The five steps that described and introduced by John are as follows
- Identifying the Problem
- Analyze the Problem
- Establish the Criteria
- Develop the Alternatives
- Problem Solution & Feed Back
Identifying the Problem
According to John, the foremost activity that introduced in the problem decision making stance is Identification of a Problem (Wilson and Gilligan, p.45). It means to identify the problem which is creating problem for an entity, both from financial and non financing 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 in terms of surgery and tests. The standard time is 60 minutes, but the turnaround delays are higher than the standard level of 60.
Analyzing the Problem
After the level of identification of problem, the second name is of Analyzing the Problem. Analyzing the problem is to check the level or intensity of the problem (Bettinger, Boston and Siry, p.109). The problem which has been described in the case study of Clinical Laboratory might not be as intensified and harsh for other organizations, but it is much intensified in the Clinical Laboratory, because every single delay may increase the risk of surgery, and increasing the associated complications in it. This particular ask may also increase the probability of death of the individuals because of not treating them on time.
Establishing the Criteria
According to the case study, the current volume of the tests in the Clinical Laboratory is approx 200,000 per year, and the Clinical Laboratory has a MediTech lab information system which is now obsolete. The criterion is simple, which is to decrease the large gap in the timings or turnaround of the second shift to bring positivity and effectiveness in the surgery function and operations accordingly.
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 to use different alternative approaches for the companies for their effectiveness (Bettinger, Boston and Siry, p.99). The developments of alternatives are essential for completing and resolving an issue or problem accordingly. There are two alternative procedures or method 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 processes that identifying by removing the defect or errors with the process. Apart from the removing, the intensity or level of the problem can also be decreased accordingly. It is an important approach that used by different companies of the world to bring effectiveness in their operations. Total Quality Management (TQM) usually consist of organization wide efforts to make the things permanent that continuously improves the level of ability to provide high node 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 the companies, and especially with the Clinical Laboratory found in this particular case. There are certain ethics that specifically associated with almost every company and with every industry (Bettinger, Boston and Siry, p.109). Hence, there are certain ethics and regulations that specifically associated with health care industry as well.
In order to apply the quality practice and implementation over the Clinical Laboratory, it is more than essential here to apply a perfect quality practice in particular. The Clinical Laboratory has to adopt a perfect qualitative strategy in which the lab manager has to apply the ethical concept on the lab. Clinical Laboratory is all about delivering the test and surgery services to the individuals and with the help of effective quality practice, the ethics will increase. The lab manage has to play their part to educate each and every individual working in the Clinical Laboratory that serving the people and humanity is their first priority, and they cannot detract from their working and major operations, as it is their duty to serve the individuals accordingly.
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 of different employees of an organization is a significant matter, as it leads to increase the financial outcome of an entity (Bettinger, Boston and Siry, p.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 which are working in the company, with their designations. Secondly, the manager has to welcome each and every individual to come in a big hall to discuss their problems. After having 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. The communication model that should be applied in the scenario of Clinical Laboratory would be two ways communication, in which the problem and solutions would have been delivered from both of the angles. The steps of communication that could be taken by the lab manager to overcome on the conflict are as follows
- Gather of employees in big premises
- Asking them about their problems
- Communicate their main duties with them
- Communicate the ethical laws and consideration
- Get them participated in the decision making process
- Welcome their suggestions
Quality Methods for the Future
Every organization of the world works hard to gain certain competitive advantage in their productions and services. Providence of quality services and methods are extremely essential for the sake of an organization, and it is equally beneficial in the current scenario of Clinical Laboratory as well. The quality method that can be applied by the Clinical Laboratory is depending upon the model of TQM. Clinical Laboratory can enhance their quality by providing the best and quality base services in town to the patients, by decreasing the time of tests and surgery, and it can only be done and accomplish, if the prescribed timing or the turnaround can be decreased (Bettinger, Boston and Siry, p.123)
There is a another thing that deem essential for Clinical Laboratory, and it will help the company to provide quality methods and services to the patients for their future, which is educating the professionals of the company regarding their job and duty, and should empower them to take the effectiveness from the 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 of these four elements should have been applied in a perfect and organized manner. Managerial functions not only states with the operations of the company, but it also found interesting with the management of consumer based functions, and employees management as well. The function of management is essential for health care industry as well. Though, in this assignment a case of Clinical Laboratory has been taken into the analytical consideration, which has a problem of high turnaround time, which is higher than that standard level of 60 minutes. The analysis revolves around the case provided, and found that there are certain ways to overcome on this particular problem. It is also evaluated from the whole case that the six sigma implementation would be extremely essential and effective for the Clinical Laboratory, and the company should used the same for their better future, and also for the overcoming on the problems in an effective and organized manner.
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.
