PRODUCTIVITY THROUGHT EFFECTIVE SUPERVISION(PES)

PRODUCTIVITY THROUGHT EFFECTIVE SUPERVISION(PES)

PRODUCTIVITY THROUGHT EFFECTIVE SUPERVISION(PES)

Supervisors could consider how to involve people who use services in supervision, especially in structured practice discussion and decisions about their care. Supervisors should consider how this involvement can be empowering, non-threatening and emotionally ‘safe’ for people, and sensitive to the power relationships existing between staff and people who use services.

Personal assistants (PAs) have spoken of the positive value of having regular supervision and some people employing PAs have thought about how this might be achieved. Commissioners and national and local policy-makers should consider both the funding of supervision, and how people who use services can be trained to act as supervisors or, at minimum, trained to provide a key input into supervision.

Where the working context is complex, professional leadership may be needed to ensure that support (including supervision) is appropriately accessed by all workers

should consider how they can best create a culture that recognises the value offered by effective supervision at all levels. In turn, effective supervision may increase employees’ perceptions of organisational support and improve their commitment to the organisation and its goals.

Supervisors and organisations/agencies should offer regular supervision. In addition to this, it is advisable that supervisors are available at other times, offering an ‘open door’ where possible, and ad hoc and informal supervision when needed, within the constraints of the time available.

For home care workers, organisations should offer alternative ‘responsive out-of-hours systems’, especially at times of crises and emergencies as well as regular telephone contact, in addition to scheduled supervision

Each organisation will have its own process and policy in terms of recording supervision. Supervisors and supervisees could use note-taking or structured pro-formas to record decisions and feedback. They may also want to consider how to record reflection and discussion as these are linked to those decisions

Productivity is the amount of results (output) an organization gets for a given

amount of inputs

Dimensions of  Quality

1.     Performance  The product’s primary operating characteristic

2.     Features Supplements to the product’s basic operating characteristics

3.     Reliability The probability that the product will function properly and not

break down during a specified period

4.     Conformance The degree to which the product’s design and operating

characteristics meet established standards

5.     Durability The length of the product’s life

6.     Serviceability The speed and ease of repairing the product

7.     Aesthetics The way the product looks, feels, tastes, and smells

8.     Perceived quality The customer’s impression of the product’s quality,

CONSEQUENCES OF POOR QUALITY

Limited Resources

When the quality of an organization’s goods or services is poor, the whole organization

suffers. As word spreads about problems with the product, customers

look for alternatives. The organization develops a negative image, which drives

away customers and clients. The organization loses business and therefore revenues,

and it also has more difficulty attracting other important resources. An

organization with a poor reputation has a harder time recruiting superior employees

and borrowing money at favorable terms

Higher Costs

Poor-quality work can also lead to high costs. Some managers might think it is

expensive to ensure that things are done right the first time. But the reality is that

businesses spend billions of dollars each year on inspections, errors, rework, repairs,

customer refunds, and other costs to find and correct mistakes. Attracting new customers

costs several times more per customer than keeping existing customers satisfied,

so marketing costs are higher, too. Thus, poor quality often results in much

wasted time and materials, besides requiring that unacceptable items be fixed or discarded.

If the problems remain undetected until after the goods have been sold, the

manufacturer may have to recall its products for repair or replacement. In addition,

poor goods and services may result in lawsuits by disgruntled or injured customers

TYPES OF QUALITY CONTROL

quality control refers to an organization’s efforts to prevent or correct

defects in its goods or services or to improve them in some way.

Product Quality Control

An organization that focuses on ways to improve the product itself is using product quality control

Process Control

An organization might also consider how to do things in a way that leads to better quality. This focus is called process control

          METHODS FOR IMPROVING QUALITY

1.     Statistical quality Looking for defects in outcomes selected through a sampling control technique

2.     Statistical process Using statistics to monitor production quality during the control production process

3.     Zero-defects All employees delivering such high quality that goods and approach services are free of problems

4.     Employee Setting up teams of employees to identify and solve involvement teams quality-related problems

5.     Six Sigma Using a formal process in which teams study processes and correct problems to limit defects to 3.4 per  illion operations

6.     Total quality Focusing the whole organization on continuously improving management every business process so it satisfies customers

QUALITY STANDARDS

1. Leadership.

2. Strategic planning.

3. Customer and market focus.

4. Information and analysis.

5. Human resource focus.

6. Process management.

7. Business results.

GUIDELINES FOR QUALITY CONTROL

1.     Prevention versus Detection

prevent problems from occurring than it is to

solve them after they happen; designing and building quality into a product is

more efficient than trying to improve the product later. Therefore, qualitycontrol

programs should not be limited to the detection of defects. Quality control

also should include a prevention program to keep defects from occurring.

One way to prevent problems is to pay special attention to the production of

new goods and services. In a manufacturing setting, the supervisor should see that the first piece of a new product is tested with special care, rather than wait

for problems to occur down the line. Furthermore, when prevention efforts

show that employees are doing good work, the supervisor should praise their

performance. Employees who are confident and satisfied are less likely to allow

defects in goods or services

2.     Standard Setting and Enforcement

If employees and others are to support the quality-control effort, they must know

exactly what is expected of them. This calls for quality standards. In many cases,

the supervisor is responsible for setting quality standards as well as for communicating

and enforcing them. In communicating standards, a supervisor should make sure employees know

why quality is important. Employees should receive specific information about

the costs of poor quality and the benefits of excellent quality. For example, if

employees know how much it costs to make a component or win a new customer,

they can understand the costs of remaking a defective component or alienating a

customer. In addition, employees must understand the difference between poor

quality and excellent quality. One way to do this is to use examples. In teaching a

new employee how to manufacture a part, a supervisor could show a sample of a

part that meets specifications and one that does not.

To enforce the standards, a supervisor must participate in inspecting the quality

of goods and services that employees produce. This may entail examining a random

sample of parts, accompanying a salesperson on sales calls, or visiting the

workplace where employees interact with customers. The timing of these inspections

should be unpredictable enough that employees cannot adjust their performance

because the supervisor will be checking up on them that day. When an

inspection uncovers a quality problem, the supervisor should inform the responsible

employees immediately. Then they should begin solving the problem. The

appropriate response may include apologizing to customers as well as fixing a

problem within the organization. Requiring a quick response demonstrates the

importance of quality. For enforcement of standards to be effective, the employees

must know that management is serious about quality

THE PRODUCTIVITY CHALLENGE

1.     Trends in Productivity

When the productivity of organizations in a country is improving, people benefit.

They can get goods and services at lower prices or with lower taxes than

they otherwise could. Employers tend to pay higher wages and salaries to

workers who are more productive. People also have access to more and better

goods and services.

2.     Constraints on Productivity

3.     Management Limitations

4.     Employee Attitudes and Skills

5.     Government Regulations

6.     Union Rules

IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY

1.     Use budgets.

2.     Increase output.

3.     Improve methods.

4.     Reduce overhead.

5.     Minimize waste.

6.     Regulate or level work flow.

7.     Install modern equipment.

8.     Train and motivate employees.

9.     Minimize tardiness, absenteeism, turnover.