Tag: Marriott

OM in the News: It’s “Ready, Set, Clean” at Marriott

marriottConsistency is the lifeblood of great branding, and to that end Marriott has taken something as seemingly simple as tidying up a hotel room in about 20 minutes and turned it into an  exact science. In fact, company execs treat the 66-step manual as though it were a state secret, according to Forbes (July 15, 2013). Here is a play-by-play, which makes a great example when you are talking about labor standards in Chapter 10, Human Resources, Job Design, and Work Measurement:

“Always knock three times before entering a room. Place clean fitted sheets on the nightstand. Strip the bed, and use dirty fitted sheet as a package for the rest. Inspect bed for stains. Smooth out mattress pad. Place clean fitted sheet on right side of bed, and start with top corner, move to bottom right corner and cover in a clockwise progression. Do not “billow” sheets in order to prevent tired arms.

When cleaning a nightstand, first wipe lamp base and shade and then the stand’s surfaces and drawers, including inside. Use the yellow rag with all-purpose spray in the yellow bottle. Wipe the nightstand’s glass top with a blue rag, using the blue bottle. Wipe the phone and clock. The telephone’s handset and faceplate should be wiped clean and free of marks. The cord must be bound neatly. Check that the alarm clock works and that it is set to the correct time. Make sure the alarm is off.

Before leaving, check the drapes to ensure they are in good shape and in proper position. Make sure the carpets and their edges are vacuumed and free of spots and tears. Tops of pictures must be dust-free as should be the ice buckets and windowsills. Check that the thermostat works and is set properly and that the room has a neutral odor.”

Discussion questions:

1. Why does Marriott have step-by-step instructions for almost all its operations functions?

2. How do you think these labor standards were developed? (See Ch.10 for ideas).

OM in the News: Marriott’s Simulation Game Lets Students Run the Hotel

Marriott International has just rolled out a new hotel-themed online game this week, which it hopes will attract students to positions in the hotel industry. The Wall Street Journal (June 6, 2011) describes “My Marriott Hotel”  as a realistic game that puts the player in charge of running the hotel kitchen (the company will roll out games depicting other aspects of the hotel business next year). The social media game, debuted on Facebook, puts the player in charge of buying ingredients, after being given an array of options in quality and price. The player also hires staff (based on experience and salary), and buys kitchen equipment. The players have to direct tickets to cooks and inspect orders before sending them to the customer.

Unlike  commercial simulations, like “Farmville” (by Zynga), Marriott is using computer gaming as a recruiting tool– to help fill  50,000 hotel positions this year. “Our game is so appealing”, says a Marriott exec. “Not only am I having fun but I am actually getting an understanding what it takes to run a kitchen”.

The model follows the  wildly popular “America’s Army”, introduced a decade ago by the US military. This effective recruiting tool cost little and led to a whole genre of industry simulation  games generally played on a mobile device. Siemens AG just bought “Plantville”, which simulates  being a manager for a bottling facility, a vitamin factory, or a plant that builds trains. Similarly, PlayFirst owns “Hotel Dash”, which simulates luggage delivery, room service orders, and hotel renovations. Marriott claims its game “will be more realistic”. But a Wharton prof says creating an effective game to help recruit “so far remains elusive”. It has to be both fun and realistic.

Discussion questions:

1. How can these games be effective OM learning tools?

2. Why did Marriott decide to provide this simulation at no charge?