Improving Quality: A Report on British Airways' Challenges

This report provides an analysis of the quality management practices of British Airways, a major airline company. It begins by identifying three underlying reasons for poor quality, including unstructured performance problems, lack of knowledge about customer preferences, ineffective research, and personal problems reflected in operations. The report then examines British Airways' financial capabilities and the competence of its staff, highlighting the company's substantial revenues and skilled workforce. Based on this analysis, the report recommends the implementation of the Kaizen approach, a total quality management concept, to continuously improve services and operations. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of managing quality to achieve successful outcomes and suggests specific procedures for implementing the Kaizen approach within British Airways, ultimately aiming to reduce waste, streamline processes, enhance employee and customer satisfaction, and deliver superior services. The report includes relevant references from books, journals, and online resources to support its findings and recommendations.

Managing Quality

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
3 underlying reasons for poor quality which may have impacted British Airways...............1
Examining the extent to which British Airways has financial capabilities as well as competent
staff for improving quality......................................................................................................2
Recommendations to British Airways for improving quality of the services........................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Managing quality is defined to the action that helps in overseeing entire activities and
operations which should be accomplished at desired excellence level. The concept comprises of
determining quality policy, devising and executing quality planning along with assurance,
controlling and improvements (Graham, 2018). The briefing document is prepared by
considering British Airways which is UK based Airline Company that has its headquarters in city
of England, United Kingdom since the year 1974. The briefing document highlights quality
issues that may have impacted the company and the extent at which the organisation has
financial capabilities addition to competent staff for the purpose of improving quality. At last,
recommendation is provided to the business concern for improving quality of services.
MAIN BODY
3 underlying reasons for poor quality which may have impacted British Airways
Quality issue is termed to the suspected deviation in performance of company which is not
upto determined excellence. In present era, all entities face some of other quality issues. It has
been found that they main quality issue through which British Airways is impacted at huge
extent are unstructured performance problem. The company has shapeless procedures of
activities due to which it fails to deliver desired quality level of performances to its customers.
Following are some of reasons for the poor quality that results in negative impacts to British
Airways:
 One is poor knowledge about the desired quality choices of customers. It is seen that
British Airways have limited knowledge related to the level of customer choices related
to the quality performances. When customers were unsatisfied with the performances of
the company then it impacted negatively on the entity in context to managing customer
base and so on (Fitzsimmons, Fitzsimmons and Bordoloi, 2014). For example, a business
man was expected a good quality of breakfast with the ticket. However, British Airways
was not having any knowledge about it and due to this the business was shocked with the
poor presentation as well as quality of breakfast that may impact the brand image of
enterprise.
 Another is ineffective research for demand of required performances by the audiences
(Mishra- Patricio, Nish, 2018). It has been perceived that British Airways has performed
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ineffective research related to number of customers satisfied and unsatisfied with its
quality of service delivery. As its one of customer was not dismayed by the
underwhelming from the performance and the passenger vowed to not use it again. The
company did not research for such action of customers and due to this its recognition in
the market might be impacted to huge extent.
 The last is personal problems which are reflected in operations. It is analysed that when
employees of the company are in some problem then it is reflected in the performance
levels of the operations (King and Et. Al., 2006). In case with British Airways, its
employees have some issues with the compensation, benefits and other requirements that
are not provided to them from long timings. Because of all these, the company is facing
unstructured performances which can impact on overall business.
Examining the extent to which British Airways has financial capabilities as well as competent
staff for improving quality
Financial capabilities are the set of attitudes, skills, self-efficacy that are required for
making along with exercising decisions related to money management which fits best to
circumstances of an organisational life. In context to British Airways, it has huge financial
capabilities in terms of revenues and net income. At present, the company has revenues of
approx £13,020 million along with net income of £1,952 million that can be used to great extent
for the purpose of improving quality. It can be said that the entity can invest in adopting various
technologies such as Artificial Intelligence that can deliver well quality services to customers
and also fit level of quality for delivery performances. This will help in improving current
performance quality to huge extent (British Airways, 2020).
British Airways has more than 45000 competent staff in which around 16500 are cabin
crew, 3900 pilots, 4700 engineers and rest are ground level employees. Moreover, the company
also employs graduates from more than 145 nations each year (Competent staff at British
Airways, 2019). The company can improve quality in the performance through organising
training sessions and development programs that will enhance skills and knowledge of current
and new manpower for performing activities in the manner that makes customers happy and
satisfied. Along with this, it can also merge with other airline company so that it can share
resources in the manner that results in uplifting quality of performances.
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Recommendations to British Airways for improving quality of the services
The British Airways is recommended to use Kaizen approach that is total quality
management concept for the purpose of improving quality in the services and performances.
Kaizen refers to improvements in practices, workings and many more in continuous manner. By
using the recommended TQM concept the company will be able to reduce wastage of resources,
simplify and structures working processes, improve safety, enhance employee along with
customer satisfaction and deliver better quality services. To implement the concept, management
team of British Airways can follow certain procedures that are involving employees, finding
issues, thinking and ascertaining solutions, implementing effective solution, monitoring
activities, standardising practices and repeating the procedure. With this, it will achieve success
in improving overall quality at workplace.
CONCLUSION
The mentioned briefing document concludes that it is important to all organisations to
manage desire level of quality in performances so to gain successful results. The main problem
faced in entity is unstructured performance issues that can impact on the business to huge extent.
The entity can use its financial capabilities as well as competent staff for improving quality. At
last, Kaizen approach is recommend to the entity for improving current quality of services.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Graham, A., 2018. Managing airports: An international perspective. Routledge.
Fitzsimmons, J., Fitzsimmons, M. and Bordoloi, S., 2014. Service management: Operations,
Strategy, Information Technology, 8thed. New York, US: McGraw Hill Education.
King and Et. Al., 2006. Managing for Quality in the Hospitality Industry. New Jersey: Pearson
Education Limited.
Mishra- Patricio and Nishi., 2018. Managing Quality in Hospitality, Tourism and Events
(Custom textbook), Pearson: Harlow.
Online:
British Airways. 2020. [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_us/>
Competent staff at British Airways. 2019. [Online]. Available through: <
https://mediacentre.britishairways.com/factsheets/details/86/Factsheets-3/33 >
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