Business Process Innovation: A Case Study on Starwood's Operations

This case study analyzes the stewarding process within Starwood hotels, focusing on improving efficiency and reducing costs through innovation. It identifies issues such as long distances between kitchens and inefficient allocation of stewards. The proposed solution involves a combination of static and dynamic stewards, leveraging technology and process re-engineering to optimize resource allocation. The study also discusses the application of the Power of Innovation (POI) program and Kurt Lewin’s change model to facilitate organizational development. Benchmarking, particularly internal benchmarking, is suggested as a method for continuous improvement. The case study concludes that by implementing these strategies, Starwood can enhance its stewarding process, leading to cost savings, improved time management, and increased customer satisfaction. Desklib is a valuable resource for students seeking solved assignments and study tools related to business process improvement.

Running Head: BUSINESS PROCESS 0
Business Process
Individual Assignment
Student name

Business Process 1
Table of Contents
Question 1........................................................................................................................................1
Question 2........................................................................................................................................4
Question 3........................................................................................................................................6
Question 4........................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................9

Business Process 2
Question 1
Management can manage the stewarding process in a different ways. The best one is using
innovation and information system staff will manage in easy way. The distance is long between
the building and it is time taking process to switch stewards from one place to another. Business
processes are requiring understanding, creating then delivery value from that processes in the
market (Anderson, et al., 2009).
Power of Innovation (POI) is a strong concept for managing the different task using the
technologies as well as smart work. Innovations are helpful for changing the processes, which
are taking more resources and time to complete. Problems are base of the innovations. There are
so many things, which are developed for the solving the problem. Digital strategies are providing
solutions of the different operation. Those operations are well managed from the digital
technologies (Bharadwaj, et al., 2013).
Innovations are having different types, such as disruptive innovation, breakthrough innovation,
game changing innovation and incremental innovation. They are helpful for handling a complex
process of a system in a simple way. Starwood is facing same problem to manage stewarding
process. Innovations are making changes as well as create new things for handling the problems
in particular process. Entrepreneurship is based on the innovation (Brooks, 2013).
Stewarding process can manage using two approaches, which are static and dynamic
management of stewards. It is providing a ratio for permanent and temporary stewards in a
particular area. According to the need of stewards for both static coverage as well as dynamic
coverage that will vary with number of customers, Starwood should have two categories of
stewards, which are dynamic stewards and static stewards for managing the work. According to
the demand, dynamic stewards are allocated for particular task. Dynamic stewards are complete
the task, which is needed by the system. The process is remaining same but it divided in two
parts. It is beneficial for the handling the work in an appropriate manner. It is having a good
advantage, which is switching of stewards from one place to another. Innovation is useful but
they are fully automated for the work. Therefore, they required to monitor them and use properly
for the work. Different processes are having issues and they are having solutions of these issues.

Business Process 3
Therefore, implementations of digital technologies are beneficial for handling the issues in the
process, such as big data (Chen, et al., 2012).
Steward process management is managing by this concept in a proper way. Dynamic stewards
are managing their work and they must finish it in the given deadline. However, they are not
having a deadline issues. Static stewards are managing their work in a time limit and it is a
proper way to make them fully utilized in the system. They are not required to move from one
place to another place.
Shifts are same for both the stewards according to time but processing of static and dynamic
stewards are according to their roles in the system. Dynamic stewards are in reserve for a
particular time if there is no requirement at particular place (Conceptdraw, 2018).
Source: Author

Business Process 4
Both types of stewards are reporting at the counter and now it is decided that they are static or
dynamic stewards for that day. It is already decided they are already inform according to roaster
of the week or month.
As mention in the flowchart all the stewards are reporting at the desk. They are having their
schedule according to roaster. After that, they report at the particular kitchen and they start their
work. Few stewards are put in the dynamic stewards list and they will assign task, when
customer’s ratio is high in a particular area. It is a best way and it is reducing moving time of
stewards from one place to another. They are working according to the need of stewards in a
particular place. It is also removing unnecessary chaos at every place. An organization is creating
their business from their services and operations. Hotel business is having so many risk and
opportunities from the competitors. There are some barriers in the processes, which is a risk for
the business. Therefore, reduce the risk and adopt innovative innovations for making processes
more beneficial for the organization (Chesbrough, 2010).
Starwood will manage their process using this concept in which most of the employees are static
for the fixed work according to their perception. Rests of them are in dynamic, which are
handling the extra demands from the different processes. There are many things, which are
requiring monitoring on the different processes.

Business Process 5
Question 2
Few steps are flowed for the root cause analysis, which are define problem, collect data, identify
possible causal factors, identify the root causes, and recommend and implement solutions as
shown in figure.
Source: (Pristine , 2018)
Bellow figure is showing fishbone diagram for root analysis of Starwood. Main four things are
matter a lot for this diagram, which are equipment, people, methods and materials.

Business Process 6
Source: (Pearlman & Chacko, 2012)
Starwood is mainly facing the management of stewarding process. It is a big issues for Starwood
that how they manage the stewarding process. Innovation is helpful for managing the process of
the stewarding process. Power of innovation program is beneficial for managing steward
processing the work. Innovations are helpful for managing work, such as dishwasher. Stewards
are responsible for managing the report and arrange a resource for the particular work it is a way
to manage the process in a best way. Innovations are reducing the labor for a particular work.
They are also helpful for time saving. They are having a huge expenditure on them. However, it
is only one time cost and work is so easy and fast. Starwood is a huge brand in the field of
hospitality. They are always accepting challenges and introduced innovative innovations for
making their work easier. As they spend so much money on the stewards. However, they are not
required full time stewards in some place. Still, they appoint them, but it is useless. Therefore,
they required a system, which manage all the things and stewarding process in a proper way.
Stewards move a big issue from one kitchen to another. As they have a long distance between
different kitchens. It is a time taking process for the stewarding process. Costs of stewards are
same but work of them is not same according to their shift time. They are spending so much time
in the moving from one kitchen to another. Sustainability is a way to manage different process of
an organization. It is reflect as a profit in term of cost and time (Crane & Matten, 2016).
Static and dynamic role of the stewards is providing so many benefits for the Starwood, such as
less cost, save time and customer satisfaction. Strategies are providing a best way to manage
these chaos’s at that place. It is management trick for the stewards. Stewards are unassigned
from those places, which are not having all time requirements, such as poolside kitchen. Analysis
of the problem and then making a feasible solution of that problem in a proper way is required
innovation. Creating new things or changing in the current processes is a part of the innovation
(Drucker, 2014).
Processes are must beneficial for the hotel and properly manage all the work. Stewarding process
management is a key issue in front of the Starwood. All the processes are having a long time to
complete their work. Therefore, they are creating issues for Starwood in different terms, such as
managing the works in a proper time slot. Business processes are depending on their results.

Business Process 7
Business to Business (B2B) processes is creating a field to develop new things for making their
business more beneficial for the organization (Hutt & Speh, 2012).

Business Process 8
Question 3
Power of innovation program is providing better results for different processes of the hotels
throughout in North America, such as production, front office, stewarding, laundry, kitchen
preparation, and housekeeping works. Data modeling is a way to short the problem and find a
feasible solution for that particular problem (Jacob, 2017).
Kurt Lewin’s change model is beneficial for organizational development as shown in below
diagram (Cummings, et al., 2016).
Source: (rasahmi, 2012)
The benefits of the POI program are providing the better work in efficient way. It stem from the
application of expertise in that field. It provides a fresh idea on any given process. POI programs
are reducing time with the explicit time. POI program are intending to examine processes. An
organization is having so many operation and processes for making their benefits form that
business. Operations are requiring proper management, which are reflecting as growth of the
organization (Lee & Ritzman, 2007).
POI program is saving time for what often gets lost in switching stewards for day-to-day
operations. Designing of POI program is having a team. This team is having experts to focus on
continuous improvement of processes of Starwood. It allows Starwood to identify practices,
which are inefficient, costly and unsafe. It is a way to save the time and cost of the organization.
Starwood can analyze how the stewards perform work. Different process analyzes what is

Business Process 9
happening now in different parts of the specific hotel. It is also analyses what is impeding the
productivity in that particular process of the Starwood. Technology is providing different
solutions, but a proper analysis of the issues in a particular processes help in the innovation
(Lichtenthaler & Ernst, 2009).
The POI program maintains different perception on competitive priorities of the Starwood.
Therefore, they redesign processes and taking initiatives do not negatively influence corporate
priorities in the processes (Nishadha , 2017). Innovations are providing better solution for current
process and it is a way to handle all the things, which are beneficial for the system. Disruptive
innovations are making changes in the processes and it provides better result in form of cost and
time (Christensen, et al., 2015).
These benefits could extend to different processes of the Starwood. It is also beneficial for
properties in the Starwood system. POI program is not changing in the good processes. It makes
changes in which processes, which are not meeting expectations of the Starwood. It makes
changes in those processes so that they may become great. IT technologies are providing
different Information Systems (IS) for making proper improvement in the processes of an
organization (Nord, et al., 2007).

Business Process 10
Question 4
Starwood is facing issues, which are related to the different processes of operations. Starwood is
at risk for making several things better. It makes them to mistakes in managing processes of the
Starwood. Most of the changes are not significant. It is a way to change processes that are not
being satisfied at any level. It is not proper unless fundamental re-engineering changes are made
in the processes. Starwood is well-known and famous brand being a top-notch luxury hotel.
Therefore, they must be doing many things right in their processes of different things. Hotel
industries are facing so many risks from their competitors. Therefore, business model is required
for the maintaining those processes in a proper way (Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2010).
In case of Starwood, Internal benchmarking is applied for solving issues of organizational
management. Benchmarking is having four phases for resolving an issue as shown in below
figure.
Source: (excellance, 2011)
Internal benchmarking is suitable for handling the stewarding management process in Starwood.
These are the steps for benchmarking as shown in below figure.

Business Process 11
Source: (excellance, 2011)
The POI program is having a team for making changes in the different processes. All the
processes are change with a designated team. The temptation will be to see big results from the
processes changes. POI teams provide better results from each project undertaken. They are
changing processes in an innovative way when in reality some processes might only need a slight
change for getting great benefit from them. Operation management is a huge part for the chain
management business. It requires proper management of the processes in term of cost and time
of the organization for that processes (Russell & Taylor-Iii, 2008).
Secondly, Starwood should pay special attention to the processes, which are directly connected
with the people. Processes are required changes whether in what way they are bearing in mind.
The impact of these changes in the process on people matter a lot for the Starwood. POI
program makes changes in the process then leaving them. It is way to testing the process those
employees adopting those new processes. It provides proper change management in the
processes at different place. Innovations are needful for the small business as well as large
business processes (Scarborough, 2016).
Starwood’s POI program is making changes in the processes for getting improvement as well as
making them suitable for infrastructure. It is also providing the benefits from the continuous

Business Process 12
process improvement. POI program are not suitable for the all processes whether the new
process takes hold. It will depend on how well it is accepted by the employees in that particular
place. It is also reflect from implementation of that processes. Changing in processes is an issue
for employees as they break their comfort zone. Therefore, it is monitored. The POI team is
watching the results, which are monitored by the staff. Then, they decide about the processes. If
proper benefits are not getting from the processes then that processes is not working for long
time. They drop that process and reschedule for particular process, which provides more benefits
to the Starwood. Small businesses are having their innovative ideas for creating new things and
those things are helpful for the making business for the industry in different ways, such as
decoration, laundry, kitchen (Storey, 2016).
Starwood is not creating new process if they are suitable and beneficial for the organization.
They create improvement in the processes but making them according to culture and different
requirements of the Starwood. Local management is providing different benefits from their
operations. Processes are required improvement and it is beneficial for management of the
different processes as well as operations of the Starwood. Business processes are based on a
model and innovations are helping them to fulfill their objective in a better way (Teece, 2010).
System is requiring new things always and it is providing benefits. Better services are a way to
satisfy a customer and for satisfying a customer better services are must. Innovative things attract
customers and they are changing the processes of management different things. Business
processes are managing all the operations of a system and innovations are making them more
beneficial with improvement in their practices (Trkman, 2010).

Business Process 13
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