Costa Coffee: Performance Review Techniques and Improvement Plan

This report provides an improvement plan for Costa Coffee, focusing on enhancing its management practices to overcome challenges and maintain market leadership. The analysis covers various aspects, including the need for effective employee training, organizational culture management, and strategic marketing initiatives. The report emphasizes the importance of quality control, standard specifications, and monitoring and evaluation techniques, such as inspections, customer feedback, and audits, to appraise performance in the food and beverage industry. Recommendations include implementing the Seven C's model for change management to ensure successful operational practices and adaptation to market demands. The report also highlights the importance of introducing new flavors and varieties to increase market share and profitability, offering practical strategies for effective change implementation within the organization.

TASK4 Improvement Plan for Costa coffee
P6 Measuring management practices using performance review techniques in the
Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee runs its business through various branches operating in different
countries. This involves vast number of management practices to support successful
operations of the business. Company has been focusing on high quality through sourcing
premium quality coffee and with environmental friendly practices. It has been ranked 2nd
position across the world due to its ability to deliver premium quality coffee and excellent
services. It has robust management which helps to maintain prominence with teamwork and
contingency handling skill (CHON and MAIER, 2010). The company can improve in the
following areas to overcome challenges of new entrants and declining sales. These are:
 Developing effective team of trained people
 Managing organizational culture and structure
 Marketing strategies to increase market share
 Introducing new flavor and variety of coffee drinks
Company can overcome its challenges with the help of above solutions and implementation
to maintain its leadership in the market.
Management practices refer to the methods and techniques which help in improving the
effectiveness of business operations. It includes various common management practices such
as Training and empowerment of employees, hiring smart and talented people, introducing
schemes for improving quality and new technology with excellent flow of communication
etc. A best practice is a methodology which helps in producing high results than other means.
It becomes a standard or benchmark to accomplish desired results in a company. It is defined
by others as a set of standards, guidelines, ethics which represent the most efficient or
prudent course of plan action (HANNAGAN, 2008). Following are the measures company
can undertake to appraise performances in the food and beverages industry. These are:
1. Food Service Quality checks- Quality control is one of the popular measurement
tool. It is indispensible for any food company which helps in controlling the entire
supply chain process. It results in delivering safe and healthy product which meets
expectations of high quality. In this managers introduce benchmarks for quality
production. Also involves testing samples to evaluate batches. It helps in predicting
potential loopholes for performance and efficiency improvements.
2. Standard specifications and procedures- For ensuring adherence to best practices
focus on standard specification and operating procedures. It includes brand names,
type of packaging, fat content, special trimming, product and container size etc. It
should be specific, realistic, and easy to verify. Procedures are the step by step
instructions which help workers to carry out daily difficult jobs. This ensures
efficiency, quality output and consistency while diminishing failures and

misunderstandings. For company it can consider procedures in Personal hygiene,
facility and equipment, communications and delivery of drinks and snacks etc.
3. Monitoring and Evaluation- It is a process of collecting, analyzing and
implementing to trace performances towards attaining of goals and to help in decision
making. It is continued activity for specific project or initiative and focuses on each
key result areas. In evaluation measurement is conducted for project, strategy and
performance to determine effectiveness of each activity. It focuses on expected and
actual results by examining processes to determine gaps and deviations from
standards (HILL and HILL, 2012). Company can used mystery guests, inspections,
customer satisfaction feedbacks and health checks and audits to evaluate and monitor
performance.
 Inspections- It includes measurement through observation with the help of
experts or specialist. In this evaluation is done for organizational culture,
management, teams, structures and premises conditions. It helps in controlling
various functions of a company.
 Customer Feedback- In this customer satisfaction is measured with the help
of surveys and feedback forms. It is a measurement tool for understanding
level of satisfaction from company’s services and products. It can be done
through online, telephone and face to face interaction surveys. It helps
company in receiving valuable insights.
 Environmental health check and audits- In this measure are undertaken for
protecting public health by analyzing environmental health checks to
minimize hazardous situations. It is achieved by ensuring activities aligned
with legislation related to environment health and safety. Audits are the
official inspection of financial accounts by regulated body. It plays a key role
in verification and standardizing company’s practices in food industry.
 Mystery guests- These are the shoppers who provide management with
valuable experience snapshot. This helps in framing new objectives to deliver
best customer experience. These trained observers evaluate the service
delivery and product by providing rating on scorecard (PAYNE-PALCIO and
THEIS, 2016)
P6 Recommendations and Implementation Plan
Costa coffee is recommended to use various evaluation techniques for improving its
operations and management practices. In this report it is analyzed that food service
companies should maintain health and safety with hygienic methods to deliver protected
food. Company can work on delivering services with staffing strategies for an effective
structure. Also, it can plan to introduce new flavors for satisfying demands of customer than
coffee. It can serve different varieties which help in increasing market share and profitability.
Following practices should be taken to impalement plan effectively :
Seven C’s model for Change management

Costa Coffee can implement change in its operation for overcoming challenges and
achieve successful operational practices. Change is hard to implement due to ways of coping
with it. Following are the steps to implement change and achieve strategic objectives. These
are:
 Clarity- For implementing change clarity is essential for attaining goals and
objectives. It will help in clear understanding of what change is for and how it will get
implemented. It is important for everyone to know the benefits of change.
 Continuity- In this continuity is important for reinforcing change in the activities in
the company. It helps in changing behaviors and attitudes resulting old habits into
new ones for effective learning.
 Certainty- In this certainty is required to implement change in an organization.
Managers need to bring certainty in the process of achieving success and result in
benefits for overall company and individual interest.
 Consistency- In this change occurs when it is consistently applied in small amount. It
helps in delivering fast and better results with mutual efforts leading to effective
change management.
 Cooperation- Manager can mutually work with staff to generate cooperation in
bringing change in the company.
 Confidence- It is essential to instill confidence in the employees during the change
process. This helps in directing and inspiring people to change resulting in
cooperative efforts and reducing resistance, conflicts etc.
 Communication- It is the key for implementing change in the company. Flow of
information helps in keeping staff aware of the changes and their benefits. It is
essential in implementing different methods and behavior for impactful change
(REYNOLDS and McCLUSKY, 2013).

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
CHON, K. and MAIER, T. (2010) Welcome to Hospitality: An Introduction. 3rd ed.Delmar,
New York: Cengage Learning.
HANNAGAN, T. (2008) Management Concepts and Practices. 5th ed. Harlow: Pearson.
HILL, A. and HILL, T. (2012) Operations Management. 3rd ed. Hampshire: Palgrave
Macmillan.
PAYNE-PALCIO, J. and THEIS, M. (2016) Foodservice Management: Principles and
Practices. 13th ed. Harlow: Pearson.
REYNOLDS, D. and McCLUSKY, K. (2013) Foodservice Management Fundamentals.
Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Inc.