Facilitating implementation of total quality management ...

Facilitating implementation of total quality managementthrough information technology

Grace Aua,*, Ivan Choib

aDepartment of Information and Systems Management, The Hong Kong University of Science

& Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong KongbBrunel University, Uxbridge, Sussex, UK

Received 19 May 1996; received in revised form 16 September 1996; accepted 5 October 1998

Abstract

There is growing interest in the service industries in the adoption of quality management programs to improve their

operational ef®ciency and market competitiveness. Deming's total quality management (TQM) philosophy is one of the well-

known ones. The TQM emphasizes continuous improvement through statistical control and the continuous training of people

in the principles of quality management. One of the main implementation issues is the large volume of data that must be

statistically analysed. Although recent researches have reported on how TQM is applied in various industries, few have

discussed the importance of information technology in ensuring a successful TQM program. This paper reports on the

application of information technology in the TQM process and how it can support management decisions. A case example is

included to support these views. # 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Total quality management; Quality control information system; Statistical process control; Continuous improvement

1. Introduction

Quality is seen as saving time and money. A.T.

Kearney found that, out of 50 determinants of com-

petitiveness, quality was most often cited by chief

executive of®cers as critical [24]. Today, the focus on

quality has gone well beyond the ®nished product to

looking at the processes of production throughout the

entire organization. No longer is quality a question of

meeting customers' expectations, but one of exceed-

ing them. Motorola's former chairman, Bob Galvin,

believes that the gross national product of the USA

could go up by some 0.5±1% per year if there were a

national policy on quality.

As more and more companies strive to maintain

competitiveness, the philosophy and concepts of total

quality management (TQM) have been received

increased attention by American industry as well as

by academic researchers [10]. TQM is a customer-

focused management philosophy that aims at the

continuous improvement of the processes and man-

agement of an organization through statistical control,

procedure design, policy deployment and human

resource management techniques. Not only has

TQM fundamentally altered and re-shaped the work

practices and management thinking of many organi-

Information & Management 36 (1999) 287±299

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +852-2358-7635; fax: +852-2358-

2421

E-mail address: [email protected] (G. Au)

0378-7206/99/$ ± see front matter # 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

PII: S 0 3 7 8 - 7 2 0 6 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 0 3 0 - 0

zations in the 90s, it has also made new and profound

demands on every organization. Although TQM was

initially introduced into the manufacturing industries,

its adoption has also gradually been extended to the

service industries. Nowadays, service and quality are

intertwined. In virtually every business sector, being a

quality organization has increasingly become a pre-

requisite, rather than an exceptional achievement.

Accreditation with internationally recognized quality

standards, such as the European ISO 9000 and the

American Six Sigma, has become a basic requirement

for doing businesses with many organizations.

A major implementation issue of TQM in the

service industries is the need to collect a large amount

of data and carry out statistical analysis on them.

Owing to the vast volume of data involved, the success

of a TQM program depends on the use of information

technology (IT). If properly planned and implemen-

ted, IT will greatly enhance the application of quality

management in the organization. While IT is taking

care of the more mundane and routine tasks of data

input, computation, measurement, and output, the

users can concentrate their effort on ful®lling the more

important objective of `quality improvement.' This

paper reports on the application of IT in the TQM

process and how management can use the output to

support decisions that help to achieve continuous

improvement of a service-oriented organization. A

case example in the design and implementation of a

hotel housekeeping TQM-IS that aims to improve

customer service quality is included to support these

views.

2. Total quality management (TQM)

2.1. Deming's TQM philosophy

TQM evolved from statistical process control the-

ories pioneered by Dr. Walter A. Shewhart in the Bell

Telephone Laboratories of AT&T in 1924 [15]. His

theories, originally designed for the manufacturing

sectors, were also applied by practitioners in the

service industries and became the basis of Dr. W.

Edward Deming's work [18,22]. An American by

nationality, successful implementation of TQM by

Deming did not occur in the US, but in Japan during

the 1980s [5,9]. It was his success in Japan that led to

the sudden growth of interest in TQM in American

industry.

TQM is a management philosophy that is intended

to empower every member of the organization. It is

intended to promote continuous, sustained, and long

term improvement in quality and productivity and to

eliminate employees' fear of change. Its basic prin-

ciple is that the cost of prevention is less than the cost

of correction. Bellis-Jones et. al. [3] suggest that TQM

is not just another management fad; it is capable of

delivering real competitive advantage. The TQM

approach integrates the fundamental techniques and

principles of quality function deployment, statistical

control, and existing management tools in a structured

manner. By establishing a quanti®ed deliverable cost

bene®t, TQM can help management to measure the

effectiveness and ef®ciency of the use of resources

across the organization.

The TQM theoretical framework is articulated else-

where [1], but the essence of the theory of total quality

can be summarized as follows:

1. Quality leads to lower costs as defects are

reduced;

2. Quality is made in the boardroom, it cannot be

instilled into shop floor without the initiative and

commitment of top management;

3. Most defects are caused by the system not the

worker;

4. Inspection is too late; aim to reduce defects during

production and eliminate mass inspection;

5. Eliminate numerical quotas, slogans, exhortation

and targets for the workforce and promote

sustained and continuous improvement of process

and quality of output;

6. Drive out fear of change from workers; institute a

vigorous program of education, training, and

retraining to help the workforce improve con-

tinuously and to increase their job security;

7. Break down barriers between staff areas and

abandon review systems that will destroy team-

work and create rivalry;

8. End the practice of awarding business on price tag

alone; look for suppliers committed to quality and

develop long term relationships with them.

The quality of a product or service is the result of

the interaction among the individual performer, the

process, and management. Many factors can get in the

288 G. Au, I. Choi / Information & Management 36 (1999) 287±299

way of people doing a good job; some are inadequate

resources, poorly designed procedures, and lack of

training. An organization must examine how its pro-

duct or service ultimately will be used and identify, as

well as measure, the attributes that will provide the

greatest overall level of customer satisfaction.

2.2. Key concepts of TQM

There are two key concepts in the TQM framework

± statistical control that uses statistical methods to

control both management and product processes [14],

and continuous improvement that involves all pro-

cesses in the management, product, and service chain.

Statistical process control (SPC) theory is based on

the idea that process performance is dynamic, that

natural up-and-down variation is the rule rather than

the exception. Thus, random variation of any aspect of

an average worker's work can be de®ned by setting

acceptable highs and lows, so that any variation

beyond those limits can be detected, the causes

studied, and corrective actions taken. Statistically,

every process experiences variation that can lead

to quality problems. SPC is used to measure variability

of a process and to determine whether and how it

can produce a particular part [25]. The collection of

data and the comparison of actual performance to

the standards are necessary to identify gaps or oppor-

tunities for improvement [19]. Tools include cause-

and-effect diagrams, ¯ow charts, pareto charts, run

charts, histograms, control charts, and scatter dia-

grams.

Continuous improvement is achieved by a system

designed to keep customer satis®ed throughout the

product or service cycle. Mathieson and Wharton [17]

suggest three levels of customer satisfaction: custo-

mers' demands, expectations, and delight. The invol-

vement of all employees in continuous improvement

of the work process is the foundation of any TQM

effort. All employees should view the work they do as

a series of processes, the goal of each being total

customer satisfaction. Thus, all members of the orga-

nization must understand their work processes, who

their customers are, what their customers' needs and

expectations are, and how to communicate those needs

and expectations to their suppliers [21]. This often

requires training to improve quality of work and

quality awareness. Moreover, as processes can be

analyzed to identify where errors may occur, measur-

ing quality implicitly includes measuring the cost of

non-conformance. Nevertheless, learning from errors

is also a key to continuous improvement [6].

2.3. The process of designing a service-oriented

TQM program

An overview of the process of designing a TQM

program in a service-oriented organization is shown in

Fig. 1.

The ®rst step in designing a TQM program is to

de®ne the TQM vision. The lack of senior manage-

ment commitment, awareness and vision in an orga-

nization has often caused a TQM program to fail. The

importance of management providing a clear and

strong message about its vision should therefore not

be overlooked. The management vision should be

articulated at all levels in the organization.

After de®ning the vision, management must de®ne

a clear set of measurable objectives and a clearly

de®ned ¯exible strategy. A project team must be

assembled for carrying out the de®ned strategy. Ide-

ally, the team should consist of senior management

representatives, TQM experts, IT professionals, mid-

dle manager, trainers, and representatives for knowl-

edge and/or production workers, depending on the

service procedures to be evaluated. The project team is

responsible for detailed design of the program, and

also to estimate and gather resources required to

execute the program.

Training on basic TQM principles and brie®ng on

the management's total quality vision are essential

before the detailed design phase. This must provide a

clear explanation of the objectives of the program,

educate employees on the concept, eliminate employ-

ees' fear of the program, and motivate employees'

incentive in participating.

The next step is to develop a quality control model

with appropriate measures. This can be achieved by

identifying the most signi®cant outputs being pro-

duced and the critical characteristics of performance

for each of these. Secondly, there must be measures

that determine customer satisfaction. The project team

will also need to identify methods of collecting the

measures and design the instruments to be used in the

data collection process. After deciding on the quality

control method, it is necessary for the project team to

G. Au, I. Choi / Information & Management 36 (1999) 287±299 289

evaluate sample outputs of the processed data with

potential users.

Simply generating statistical reports does not, how-

ever, automatically lead to continuous improvement of

an organization processes. It is important for the

information to reach management in a timely manner,

so that decisions and actions can be made to improve

the process promptly. As a TQM program often gen-

erates large volume of data and demands effective

statistical analysis, there is a need for a TQM infor-

mation system (TQMIS). Its role is to capture, process,

and produce outputs that help management make these

Fig. 1. Designing a TQM program.


critical decisions. The TQMIS should be designed to

minimize the amount of input efforts, analyse data

statistically, and produce accurate and easy-to-read

information.

The key driving force behind TQM was employee

empowerment and worker satisfaction based on intrin-

sic motivation, involving collaboration among orga-

nizational work units, emphasizing prevention rather

than detection, and measuring performance based on

goals [8]. Based upon the results, management can

design continuous improvement strategies that ensure

total quality of the processes being examined.

If the relationship between management decisions

and outputs of the TQMIS can be logically de®ned,

then a DSS can be used to simplify the output for

management. Instead of producing many tables of

numerical data or graphical charts, the system can

further interpret the results and give meaningful alter-

natives for the ®nal action. In this way, management

actions can be taken to correct any error effectively.

Finally, the last and most dif®cult step is to integrate

quality management into the organization's support

systems and ensure that TQM will be a way of life

rather than just another short-lived program [20]. The

project team will have to review the quality control

model periodically so that the measuring functions

and parameters can be updated and veri®ed over time.

As achieving total quality in a service procedure is

highly labour intensive, the project team must listen to

the feedback of staff involved in the program and

modify the operational logistic. Where there is a

change in the service procedure, it is also necessary

to update the quality model to maintain the validity of

the data produced.

3. A case example

Total quality management in the hospitality industry

is becoming commonplace. Hotel companies have tried

to implement service-quality-improvement programs

with varying degrees of success. Although it is not

possible to measure every aspect of the service encoun-

ter, most steps can be quanti®ed and measured [16].

3.1. Defining the vision, objective and strategy

The management vision was to provide `zero-

defect' services with maximum ef®ciency through

continuous improvement of staff's service quality.

Housekeeping was chosen because it was one of the

front-line operations, where service quality and cus-

tomer satisfaction are paramount. The growing cost

pressures have made the management of housekeep-

ing more demanding than ever. Managers are

reminded that their greatest asset is the pride people

take in their areas of responsibility. The use of Dem-

ing's TQM principles will improve the pride of the

housekeeping staff [26]. The objective of the TQM

program was to enhance continuous improvement of

the service quality of the housekeeping procedure by

minimizing the cost of errors and the average process

time. The management strategy was to motivate the

staff to improve their work quality by customised

training and personal management techniques. After

de®ning the vision, several meetings were held

between management and staff at different organiza-

tional levels to ensure their support.

3.2. Assigning a project team

A project team consisting of the director of opera-

tions, a TQM expert, the training manager, a training

of®cer representative, the head of housekeeping, a

housekeeper representative and the authors was con-

vened to carry out the strategy laid down by the senior

management. The role of the authors was to design

and implement a TQMIS based upon requirements

speci®ed by the project team. Both the training and

housekeeping departments were involved.

3.3. Implement training program on TQM for staff

concerned.

A series of training seminars was conducted on

TQM for both the managerial staff and operational

workers in the hotel. Experience gained from success-

ful and failed implementations of the TQM program

in similar organizations were shared with the audi-

ence.

3.4. Identify the quality control model with

measuring functions and parameters

As the management objective is to achieve total

quality through `zero-defect' with maximum ef®-


ciency in its service procedure, a nature way of

measuring the outcome is by means of a set of non-

conformance attributes on all the visible items inside a

hotel room in conjunction with the time it takes for the

housekeeper to complete the housekeeping task. The

objective function of the TQM program is to minimize

the total defect value and the total time it takes to

complete the housekeeping procedure:

Xi�1...n

Defect�X

i�1...n

Time �X

i

Xj

NCkWk

�X

i

Xj

Tl

where i refers to the individual housekeeper, j refers to

the room being cleaned, NC and W refers to the value

of the non-conforming item k and the corresponding

weight factor, and T refers to the time it takes for the

housekeeper to complete task l.

The project team initially identi®ed a list of 300

non-conformance items based upon three attributes ±

the location (e.g., entrance), item (e.g., eye viewer),

and reasons for non-conformance, such as mould, hair,

dirt, and wrinkles. A different quality weight

factor for each of these was assigned by the project

team. For example, hair in the wash basin was giving a

higher weighting than hair on the carpet. An example

of part of the non-conformance list is shown in

Appendix A.

A quality control check sheet was then designed.

This, a sample of which is shown in Appendix B,

contains a list of non-conforming items that each

housekeeper is expected to clean or tidy up. During

each inspection, the non-conformance items that fail

to conform to the standard such as wrinkles on the bed

sheet and hair in the bath tub, are recorded by a

training of®cer. Out of 800 rooms in the hotel, a

random sample of 80 was selected for daily quality

inspection.

The average process time for each housekeeper was

compiled by means of a housekeeping check sheet

(see Appendix C); this contains a list of all the tasks to

be carried out during room cleaning. The entire house-

keeping procedure was divided into ®ve process cycles

± bed making and stripping, dusting, bathroom,

vacuuming and other special tasks, such as carpet

spotting or baby cot making. Each process was further

subdivided into smaller tasks and the housekeepers

were trained to perform each task with guidelines on

time allocation during training. Each housekeeper was

required to identify which tasks were performed and

the time to complete each process cycle on the check

sheet for each room being cleaned.

Statistical analysis was then carried out on a set of

sample data to produce various statistical reports and

control charts. These outputs were then evaluated by

the project team. Sample management reports were

then speci®ed for helping assess the ef®ciency, the

level of non-conformance and training needs of each

individual housekeeper.

3.5. Design and development of a TQMIS

A TQMIS was developed to support the implemen-

tation of the program. The system was designed to

enable users to monitor the performance and training

requirements of the housekeepers in an effective

manner. Badiru [2] stated that a systems approach

to TQM considers every interaction necessary

between the various elements of an organization. A

high degree of user-designer interaction was main-

tained throughout all system development processes.

This also helped to narrow the expectation gap

between the system functionality and the user require-

ments.

An entity-relationship diagram and a data ¯ow

model [4] for the housekeeping TQMIS are shown

in Figs. 2a and b, respectively.

A multi-user relational database system was

developed on a network of Apple Macintoshes

computers. In order to minimize the data input task,

information about the housekeepers, trainers, tasks,

and rooms were pre-input into the system. The user

interface of the system was designed so that the

input screen was similar to that of the housekeeping

and quality control check sheet. By using on-screen

check boxes, input operators can key in the

completed housekeeping tasks and non-conformance

items by simply clicking on the corresponding check

boxes.

Apart from the housekeeping data, the TQMIS was

also integrated with the training history of the hotel

staff. While examining the performance of a house-

keeper, the training of®cer was able to obtain up-to-

date information about the housekeeper's background

and determine appropriate training needs.


In order to facilitate database searching, a data

inquiry screen was designed for the training manager,

training of®cers, and the head of housekeeper to

specify user-de®ned search criteria.

3.6. Design continuous improvement management

strategy

To achieve continuous improvement, it is important

for housekeepers to understand the performance goal,

how it is being measured, the current level of quality,

and the degree of improvement over time. The man-

agement strategy was to achieve continuous improve-

ment via customised training and employee

motivation. An employee recognition reward system

was then designed.

3.7. Collect data and generate output reports

The actual implementation of the TQM program

then began. Everyday, data were collected and keyed

into the TQMIS by four input operators: each respon-

sible for keying in 200 daily housekeeping and 20

quality control check sheets. At the end of each day, a

report showing non-conformance in each task for each

housekeeper (see Fig. 3) is generated.

The daily summary report indicates the total num-

ber of non-conforming items, the average number of

non-conforming items per room and the percentage of

rooms in which each non-conforming item was dis-

covered. The report is also used for generating sum-

mary data every month and over any user-de®ned time

period. Trend analysis on each housekeeper's non-

conformance history has helped management in asses-

sing whether and how quickly improvements have

been made. These results form the basis of the

employee recognition reward system.

Control charts that identify anomalies for each

housekeeper (see Fig. 4) and pareto charts that identify

major areas of non-conformance (see Fig. 5) can also

be obtained from the system.

3.8. Ensure continuous improvement

After running a trial of the TQM program for three

months, the measuring functions and parameters were

updated and veri®ed. Several meetings were held to

review the design of the TQM program. Modi®cations

were made in the quality control model, the design of

Fig. 2. (a) An entity-relationship diagram for the housekeeping TQMIS; (b) a 0 data flow model for the housekeeping TQMIS.


the TQMIS, and the implementation logistics of the

TQM program to ensure the validity of the data

generated and effectiveness of the program.

Everyday, the names of the best housekeepers were

posted on the hotel training notice board. Based on the

daily results, the best housekeeper for every month is

selected and US$150 is awarded to that housekeeper

by senior management.

Continuous improvement was also ensured by

enabling housekeepers to understand their own

strengths and weaknesses. Each housekeeper receives

a monthly summary report showing the housekeeper's

individual performance relative to the best house-

keeper.

Personal attention by the head of housekeeping

was also given to the individual housekeeper when

performance anomalies were tracked in the daily

and monthly quality control reports. The trainers were

then able to arrange customised training to help the

housekeeper to improve her work quality in speci®c

areas. In addition, the quality control reports were

incorporated into the appraisal system so as to ensure

integration of the TQM program into the hotel's daily

operation.

Fig. 2. (Continued).


4. Lessons learnt

The effective design of a TQMIS to support the

implementation of the TQM program is valuable. A

good designmustsupport theusers fromdata input to the

delivery of meaningful and useful information to the

management. Indeed, the TQMIS is the main mechan-

ical force for driving the daily operational program.

Fig. 3. A daily summary quality control report.

Fig. 4. A typical control chart output.


4.1. Early involvement with IT professionals is

essential

Early involvement of the IT professionals during

the design phase of the TQM program is essential.

Throughout the design process, we were able to

receive training by the TQM expert. This helped us

to understand the users' needs and why the informa-

tion was needed. We were then able to give advice on

the input and outputs of the program.

4.2. Avoid delays and errors during data input

Delays in the input process could cause a halt to the

entire TQM program. During the initial trial period,

the number of input operators was increased from two

to four. It took the operators two weeks before they

could achieve enough speed to complete data input

everyday; however there has been high turnover of

employees and a high percentage of human input

errors.

Training has to be given for every new employee.

Moreover, time has to be allowed for the new person

gain experience with the job. This has inevitably

increased the cost of the program. A daily sample

set of data is quality checked to ensure reasonable

accuracy.

To solve these problems, we recommended either

the use of forms scanning technology with optical

character recognition features or hand-held pen-based

computers for simultaneous quality inspection and

data input.

4.3. Information must reach the management in an

effective manner

One signi®cant modi®cation that we made in the

TQMIS was to integrate the system with the hotel's

electronic mail so that summary reports are sent to the

housekeeping and training department electronically.

Every morning, an electronic message identifying

the three best housekeepers is sent to the head of

housekeeping. Other exceptional reports, such as sud-

den decline of housekeeper's performance or high

percentage of non-conforming errors were also auto-

matically generated and forwarded by electronic mail.

This seamless integration has improved user accep-

tance of system.

4.4. Synchronization between results generated by

the TQMIS and management's continuous

improvement actions

As suggested by Smith [23], TQM succeeds best

when a continuous improvement culture is instilled

into the employees. A basic tenet of TQM is that

employees are eager to succeed if they understand the

de®nition of a good job and are given the information

and tools to complete it. Although the TQMIS was

designed with that purpose in mind [12], continuous

improvement can only be achieved if appropriate

management actions are taken in time. Training and

education are effective ways to implementing perfor-

mance management systems [11].

4.5. Outputs from the TQMIS must be thoroughly

tested and validated

In the ®nal implementation of the hotel housekeep-

ing TQM program, the number of non-conforming

items has been reduced from 300 to 230. Changes in

the quality weight factor for each non-conforming

Fig. 5. A pareto chart output.


item were also made in order to improve the validity of

the results.

4.6. Listen to employees' feedback and initiate

positive changes

The introduction of the TQM program has caused

an increase in the daily workload of the housekeepers

and trainers: they now have to provide more informa-

tion. This increase of workload has caused some

reluctant employees to be disgruntled: lack of employ-

ees' support can cause a TQM program to fail. It is

therefore important for management to listen to the

employees' feedback. One useful change proposed by

the housekeepers was to increase the varieties in the

prize awarded to the best housekeeper of the month.

This has helped to make the quality control process

more relaxed and enjoyable.

4.7. Further use of the TQMIS

The TQMIS can potentially be transformed into a

`knowledge-based information system' [7,13]. For

example, the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain has installed

a system to track customer preferences and needs and

automatically transmit the information worldwide; if a

customer in Boston asks for six hypoallergenic pil-

lows, for instance, she will ®nd them in her room next

time she checks in to a Ritz-Carlton hotel elsewhere.

In the housekeeping case, complaints from customers

can be fed into the TQMIS to inform the hotel that

extra attention is required.

5. Conclusions

We have provided empirical evidence of the appli-

cation of TQM theory to improve the IT implementa-

tion process. Contrary to the old training methods, the

TQMIS provides a systematic mechanism for trainers

to assess requirements based on quantitative analysis.

Training thus becomes more cost effective: unneces-

sary training is eliminated and programs are designed

proactively. TQM plays a signi®cant role in supporting

and driving a continuous improvement culture.

Keeping systems aligned with continuous improve-

ment strategies will be the challenge of the next

decade.

Appendix A. An Example of the list of non-conformance items

Location Item Non-

conforming

reason

Quality

weights

Entrance door bell sign d 1Entrance door bell sign r 6Entrance master switch d 2Entrance master switch r 5Entrance master switch f 7Entrance eye-viewer d 2Entrance eye-viewer r 1Entrance door frame d 1Entrance door frame r 4Entrance door strayer d 1Entrance door strayer r 3Entrance doublelock r 6Entrance carpet k 2Entrance carpet m 2Entrance carpet r 4Entrance carpet s 1Entrance ceiling paper d 1Entrance ceiling paper f 2Entrance ceiling paper k 4Entrance ceiling paper m 4Entrance ceiling paper r 1Entrance ceiling paper s 1Entrance ceiling board b 1Entrance ceiling board d 1Entrance ceiling board f 4Entrance ceiling board m 1Entrance entrance ceiling

spot lightd 1

Entrance Entrance ceilingspot light

r 4

Closet door mirror a 2Closet door mirror d 1Closet door mirror k 4Closet door mirror r 5Closet hangers d 4Closet hangers p 1Closet hangers q 1Closet light r 4Closet ceiling board k 1Closet ceiling board r 1± ± ± ±

± ± ± ±


Appendix B. Quality control check sheet

Schedule No.

Room No. non-conforming

reasons

total

no.

a ± appearance

b ± black mark

c ± condemned

Trainer ID d ± dust

e ± expired

Date f ± fingerprints

h ± hair

Start time i ± wrinkles

k ±dirt

End time l ± locked

m ± mould

Entrance

Room no plate: d f r

Master switch: d r

Eye viewer: d m

Entrance door b d r

Door lock r

Ceiling paper d k f m r s

Spot light: d r

A/c exhaust grill d m r

Bed

Bedding a b i d

Bed c

Closet

Door mirror a d k r

Hangers (12) d p q

Spare blanket &

pillow

c d p q

Light r

Ceiling board k r

Wallpaper a b d f h k m

Safe r

Mini Bar and fridge

Mini bar marble

counter

d k r s

Miniture bottles (15) c d e k l p q

Nuts & raisins (3) a c d l p q s

Mini bar voucher i p q w

Appendix C. Housekeeping check sheet

Schedule No.

Room No.

Housekeeper ID

Date

Start time End time Total time

(tick tasks

performed)

Entrance cycle time

Polish room

plate

check master

switch

Clean entrance

door

check door lock

Dust ceiling check ceiling

spot light bulbs

Clean A/C

exhaust grill

Bed making &

stripping

cycle time

Bed stripping report

maintenance

Bed making remove rubbish

Closet cycle time

Clean door mirror count hangers

Check safety box check spare

blanket

& pillow

Clean closet light dust ceiling

board

Report

missing items

report

maintenance

Bathroom cycle time

Remove all

soiled linen

clean counter

Clean wash basin replenish

bath room

amenities

Clean bath tub clean bath room

wall

Clean bath room

floor

clean toilet

bowl

Clean mirror report

maintenance

Minibar & fridge cycle time

Clean bar counter replace glass

Replenish drinks

& other supplies

complete

& replace

mini bar voucher

Total no. of tasks

completed in room:

Record room exit time and reasons total room exit time

No. exit time return time total time reason


References

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Dr. Grace Au is currently Director of

Centre for Enhanced Learning and

Teaching at the Hong Kong University

of Science and Technology responsible

for developing tools and techniques in

enhancing learning and teaching at the

tertiary level. Prior to this, she was a

lecturer at the Department of Informa-

tion and Systems Management where

she has taught and conducted research in

the areas of multimedia and learning for

many years. She has published various papers in this area. She was

instrumental in setting up the multimedia research laboratory

within the department whereby students can learn and experiment

multimedia applications.

Ivan Choi is a Chartered Management

Accountant and Associate Director of

the Poon Kam Kai Institute of Manage-

ment at the University of Hong Kong.

He is currently a part time Ph.D.

candidate at Brunel University. Ivan's

research interest is also in multimedia

technologies and their applications in

learning, particularly executive educa-

tion and lifelong learning. Within the

Institute, he is involved in both manage-

ment consulting and management training where Total Quality

Management and other management tools are being practised.


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