As required in guideline of assignmet, we have found 20 quality articles regarding to this topic from The Star newspaper, Fortune, and Malaysia Businesses. The topic for the articles include Reserved spots ar only for Disabled, Employer Attitudes towards Workers with Disabilities and their ADA Employment Right, An Intergrated Approach to Disabled ( 1 Octorber 2002 ), Disability Action Plan could mean Real Improvements for Disabled People ( 20th January 2005), Strategy to Improve Life Chances of Disabled People ( 19th January 2005), Investment in Disabled People’s Skill could Boost the Economy, OECD Urges Poland to Help Disabled People to Find Work, and etc.
Besides that, for the case study, we use 2 local and 3 foreign-based companies. The companies include HSBC Canada, Cleveland Police, Perspectiva Organization, Lembaga Bangunan BAKTI Siti Hasmah ( LPBBSH), and the Royal Selangor. All of the articles and the case studies were used to support our trend mapping.
Today there are more disabled people in employment than ever before. Indeed, since 1997 the employment rate of disabled people has risen twice as much as for the population as a whole.
This is a great achievement and shows the investment made by this Government in employment programmes and services. The investment of the foreign countries such as Jobcentre Plus, the New Deal and Pathways to Work has really made a difference.
In oversea, The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) has helped break down the barriers that have kept many disabled people out of work in the past. This Government has repeatedly strengthened the law, delivering the biggest extension of disability civil rights this country has ever seen.
On October 3, 2000, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a new enforcement guidance that analyzes benefit discrimination claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and the Equal Pay Act (EPA).
In Malaysia, some companies have started employing disabled persons in greater numbers as they are proven to be loyal and productive. Some of the good examples are, Tan Chong Motors (M), OYL Sdn Bhd., Chip Pac (M) Sdn Bhd. In Penang itself, some good examples are Leong Bee Soo Bee (LBSB) Sdn. Bhd, Agilent Technologies Sdn. Bhd., International Footwear Sdn. Bhd. and Pen Apparel Sdn. Bhd. There are also some architecture firms who employ deaf persons as draughtspersons, whilst some are self-employed eg. Batik painting
Besides, from the article on 7 November 2006, we found that OECD urges Poland to help disable people to find job. According to the new OECD report, Poland should act quickly to make it easier for disabled people to find work as part of a major reform of its disability policies. It proposes steps the governments should take to cut the number of people claiming these benefits and help them back into the labor market.
By providing disabled people with the support they need to get a job, we have helped many of them improve their lives.
And from December 2005 the DDA was extended once again to require public authorities, such as hospitals, schools and local councils, to promote equality for disabled people. The Disability Equality Duty has taken the DDA a step further by requiring public bodies to make sure they include and consult disabled people when they design their services, rather than considering their needs as an afterthought.
In addition to that , the specialist disability programme, delivered by Jobcentre Plus, offers grants towards the cost of providing support, for example, by helping to pay for any special equipment a disabled person may need to function in the work place. Since the scheme began in 1994, more than 120,000 people have benefited from more than £400m of grants.
As a conclusion, the world has done a lot of beneficials activities towards the dissabilities people especially in employment. Besides that government from the global has coperate well with one another to create and enforce regulations for the disable to maintain their priorities. Lastly, society should pay more concerntration towards the disable peolple. Society or organizations should help the disable by involving themselves into charity or by helping them with their needs and demands instead of discriminate them.
Component II: Developing
We had interview with the Dream Catcher Consulting SDN BHD and obtained an understanding of the company in the process of the employment of people with disabilities. After interviewing Dream Catcher’s Operations Manager, we analyse the company base on the employment of disabilities perspective. We noticed that the welfare provided by the company towards the people with disabilities is insufficient. We realize that Dream Catcher’s operation flow has few weaknesses. From the weaknesses that we get, we have gone through discussion and research to find out some solutions to overcome the weaknesses. The weaknesses include of insufficient facilities provided for the PWD in the workplace, no involvemnt in giving charity for the disabled people, weaknesses in emplyment polocies and practise, Insufficient benefit towards PWD, and the gap between the PWD with colleges.
Weaknesses 1: insufficient facilities towards People with Disabilities (PWDs).
Solutions:
In our opinion, we feel that the company should provide new facilities, best suitable equipments that allow movement of people and goods in and around new or refurbished buildings to PWDs, specific parking lots, proper working desks and chairs which are suitable to PWDs, rail/bus/commuter facilities and services must be readily available and accessible to people with disabilities. It also requires that state and local governments provide comparable para-transit hours to people who cannot use existing fixed route systems. Besides that, Dream Catcher should offer an extensive range of disabled access solutions from all types of Vertical and incline platform lifts, to automatic door entry systems, toilet M packs, induction loops, through to architectural ramp systems.
The ADA defines a public entity as a place that serves food or drink, provides lodging, education, entertainment, exhibits, recreation, fitness programs, or other public services. This includes public gathering places, grocers, bakeries, retail stores, gas stations, day care, social service centers, medical offices and facilities, banks, hotels, libraries, museums, parks, privately owned public transportation systems, schools, and just about every other private business or program that offers a service to the public.
Under Title IV of ADA covers telephone communication. Phone companies must provide 24-hour relay services for people with hearing and speech impairments. Businesses that offer telephone services to the general public must also provide it to people who use devices for the deaf known as teletypewriters, or TTYs. In addition, it requires that if federal money pays for a public service announcement, it must be closed-captioned, for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Weaknesses 2: No charity has been done for the society.
They did not carry their responsibility completely by showing their care towards this society. Society needs help from organizations for certain demands especially in finance. Thus they should implement more charity work for the society.
Solutions:
They should do donation to society that needed their help badly. For example, donation to the disable associations, mentally retarded associations and other associations. They can donate in either financially support or through donating things that meet their needs and demands.
Donation through buying them things or materials are equivalent useful. They can donate them some useful equipment like computers, study tables, stationeries, and so on. This will not only help the disable by providing them more useful materials but the company is maximizing their wastage as well.
Besides that they can give scholarship to their workers or disable workers who are unable to pursue their studies. There are a lot of disable people who has their hidden talent but could not bring out their talent due to financial problem. Thus, the company should well-trained their disable workers or any other workers who are not able to pursue their studies..
The company can donate or contribute a partial of revenue to the PWDs workers. Donating partial of revenue means that the company can conduct a campaign announcing that half of the selling profit will go to charity. This activity that conducted by company will usually get good response from people who are able to help the unable. Many people are more than willing to help when it comes to charity. This activity will not only help the company to enhance their image and reputation but they are helping the poor society to raise fund.
Weaknesses 3: Weaknesses in Employment Policies and Practice
The company’ policies and practices are more premised on the incapacity of people with disability to work than on their capacity to work. Disability is equated with inactivity rather than activity. A particular aspect of this is the operation of the income support system for people with disabilities and the manner in which this does not, in practice, recognize: (i) the possibility of a capacity to work and an interest in obtaining employment on part of people with disabilities currently not in employment; and, (ii) the diversity among people with disabilities not in work in terms of their capabilities for work, work aspirations, and the range and types of support needed to realize their aspirations.
Solution:
In our opinion, the Department of Human Resources should develop policies and procedures to govern statewide human resources management practices. Although the recruitment process is managed centrally by the Department of Human Resources Employment Services Division, interviewing and hiring decisions are the responsibility of the agency/department hiring official. For example, the Department of Personnel in Washington developed state-wide policies that individual agencies implemented. Washington also included a mix of centralized recruitment for some job classes and individual agency recruitment for others.
We proposed four main part that sahould be ammended in the Employment Policies of company as follow:
Part I: Recuiting and Hiring
Part II: Reasonable Accomodation
Part III: Protecting the Rights of Individuals With Disabilities on the Job
Part IV: Other Best Practices That Promote the Employment of People with
Disabilities
Part I: Recuiting and Hiring
The company may held a programs that specifically train and/or hire individuals with disabilities for state jobs. The program targets individuals with developmental disabilities and those with significant disabilities
Besides, reasonable accommodations also can be made for the application and interview process, which may mean conducting the interview somewhere that is accessible to a person in a wheelchair or providing a sign language interpreter for someone who is deaf. In promoting the pratical in top management, all managers and supervisors should receive training that includes specific information about how to prepare job descriptions and conduct job interviews of applicants with disabilities. Hiring managers and supervisors, as well as interview panel members, should receive training addressing interviewing and development of position qualifications (i.e., knowledge, skills, and abilities required for specific positions).
Part II: Reasonable Accomodation
Employers is required to provide reasonable accommodations to the known physical and mental limitations of qualified individuals with disabilities. One way that an employer can promote compliance with this legal obligation is to have in place written procedures that clearly define the responsibilities of everyone involved in the reasonable accommodation process and that enable tracking and prompt resolution of accommodation requests. Company may establish a “ Written Reasonable Accommodation Procedures” with attending procedures which carefully outline the Reasonable Accommodation request and appeal process. In addition to that, the compamy can tracking requests for Reasonable Accommodation. Tracking information about reasonable accommodations can help employers evaluate their performance in responding to accommodation requests and implement measures to improve performance where necessary. Among other things, tracking may enable a state agency to determine how long it takes to respond to requests for different types of reasonable accommodations; whether there are particular types of reasonable accommodations that the employer has been unable to provide; whether there are agency components that have not granted requests for reasonable accommodations; and the reasons for denials. Where, for example, there have been repeated delays in the processing of reasonable accommodation requests, an agency can investigate the reasons for the problem and take the steps necessary to correct it.
Part III: Protecting the Rights of Individuals With Disabilities on the Job
Employers must make sure that, once hired, individuals with disabilities have the tools they need to succeed and the same opportunities for advancement as other employees. In addition to practices specifically designed to provide opportunities for advancement, this part also considers how periodic training can work to prevent discrimination.
Periodically, the company should held an activities that specifically promote the retention and advancement of employees with disabilities. There should be some training provided to the employer, manager, and supervisor to increase the awareness in the “equality emplyment” and avoid discrimination among the normal emplyee and the abnormal employee.
Part IV: Other Best Practices That Promote the Employment of People with
Disabilities
In addition to traditional vocational rehabilitation services, to promote the employment of people with disabilities in both the public and private sectors, the most significant practise that we would like to mention including legislative and executive action, internships, and public/private partnerships.
For example, our government should establish a new agency within the state for persons with disabilities with the mission to devoted entirely to assisting persons with disabilities with improving their quality of living through, among other things, improved housing, employment, and transportation opportunities. Besides, creation of a clearinghouse that provides employers with a single point of contact for recruiting applicants who have disabilities and for technical assistance.
The company also can involve itseft in the internship programme as well as identified partnerships they have with business and/or community organizations to promote the employment of individuals with disabilities.
As a conclusion, we are encouraged by our initial findings concerning state best practices aimed at recruiting and hiring qualified individuals with disabilities. These practices include not only the establishment of some training and hiring programs specifically for individuals with disabilities, but more significantly, efforts to increase the number of qualified applicants with disabilities for jobs available to the general public. Based on information reported by the states, it appears that individuals involved in the hiring process have access to more than adequate training on subjects such as interviewing people with disabilities and preparing job descriptions. The job announcements that we have examined thus far do not describe jobs in a way that would inadvertently screen out qualified individuals with disabilities. In fact, some job announcements and job descriptions specifically reference the availability of reasonable accommodations for the application process and on the job.
The use of written procedures for providing reasonable accommodations, methods of documenting and tracking the disposition of requests, and the provision of appeal processes following denials of reasonable accommodations are also positive trends
Finally, the states we have surveyed from the resech on this topic and we know that the community have taken a significant number of steps to increase the employment of people with disabilities generally. We know that the employment of people with disabilities is a state priority.
Weaknesess 4: Insufficient Benefits toward Employee with Disabilities
After a short review of the Dream Catcher’s profile, we discovered that Dream Catcher has provided insufficient benefits toward employee with disabilities. For instance, the company does not provided transportation options for employee with disabilities are as varied as those of other workers which may cause them have problems getting to work.
Besides, there had no sufficient accommodation benefit offered to employee by Dream Catcher, this will make employee with disabilities had problem of finding render house which near their working area especially for those who came from out station.
Furthermore, we also encountered that Dream Catcher does not offered enough medical benefits for employee with disabilities. For example the company does not provided yearly medical checkup for every disable employee but they only offer this benefit for employee who hold high position such as senior manager, manager and so on.
Solutions:
After interviewed with Dream Catcher Operation Manager and had a short review of the Dream Catcher’s profile, we discovered that Dream Catcher has provided insufficient benefits toward employee with disabilities. For instance, the company does not provided transportation options for employee with disabilities are as varied as those of other workers which may cause them have problems getting to work.
Besides, there had no sufficient accommodation benefit offered to employee by Dream Catcher, this will make employee with disabilities had problem of finding render house which near their working area especially for those who came from out station.
Furthermore, we also encountered that Dream Catcher does not offered enough medical benefits for employee with disabilities. For example the company does not provided yearly medical checkup for every disable employee but they only offer this benefit for employee who hold high position such as senior manager, manager and so on.
From our view of point, we suggest that the company should improve the benefits for employee with disabilities as follow:
Transportation
The company should provided transportation service for employee with disabilities who are unable to use public transportation. It is because the transportation is a critical aspect of allowing people with disabilities to ride between their accommodation and working area. The transportation should equip with wheelchair lifts and is accessible to the disabled. By having these types of improvement, it will facilitate employee with disability when they access to the working area.
Reasonable Accommodations
Dream Catcher should make “reasonable accommodations” to increase workplace accessibility for job applicants and employees with disabilities. A reasonable accommodation enables qualified employee with disabilities to perform essential job function. By providing reasonable accommodation to disabled employee, we believe that it will decrease the difficulties to disabled employee especially those from out station.
Medical Benefits
Dream Catcher should provide healthcare services to disabled employee, such as implement Working Disabled Program to enable employee with disabilities to participate in the workforce without losing their Medical coverage. Besides, initial medical treatment for a work-related injury/illness must be provided by Dream Catcher in order to compensate employee who are being treated for a work related incident. The yearly medical checkup should be also providing to every employee in order to ensure their health condition.
Weaknesses 5: Gap between workers. Gaps between workers with employers.
In a company not every workers can get along with one another. Problems arise when they are not given the opportunity to get to know their colleagues better. Judging people from their outlook has been a natural sense to every human being. Thus in order to avoid and over come this problem, the company should always come out with something creative to bring the workers get up closed and create a better environment to the working atmosphere.
Solutions:
The company should have more activities specially organize for the workers only. By doing this the company is giving opportunity to the workers to get to know each other better. When the workers start mixing together they will create a special bond and this will eventually closed up the gap between the workers.
The company can organize monthly lunch instead of waiting once a year for annual dinner. Monthly lunch will help to gather all the workers to meet up and get close or even closer than before.
Besides that, company can organize outings for the workers as well. For example the company can have drinking session after work or maybe coffee with the company workers. By conducting such activities, the company is helping their own organization to build up a strong relationship with one another. During the activities the workers can discuss about the potential growth of the company or perhaps this activity is giving them an ease of mind after working so hard one whole day. It is of course encouraged able for the company to be the main domain and make sure their fellows have good relationship with one another. It is very important to build a healthy working atmosphere before expecting big productivity from workers.
Conducting those activities will also help the disable workers to feel wanted and welcome to become a member of the organization.
The company must be consistent with the outings, gatherings and activities. This is because all this activities aim is to maintain good and healthy relationship within the organization. In order to maintain this relationship, company plays an important role by bringing them together and get close with one another.
Processes Impronement
The low employment rate of people with disabilities reflects a failure of government social policies. Societies hide away some disabled individuals on generous benefits. Others isolate them in sheltered work programmes. Efforts to help them find work in the open labor market are often lacking. The shortcomings affect moderately disabled individuals, as well as those with severe handicaps, but are particularly true for people over age 50.
In our opinion, government, regulation, corporation, as well as communities should collaborate in order to help more disabled person to involve in workplace. They may underpin the necessary elements of a comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities. The examples of key pillars include:
1) Remove disincentives and benefit traps arising from the operation of the welfare system and ensure that transitions to employment are possible, financially rewarding, and sustainable;
2) Enhance the capacity and effectiveness of the education, training and employment system – active labor market policy – to ensure that people with disabilities are equipped to compete for employment in the contemporary labor market and to benefit from future patterns of occupational growth;
3) Ensure that both the public and private sectors implement policies to support the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities, which are rooted in knowledge of the capabilities of people with disabilities;
4) Devise and implement a preventative strategy:
a) reduce early school-leaving among young people with disabilities;
b) improve retention in employment following the onset of a disability in
adult life; 5) Develop a systematic process of engagement with people with disabilities in order to assist them articulate and realize their employment aspirations.
1. Remove disincentives and benefit traps arising from the operation of the welfare system and ensure that transitions to employment are possible, financially rewarding, and sustainable.
Key Recommendations;
* Introduce a tax credit for people with disabilities moving from welfare to employment.
* Increase the income threshold for the Medical Card by introducing a disability allowance in calculating the income threshold.
* Allow for the retention of the Medical Card for all persons with a disability taking up employment for a period of one year (regardless of the income threshold for eligibility).
* Introduce an employment assessment dimension into procedures for qualifying for income support for people with disabilities.
* Introduce a cost of disability payment.
Other Actions
Rationalize the number of illness/disability related welfare payments.
Recognize partial (in) capacity.
2. Enhance the capacity and effectiveness of the education, training and employment system – active labor market policy – to ensure that people with disabilities are equipped to compete for employment in the contemporary labor market and to benefit from future patterns of occupational growth;
Key Recommendations
Ø In relation to the existing package of educational and training programmes, increase the level of participation by people with disabilities in education and training programmes that are effectively linked to contemporary and future patterns of employment demand.
Ø For people with disabilities participating in basic or prevocational programmes, ensure that there is progression to education and training programmes that are effectively linked to contemporary and future patterns of occupational/employment demand.
Ø Introduce a work placement module for people with disabilities participating in educational and training programmes.
Ø Participation by people with disabilities in Community
Employment should be more closely linked with the employment and career aspirations of people with disabilities, and access to education and training designed to enhance the labor market relevant skills of people with disabilities should be integrated into the operation of the programme. Post programme support should be provided to ensure that the benefits arising from participation in CE can provide a platform for accessing employment in the open labor market.
Other Actions
Ø Put working and target driven progression pathways in place within the education and training system to facilitate the progression of people with disabilities.
Ø Set realistic performance targets concerning progression and employment placement for state and other providers.
Ø Examine the efficacy of existing arrangements from a labor market perspective and act based on objective findings.
Ø Provide more in-work type training opportunities for people with disabilities in order to ensure relevance and currency but also to impact on attitudes, stereotyping and potential discrimination amongst employers and fellow employees.
Ø Set and pursue participation, progression and employment related targets.
3. Ensure that both the public and private sectors implement policies to support the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities, which are rooted in knowledge of the capabilities of people with disabilities;
Key Recommendations
Ø Priorities public sector recruitment and retention of people with disabilities.
Ø Priorities public sector accommodation of disability.
Ø Use public sector contracting to leverage change.
Ø Use grant giving to leverage change.
Ø Package and market supports for employers to employ people with disabilities.
Ø Promote flexible working arrangements to accommodate diversity.
Ø Undertake a sustained and targeted information/education campaign to promote awareness of capabilities of people with disabilities and their visibility as a source of labor supply.
4. Devise and implement a preventative strategy:
c) reduce early school-leaving among young people with disabilities;
d) improve retention in employment following the onset of a disability in adult life;
Key Recommendations
Ø Introduce a social guarantee programme that commits the state to ensuring that school leavers without Leaving Certificate qualifications receive further education and training to at least Level 5 of the National Qualifications Framework.
Ø Ensure that vocational/occupational/employment assessment and guidance are provided as part of the process of qualifying for income support; (ii) support, on an early intervention basis, is provided (by the state and, where relevant, employers) to enable persons acquiring a disability to develop an individualized employment entry/re-entry plan.
Other Actions
Ø Promote/legislate for employer responsibilities for employee retention.
Ø Provide packaged supports to individuals and employers.
Ø Train managers in retention strategies.
Ø Provide support to help people cope with workplace stress.
Ø Need to train for and practice ‘disability management’ in the system.
Ø Explore international innovations such as Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot in the UK and the system shifts that have resulted in increased employer responsibilities in the Netherlands.
5. Develop a systematic process of engagement with people with disabilities in order to assist them articulate and realize their employment aspirations.
Key Recommendations
Ø Devise and implement an action plan for engaging with people with disabilities.
Other Actions
Ø Ensure early intervention with people with disabilities.
Ø Provide staff training for personnel in national employment service.
Ø Provide services in the area of occupational assessment, counseling, guidance as part of national employment service.
Ø Incremental introduction of benefit subject to assessment and guidance particularly for young people who can currently access full benefits from age 16 on the basis of purely medical criteria.
Ø Integrate information and contact points – ‘one-stop-shop
Quality Management
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management strategy aimed at embedding awareness of quality in all organizational processes. TQM has been widely used in manufacturing, education, government, and service industries, as well as NASA space and science programs.
Total Quality provides an umbrella under which everyone in the organization can strive and create customer satisfaction at continually lower real costs. Quality assurance through statistical methods is a key component in a manufacturing organization, where TQM generally starts by sampling a random selection of the product. The sample can then be tested for things that matter most to the end users. The causes of any failures are isolated, secondary measures of the production process are designed, and then the causes of the failure are corrected. The statistical distributions of important measurements are tracked. When parts' measures drift into a defined "error band", the process is fixed. The error band is usually a tighter distribution than the "failure band", so that the production process is fixed before failing parts can be produced. This process is to make sure good outputs reach the customers to avoid complaints or any harm to consumers. This is one way of carrying our an organization corporate social responsibility.
Besides that quality management must have a good management system in order to balance up a process or an activity. Management system help to produce products or services to meet the objectives it has set itself such as :
a) satisfying customers needs
b) complying with regulations
c) meeting environmental objectives
A good quality management will have a management system standard where an organization will prepare a model to follow in setting up and operating a management system. This model incorporates the features on which experts in the field have reached a consensus as being the international state art of award. The model has 4 components in a process. The components are Plan-Do-Check-Action (PDCA). This is the operating principle of ISO’s management system standards. Below shows the model of PDCA and the further elaboration on each process.
From the model there are four processes that need to be done step by step in order to produce quality products or services. Before an organization can produce a good products or services, they must have quality management to manage the whole output processes. First process is plan. Organizations must established objectives and make plans. This process is to analyze an organization’s situation, establish overall objectives, set interim targets, and make plans to achieve all those objectives.
Secondly is the Do process. This step is to implement the organization plans. Thirdly is Check process. Check process measure the results as an output. Usually an organization will measure or monitor the achievements to see whether the main objectives have work on smoothly as planned. Lastly is Action process. Organization will correct and improve in plans. All mistakes that occurred will be learned and corrected so that they will not repeat the same mistakes again.
Not to forget, in quality management there is a principle to be applied to the organization. This principle is known as quality management principle.
There are eight quality management principles on which the quality management systems standards of the revised ISO9000:2000 series are based. These principles can be used by senior management as a framework to guide their organizations towards improved performance.
The eight quality management principles are as followed;
1) Customers Focus
Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, should meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations.
The eight quality management principles are as followed;
1) Customers Focus
Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, should meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations.
2) Leadership
Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction of the organization. They should create and maintain the internal environment in which people can become fully involved in achieving the organization's objectives.
3) Involvement of people
People at all levels are the essence of an organization and their full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the organization's benefit.
4) Process Approach
A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as a process.
5) System Approach to Management
Identifying, understanding and managing interrelated processes as a system contributes to the organization's effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives.
6) Continual Improvement
Continual improvement of the organization's overall performance should be a permanent objective of the organization.
7) Factual Approach to Decision Making
Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information. Thus organization should gather more data and information take make a good decision making.
8) Mutually Beneficial Supplier Relationship
An organization and its suppliers are interdependent and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to create value.
Management Quality Standards
As for management quality standards, there are two types of ISO which are best known standards and their impact to the world.
The ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 families are among ISO's best known standards ever. ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 (1996 and 2004 versions) are implemented by some 887 770 organizations in 161 countries. The ISO 9000 family addresses "quality management". This means what the organization does to fulfill:
§ the customer's quality requirements, and
§ applicable regulatory requirements, while aiming to
§ enhance customer satisfaction, and
§ achieve continual improvement of its performance in pursuit of these objectives.
The ISO 14000 family addresses "environmental management". This means what the organization does to:
§ minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities, and to
§ achieve continual improvement of its environmental performance.
In quality management, good planning, applying the eight principles and never forget the management quality standard are those management that need to be implemented to organization in order to produce good quality of products and services. With good products and services, eventually this will satisfy the customer’s needs and demands.
Lean Management
The Dream Catcher is company which provides Professional Training Courses in the field of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Although the company is just provided service to its customers, it still generates a lot of waste such as process waste, information waste, work waste, and human energy waste.
As we all know, Lean Management accomplish waste reduction by improving process productivity, reducing inventory, improving quality and increasing worker involvement. Thus it is favorable that Dream Catcher integrates lean management in their company in order to provide quality services to the society. For instance, by applying lean system in the human resources department the company can eliminate human energy waste such as talent employee or employee with disabilities. It is because lean uses employee involvement in all aspects of the business to ensure that nothing is overlooked and the implications of decisions are understood at all levels.
The implementation of lean management principles in Dream Catcher’s service businesses may increase efficiency and reduce project costs if it is able to capitalize on its newly available resources and attract additional work. Besides, by successful integration of lean principles in Dream Catcher can improve its business operations in term of environmental consideration. There are five fundamental concepts have been established to define the philosophy and implementation of lean management:
1) specify value - Specify value from the standpoint of the end customer by services provided.
2) identify the value stream - Identify all the steps in the value stream for each services provided, eliminating every step and every action and every practice that does not create value;
3) flow - Make the remaining value-creating steps occur in a tight and integrated sequence so the service will flow smoothly toward the customer.;
4) pull - As flow is introduced, let customers pull value from the next upstream activity.; and
5) perfection - As these steps lead to greater transparency, enabling managers and teams to eliminate further waste, pursue perfection through continuous improvement.
Furthermore, by applying lean management skills Dream Catcher will realize tangible and measurable benefits, reduce costs not just selling price, reduce delivery time, set-up time, eliminate waste, drive continuous improvement, improve quality, improve customer ratings and perceptions, increase overall customer satisfaction, improve employee involvement, morale, and company culture, lastly Dream catcher also can transform its key business processes.
Furthermore, by applying lean management skills Dream Catcher will realize tangible and measurable benefits, reduce costs not just selling price, reduce delivery time, set-up time, eliminate waste, drive continuous improvement, improve quality, improve customer ratings and perceptions, increase overall customer satisfaction, improve employee involvement, morale, and company culture, lastly Dream catcher also can transform its key business processes.
Other than that, the application of Lean Thinking and Lean Management aligns and integrates long term business improvement strategies to day to day continuous improvement targets, ensuring along the way that can allow Dream Catcher remain above all else customer focused, flexible and ready for the challenges ahead. Lean can advocates Dream Catcher make smart use of resources, technology, equipment and the skills and knowledge of employees, suppliers and customers. Thus, Dream Catcher can operate in the most efficient and most effective condition, with lowest costs and minimal waste.
In conclusion, as service industries Dream Catcher should integrated lean management and apply the five fundamental concepts of lean management to reduce waste and enhance its business operations.
Value Creation
The prerequisite to profitability that stands out more than any other is value. Value is what the customer pays for and value creation is the most important contribution of operations management. Businesses seek products and services that can enhance value for their customers, whereas consumers seek those that meet their own needs. Value is transferred through products and services, from supplier to customer to consumer, within large networks of businesses called supply chain.
Value Creation
The prerequisite to profitability that stands out more than any other is value. Value is what the customer pays for and value creation is the most important contribution of operations management. Businesses seek products and services that can enhance value for their customers, whereas consumers seek those that meet their own needs. Value is transferred through products and services, from supplier to customer to consumer, within large networks of businesses called supply chain.
A firm’s competitiveness rests on its ability to match functional strategies-and the day-to-day decisions they guide-to business strategies so that they can successfully compete. For operations decisions, this means recognizing the value attributes important to customers as well as the competitive priorities of cost, quality, dependability of delivery, flexibility, and response time making strategic decisions that enhance competitive priorities. For supply chain decisions, enhancing competitiveness involves make-or-buy decisions, determining whether supply chain management is designed for cost reduction or value enhancement, sourcing decisions, logistics network decisions, supply chain services outsourcing decisions, supply chain security decisions, and decision regarding technology. Any strategic decision that affects the operations of a supply chain member affects the supply chain itself.
From the information that we get from Dream Catcher Consulting SDN BHD, we realize that the company provides insufficient facilities for the People With Disabilities(PWDs) in the workplace. In order to create value to , the company should provide new facilities, best suitable equipments that allow movement of people and goods in and around new or refurbished buildings to PWDs, specific parking lots, proper working desks and chairs which are suitable to PWDs, rail/bus/commuter facilities and services must be readily available and accessible to people with disabilities. The PWDs can park their transports at the specific parking slots provided by the company. It’s also save their time compared to park their transports which are far from the company when the company’s car park is full. It is not convenient and will take long time for them to reach the company.
The PWDs also can enhance accessibility after having proper working equipments. It also requires that state and local governments provide comparable para-transit hours to people who cannot use existing fixed route systems. Besides that, Dream Catcher should offer an extensive range of disabled access solutions from all types of Vertical and incline platform lifts, to automatic door entry systems, toilet M packs, induction loops, through to architectural ramp systems. After the new facilities have been furnished in the company, PWDs can implement their responsibilities smoothly.
Besides that, the company is also no involvement in giving charity for the disabled people. The company should donate to society by providing useful materials and minimizing company wastage. Dream Catcher can also offer scholarships to PWDs for furthering study. From that, the company can discover talent PWDs, then they are employed to create value to the company. The company can also donate partial of revenue to help the poor society. It’ll also enhance the reputation of the company.
We discover that there are few weaknesses in the company’s employment policies and practice. Dream Catcher should implement recruiting and hiring plan to train and hire talent PWD. The company should also protect PWDs’ right by avoiding discrimination, increasing awareness in equality employment and promoting retention. As we know, retaining qualified personnel can even more difficult than hiring them. The company should make every effort to provide creative and challenging work opportunities and, when possible, to offer open channels to management-level positions. From the plan, PWDs can know more about their strengths in their career. Moreover, the company should also provide the best practices to assist PWDs in their responsibilities. Their capabilities and productivities are directly influencing the company’s operations flow.
Dream Catcher is also provide insufficient benefit towards PWD. The company should offer accommodation benefit, transportation options and medical benefit to PWDs. The PWDs can improve their living, save the cost of living, save time, health condition being ensured, employees be compensated and being given medical recover by receiving these benefits.
Moreover, we realise that there is a gap between the PWD with colleges. In order to reduce or overcome this gap, the company should implement company’s gathering such as special activities for enhancing relationships and creating special bone between PWDs with colleges. Added, the company can also hold monthly lunch to tie up each employee.
Lastly, Dream Catcher can organize outing. By conducting such activities, the company is helping their own organization to build up a strong relationship with one another. During the activities the workers can discuss about the potential growth of the company or perhaps this activity is giving them an ease of mind after working so hard one whole day. It is of course encouraged able for the company to be the main domain and make sure their fellows have good relationship with one another. It is very important to build a healthy working atmosphere before expecting big productivity from workers.
Improvement Tools
1. Services Blueprinting
a) “ As-Is” Service Blueprint for Recruitment and Retention of People with Disabilities (PWD) in Dream Catcher
1) Application Form Received
2) Recruitment
Performed in HR Department
Candidates
Called for
Interview
Candidates Interviewed
Candidates
Hired
F1
F2
F3
F4
Decision
Potential Fail Point
Event in Process
F
The service blueprinting above is developed to model existing system in the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities in Dream Cather. This service blueprint clearly specifies 4 potential failures that can result in the failure of the operation. The potential failures re listed as follow:
Improvement Tools
1. Services Blueprinting
a) “ As-Is” Service Blueprint for Recruitment and Retention of People with Disabilities (PWD) in Dream Catcher
1) Application Form Received
2) Recruitment
Performed in HR Department
Candidates
Called for
Interview
Candidates Interviewed
Candidates
Hired
F1
F2
F3
F4
Decision
Potential Fail Point
Event in Process
F
The service blueprinting above is developed to model existing system in the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities in Dream Cather. This service blueprint clearly specifies 4 potential failures that can result in the failure of the operation. The potential failures re listed as follow:
F1: The possibility that the qualified and capable PWD not recruited as their visibility not as a source of labor supply.
F2: The PWD that selected from recruitment are omitted from being called
F3: Interview is conducted by inexperienced official or those who prejudice towards PWD.
F4: Qualified and capable PWD not hired.
In responding to the potential failure points, we would like to propose to the company several recommendations that can help to improve the process. In our opinion, to promote the pratical in top management, all managers and supervisors should receive training that includes specific information about how to prepare job descriptions and conduct job interviews of applicants with disabilities. Hiring managers and supervisors, as well as interview panel members, should receive training addressing interviewing and development of position qualifications (i.e., knowledge, skills, and abilities required for specific positions). In addition to that, the suggestions that we have recommended in the section of Process Improvement also create control to the process. They included:
1) Remove disincentives and benefit traps arising from the operation of the welfare
system and ensure that transitions to employment are possible, financially
rewarding, and sustainable;
2) Enhance the capacity and effectiveness of the education, training and employment
system – active labor market policy – to ensure that people with disabilities are
equipped to compete for employment in the contemporary labor market and to
benefit from future patterns of occupational growth;
3) Ensure that both the public and private sectors implement policies to support the
recruitment and retention of people with disabilities, which are rooted in knowledge of the capabilities of people with disabilities;
4) Devise and implement a preventative strategy:
a) reduce early school-leaving among young people with disabilities;
b) improve retention in employment following the onset of a disability in
adult life;
5) Develop a systematic process of engagement with people with disabilities in order to assist them articulate and realize their employment aspirations.
b) “Should-Be” Service Blueprint for Recruitment and Retention of People with Disabilities (PWD) in Dream Catcher
Application Form Received
Recruitment
Performed in HR Department
Candidates
Called for
Interview
Candidates Interviewed
F1
F2
F3
F4
Candidates
Hired
Employee with Disabilities is Trained
Employee with Disabilities is Fair Rewarded
Promote Flexible Working Arrangement
The “Should-Be” blueprint is developed after an analysis on the existing system to provide guide for improving the employment process of the company. We include the processing 3 additional steps that we think will contribute to value creation. Even the process improvement does not eliminate the potential points at all, but, it does help to mitigate the risk of the failure.
2. Fishbone Diagram
Charity
Facility
Benefits
Employment Policies
Gap
2. Fishbone Diagram
3. House of Quality
House of Quality for “Access for People with Disabilities”
Sufficient Facility
Do Charity
Amendment of Employment Policies & Practice
Provide More Benefits
Improvement of Gap between Workers with Employers
Direct Relationship
Component III: Project Deliverables
We are in the the processes of developing a weblog. We plan to upload our progress report and the related picture while it is ready to be visited. We are willing to upload our innovative CSR-Opeartional solutions, case studies, articles, as well as appendices on the weblog.
INTERVIEW WITH AN ORGANIZATION
Dream Catcher Consulting SDN BHDBlock B, Krystal Point, Jalan Sultan Azlan ShahTel: +604 640 7111Fax: +604 640 7110
1. Does your organization provide any type of benefits for People with Disabilities (PWDs)?
Yes. Our organization does provide benefits to the PWDs workers. Benefits that we provide them are salary component which we are paying 12% extra as a charity for them. We provide insurance premium as well and also we will send a guidance to guide them when they first enroll to our company.
Yes. We do have a special toilet for the disable workers.
No. We have not come out with a proper plan about sponsorships.
4. Will your organisation be willing to accept PWDs to work in your institution?
Certainly, we are more than willing to accept them if they match the skills requirement.
5. Does your organisation provide any training for PWDs?
When they first enroll we will provide a guidance to guide them with their tasks.
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