Where the process fails …. There, the business learns customer value
Publication date: 14 November 2013
Abstract
Subject area
Human resource management.
Study level/applicability
Postgraduate and graduate management programs.
Case overview
Watson and Lilly (W&L) Berhad is the subsidiary of Wanger Group of Company, established in 1822 by Wanger Watson Group, and engages with transportation and logistics, communication and media, and electricity storage activities. The company provides freight forwarding by air, sea, and land, warehousing and distribution, industrial logistics, and stevedoring and port services. The case is all about the issues related to operations and human resource management in W&L Berhad, company in Malaysia. The company management observed that there has been an increasing trend on the number of mis-shipment. The investigation report was too worrisome to the Managing Director. The mis-shipment recorded in September 2011 was 5.91 per cent and by the end of first quarter in November 2012, the mis-shipment increased to 6.71 per cent. On the second quarter starting from December 2012, the mis-shipment continues to increase to 6.99 per cent and by February 2013, the mis-shipment was at 7.56 per cent. An independent consultancy was assigned to analyze the root causes of the issues. The agency found that the business having high operating cost due to operational inefficiency, documentation issues and human resource issues. The case study proposed several solutions to enhance the manpower efficiency, operational effectiveness, and achieving customer's satisfaction.
Expected learning outcomes
Learning the nature of business: to explain the nature of freight and forward business and the base of W&L Berhad, Malaysia. Nature of business operation issues: the case can be used to examine the issues of business operations due to mis-shipment in freight and forward companies. Nature of manpower issues: the case can be used to examine the issues of manpower in correlation with a mis-shipment of freight and forward companies. Integrating business and operational issues with customer delight and business loss. Strategic intervention: instructor can explore varied strategic interventions that curb the operational and manpower issues that may lead to business growth and development in freight and forward companies, achieving customer's satisfaction.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are deeply obliged to Professor Dr Noor Azizi Ismal, Dean of Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business, for all his support in the completion of this case study project. The authors are deeply obliged to Professor Dato Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak, Vice Chancellor of Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business, for all his support in the completion of this case study project. The authors are deeply obliged to The Managing Director of Watson and Lilly Berhad (W&L), for all his support in the completion of this case study project.
Citation
Kumar, D. and Govindarajo, N.S. (2013), "Where the process fails …. There, the business learns customer value", , Vol. 3 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-07-2013-0138
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited