WHAT
IS OPTIMUS?
Optimus
is an innovative, multi-tiered programme to support
tourism businesses in becoming more profitable,
more efficient
and more competitive. Based on international research,
Optimus offers a practical approach to achieving excellence
and boosting bottom line results. Optimus focuses on
every aspect of the business from customer service
to operational
management to organisational excellence.
WHAT
ARE THE LEVELS OF RECOGITION?
The
Optimus Programme structure comprises three distinct
yet inter-related
levels, enabling businesses to
progress through the different levels, building
their capabilities
and each stage and gaining recognition as they
make progress.
The
Three levels are:
First
Level – Service
Excellence Programme
Second Level – Mark of Best Practice
Third Level – Business Excellence Award.
HOW
DOES A COMPANY REGISTER FOR OPTIMUS?
The
Fáilte
Ireland advisors are happy to deal with any initial
queries or information required and
will back
this up by meeting with the management
team and presentation to each company as required.
The advisors
will discuss
how Optimus can benefit the organisation
and how it is implemented, step by step, in the
daily life
of a company
as well as giving a breakdown of fees
and supports available.
HOW
LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ACHIEVE AN AWARD?
The
lead-in time for each company is different. The
Fáilte
Ireland advisors will liaise with
each company on an individual basis and indicate
when
they may be ready
to go forward
for assessment.
HOW
IS A COMPANY AWARDED?
Each
company is assessed by an independent assessor
who then reports back
to the Optimus Approvals
Committee. The
Optimus Approvals Committee is
an independent panel who meet quarterly
to endorse
or adjust the findings
of the
Optimus Assessor. Each company
is then notified with an assessment
report
with the result
of their assessment.
SERVICE EXCELLENCE
WHAT
DOES THE SERVICE EXCELLENCE PROGRAMME INVOLVE
?
The
Service Excellence programme is an established
concept which underpins the Optimus Best Practice
and Business
Excellence programmes. It focuses on the development
of a service excellence culture that is specific
to the hospitality sector and can be adopted
by individual
enterprises
within the sector. It also provides a solid
foundation on which real progress can be made
on the organisation’s
journey to excellence.
It
incorporates concepts such as the Service Journey,
Moments of Truth,
the Internal Customer
Supplier
and Service Recovery. All employees in the
organisation, from back of house to senior management,
participate
in a customised training programme. On-going
training for new employees is provided thereafter
by certified
in-house trainers.
WHAT
ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAMME?
• Improved
standards of customer service leading to
increased customer satisfaction and loyalty
and resulting in
better business performance
•Customer-centered
service standards and measures will be developed, implemented and managed
• A
greater awareness of customers needs will be created and appropriate responses
to these needs
will be formulated throughout the organisation
• Improved employee motivation and retention will be achieved
• Improved
communication throughout the organisation will help to remove barriers to the
delivery
of superior customer service
• A
team based approach to solving operational and inter-departmental problems will
be adopted
MARK
OF BEST PRACTICE
WHAT
DOES THE MARK OF BEST PRACTICE PROGRAMME
INVOLVE ?
Optimus
Best Practice is a business process
improvement programme that enables
tourism enterprises to
benchmark their operations, systems
and practices against
the best in the industry, discover
what makes them successful
and apply that to their own operations.
It focuses on key business processes
under the
headings
of Management,
People, Operations and Customer Service.
WHAT
ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAMME?
• Improved
business performance through the adoption
of a process of target setting, benchmarking
and
analysing results
• Better quality of products and services as a result of
the emphasis placed on setting, communicating,
implementing, monitoring and reviewing agreed standards of performance
• Improved productivity
• Increased efficiency
• Reduced costs and higher margins
• Increased sales and profitability
• Better employee motivation
• Reduced labour turnover
• More effective teamwork
• Better management/staff relations
• More positive attitude to change
• Greater
willingness to accept responsibility and be held accountable for quality within
the individual’s
sphere of influence
AWARD
OF EXCELLENCE
WHAT
DOES THE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE INVOLVE ?
This
Award recognises organisational excellence
based on standards. To achieve it, businesses
need not only
a deep commitment to continual improvement
and superior performance but also a proactive
attitude to the changing
social, economic and market conditions
in which they operate.
Companies
that achieve sustainable excellence display
a
strong results
orientation, a passionate customer
focus,
a commitment to management by processes
and sound performance measures
and an abiding enthusiasm for continual
learning
and innovation based on rigorous
benchmarking. Once the required level of
excellence
has been achieved by a company
they will be presented with the
prestigious Award of Excellence, a tangible
recognition
of their status as
both an outstanding performer within
the hospitality sector and an exceptional
achiever across different sectors.
WHAT
ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THE
PROGRAMME?
• Leaders
demonstrate a willingness and ability to
adapt and realign the direction
of
the organisation in the light of a fast moving and constantly changing external
environment
• Uses learning to seek opportunities for continuous innovation
and improvement that add value
• The organisation acquires more detailed knowledge and
understanding of current
and future requirements of the marketplace
• Clear customer focus is developed throughout the organisation
• The organisation becomes more agile, flexible and responsive
to the needs of all stakeholders
• Greater emphasis is placed on setting targets, selecting
benchmarks and achieving
the required result
• The organisation maximises the contribution of employees
through their development
and involvement
• The systematic implementation of the policies, strategies,
objectives and plans of the
organisation are enabled through a clear and integrated set of processes
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