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Introduction
Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority, often referred to as SEWA, is a government authority that is responsible for the provision of water and electricity in the Emirate of Sharjah. Founded in 1995, this authority has been keen on improving processes through emerging technologies to ensure that it can meet its mandate (Colombo 52). It has embraced clean energy as one of the ways of helping the country to combat environmental pollution and climate change. The management of this authority has been keen on embracing international best practices to help it lower costs of operation while at the same time improving efficiency and productivity. According to Hill et al., a firm that is keen on inculcating the culture of creativity and innovativeness must nature an environment where different stakeholders can communicate and share ideas with ease (49).
Customers should be able to provide regular feedback about the products they receive and issues they would want to be considered. Employees should have an environment where they can consult among themselves and develop unique solutions to different challenges they face when trying to offer the best quality to customers. At SEWA, the management has remained committed to creating such an enabling environment to help improve its product delivery. However, a recent study revealed that document archiving at this company still relies on the traditional paper files, which consumes a lot of space and reduce efficiency in products and service delivery. This paper seeks to determine how this company can overcome this problem.
Identification of the Process to Be Improved
The role that SEWA plays in the Emirate of Sharjah is critical, and its efficiency should not be compromised. The government has invested a significant amount of money into this entity to ensure that residents of the emirate have regular access to clean water, electricity, and natural gas. However, employees of this company have identified issues that limit the capacity of the firm to register impressive performance. According to Peppard and Ward, one of the best tools for identifying a source of the problem and proposing the best solution is brainstorming (53). According to Kumar, this strategy enables different members of the organization to propose issues they consider to be affecting a firm the most, and propose solutions that they believe are the best (77). Through brainstorming sessions, every member of the organization is offered the opportunity to make contributions that would help enhance the performance of the firm. The inclusivity of this strategy has made it popular because it ensures that no one is ignored when addressing issues within an organization irrespective of one’s position within the firm.
Xerox’s problem-solving model is one of the effective tools often used in brainstorming sessions. It identifies six steps that should be taken by the management of any organization when trying to address this problem. The model can be effective in enabling SEWA to address the challenge of the traditional document archiving that is consuming a lot of space and is proven to be ineffective when dealing with emergencies. The first step when using this model is to identify and select the problem. As Lasserre explains, it is important to select a specific issue that is of main concern instead of identifying different unrelated problems (90). In this case, the team has reported that the traditional archiving method is consuming much space and takes a lot of time whenever data needs to be processed.
The second step is to analyze the problem. The team should investigate how long the problem has been in existence, stakeholders affected, and the overall impact of the problem on the performance of the organization. This method of archiving has been in existence since the time the company was created. The problem mainly affects the employees in the archiving department because it takes long to locate and process files. As the clientele list of SEWA continues to grow, the number of files is increasing, complicating the process of managing data. The effect of the problem is that it lowers the performance of the organization.
The third step is to generate potential solutions to the problem. When the problem has been defined in clear terms, the brainstorming team will focus on finding an appropriate solution that would yield the desired outcome. At this stage of brainstorming, members are encouraged to provide different proposals on how to solve the problem and provide a justification as to why they believe their strategy is the most effective. The fourth stage is the selection of the optimal solution and planning on the execution. The entire team will select the plan that they believe is the most realistic, based on time, resources available at the firm, expectations of the stakeholders, and any other relevant factor. Ansoff encourages that the process should be consultative instead of being dictatorial in nature (67). The selection process should not ignore the interest of relevant stakeholders. When addressing the problem of archiving, the optimal solution would be to implement the cloud-storing system.
The next step is the implement the approved solution. As suggested above, SEWA will need to embrace the cloud data storage system as the way of addressing the issue of space and efficiency in data management. The team will need to find the most effective product in the market. Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, Adobe, VMware, and IBM Cloud are some of the best cloud computing companies that can offer SEWA the quality services it desires. The product offered by each company is unique in its own way, and it would be upon the management of this organization to select the one it considers the most appropriate.
The final phase of the process is the evaluation of the solution. After implementing the proposed change, the management of this company would be expected to appoint a team of experts that would be involved in assessing the outcome of the new system. The goal would be to determine how effective the new system is in addressing the identified problems. The issues that were raised included massive consumption of space when using traditional archiving methods and complexity in storing, processing, retrieving, and sharing of data. The assessment should determine if these concerns were addressed. It is important to provide a summary of the steps that should be taken to achieve the desired outcome (see fig. 1).
Statement of the Problem
Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority plays a critical role in the development of the Emirate of Sharjah. As the population of this emirate increases, the demand for water and electricity services has been on the rise. According to Kumetat, this company, and other similar organizations within the country offering similar services, faces numerous challenges in achieving their mandate (83). However, this study focused on one of the many problems that the management of the company cannot afford to ignore. Since it was founded, documents at SEWA are often stored in physical files. The problem with this strategy is that it takes long to process, store, retrieve, and share data. In some cases, the problem of lost or destroyed files erases critical information of customers or processes that the firm is involved in when offering its services. It becomes difficult to trace or replace such crucial data. The problem has affected the ability of the firm to offer its customers the best service they deserve.
The current document archiving process has also been blamed for the issue of space it consumes. As the number of clients for this company continues to increase, the company is forced to store more files. It is necessary to have physical space in the archives where these files can be kept. Hill et al. explain that in such cases, it forces a firm to hire more employees to be responsible for the management of the files (42). It means that this problem does not only force the firm to increase the physical space for storage but also increase the size of its workforce. In an environment where this company is keen on cutting the cost of operating and improving its efficiency, the traditional archiving method is no longer tenable at this company. As suggested above, the company needs an efficient system that would enable it to deliver the best performance for its clients.
Root Cause of the Problem
It is important for the management of SEWA to understand the root cause of the problem that it is currently facing. The preliminary survey shows that the problem that the firm is facing is caused by the use of the traditional archiving method that involves the use of physical files. As shown in the fishbone diagram below (see fig. 2), some of the issues that have been raised in relation to the use of this method of archiving include lost files, the need to hire more employees, and high cost of operation. Other weaknesses include lengthy processing of files, complicated retrieval of data, and difficulty in sharing files among different departments. These issues have led to ineffective and costly archiving method at SEWA that reduces its overall performance.
Proposed Improvement Plan with Justification
The team had proposed that the company would need to embrace the cloud data storage system as a way of addressing the problem. According to Kumetat, cloud computing is currently the most effective method of data storage that many large organizations are embracing (81). Instead of using physical files, a firm would store its data in online servers offered by leading computing companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM among others. It eliminates the need to have a physical space where data can be stored. It is efficient when it comes to data processing, archiving, retrieving, and sharing. Morden explains that one of the main factors that have made cloud computing popular is that different users can access similar data simultaneously (112). As such, it eliminates time wastage and duplication of work. It is important to understand how cloud computing integrates data management system (see fig. 3).
As shown in the figure above, cloud computing integrates the data management system. After selecting the vendor, SEWA will need to install the infrastructure needed to shift from traditional file management system to digital data management. The relevant infrastructure includes computers, tablets, routers, mobile phones, and any other hardware that would be relevant in data management. When the infrastructure has been put in place, the next step is to integrate the internal server within the firm with the cloud server (Kumar 88). Additional information that cannot be stored within the internal server will be pushed to the cloud server.
Some of the information that would be stored in this system includes clients’ identity, services offered to them and their payment details, the financial performance of the firm, and any other information relating to the normal operations of the company. The system would allow clients to access their details online through personal computers, tablets, and smartphones using a unique user name and password (Lasserre 78). The system would not only reduce the space needed for archiving but also the number of people needed by the company. The fact that clients would be capable of accessing their details online eliminates the need for them to make regular visits to the company. As such, the number of customer care employees can be reduced. The company will be able to lower its overall cost of operation.
Empowerment Culture within SEWA
Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority has remained committed to empowering its employees to enable them to deliver the best output in any task assigned to them. In a preliminary survey that was conducted among the employees of this company, it emerged that the firm has invested a lot of money on employee training (Biswas et al. 90). The firm understands that as the external environmental forces continue to change, there is a need to equip these employees with new skills. Continuous improvement is one of the critical cultural practices that SEWA has embraced. The culture of change means that employees must also remain committed to embracing new practices in their normal operations. The culture has helped promote creativity and innovativeness within the firm. Employees are encouraged to come up with new ways of undertaking their responsibilities in effective ways. Such new ideas are vetted and if viable, implemented to help improve the firm’s performance.
SEWA has been using two main methods of empowering its employees. In the preliminary survey that was conducted, employees noted that the firm has been using on-the-job training to help improve the practical skills of employees. The structured OJT involves bringing experts to help new employees to understand how to undertake specific responsibilities within the firm. The firm also uses the unstructured OJT where new employees work alongside experienced workers to gain practical knowledge on how to operate specific systems within the company. The second empowerment strategy is sponsorship for higher education. The company has sponsored many of its employees to pursue higher education in local and international institutions of higher learning (Dawoody 40). During the survey, it was established that the firm often selects some of the most skilled workers and sponsor their further education. Upon completing their further education, these employees can share the skills gained with their colleagues to improve the performance of the firm.
Development of a Plan to Benchmark the Performance of the Process
When the management is planning a development plan, Loeffler and Church advise that it is often necessary to use benchmarking whenever it is possible (112). This strategy enables a firm to compare its strategies with some of the best practices in the industry. It allows a firm to follow a path that other companies have taken to achieve their impressive results. In most cases, benchmarking is often conducted with firms operating in the same industry. It means that SEWA would need to benchmark against other companies offering water, electricity, and natural gas to its customers. The PDCA model (Deming cycle) offers an effective continuous improvement system that the company can use when benchmarking.
The first step is to plan what needs to be done to achieve specific outcomes. In this case, it had been revealed that the archiving system is ineffective. During the planning stage, the management would need to select the vendor of cloud computing services that would be used to replace the traditional archiving method. When the planning is complete, the next step is to implement the plan. Morden argues that it is important to ensure that the implementation is conducted based on the set plan (83). The third step is to check the outcome of the new system. The company should strive to achieve the set objectives. The last stage when using this model is to act. When the management is convinced that the intended goal is not achieved, it should go through the same process again, but using a different plan. In this case, the firm can even consider changing the cloud-computing vendor. It is necessary to demonstrate the four steps that should be followed when using this model (see fig. 4).
Importance of the Study
When conducting a study, Kumar explains that it is important to define its importance (78). SEWA plays a critical role in providing clean water, electricity, and natural gas to residents of the Emirate of Sharjah. The development of this part of the country depends on the ability of this organization to meet the needs of its customers despite the increasing population in the country. This study focuses on addressing one of the main challenges that it faces, which is the inefficiency of the traditional archiving methods. This paper will propose practical solutions to this problem. It will enable this company to reduce the number of its employees, improve its service delivery, and avoid cases of lost or destroyed files.
Type of Benchmarking
When using benchmarking as a strategy of continuous improvement, it is often advisable to choose the most appropriate one. As Peppard and Ward (50) observe, a firm can use internal benchmarking, competitive benchmarking, functional benchmarking, or generic benchmarking. Each of them is suitable for different conditions. In this case, the most appropriate strategy would be functional benchmarking. This company is not trying to compete with any other company in the industry. It is keen on achieving efficiency in its operations. According to Kumar, functional benchmarking focuses on embracing identical practices within the same functions in a different organization (80). This type of benchmarking was selected because it would allow SEWA to benchmark with both the local and international companies, including those in unrelated industries. The goal is to improve archiving at this company. It means that the company can embrace a model used by different companies around the world as long as it can be applied in the context of the company.
What SEWA Expects to Gain
SEWA is currently making investments to improve its ability to meet the increasing demand for clean water, electricity, and natural gas for the residents of the Emirate of Sharjah. However, the preliminary survey shows that the current practice of using traditional archiving methods is time and space consuming, and it is less efficient as the number of clients continues to increase. As such, the introduction of a cloud computing system will be of great benefit to the company. SEWA should expect to gain a lot with the implementation of the new system. Data storage, processing, retrieval, and sharing will be simplified. As such, the company would afford to reduce the number of people working in the data management unit. The company will have a better capacity of communicating with its customers and understanding their needs under the new systems. Customers will not have to visit the physical offices of the company because they would be able to access the information they need through online platforms. As such, the company would reduce the number of employees in the customer service unit. The significant reduction in the number of employees will cut the overall cost of operation. The new system will also improve service delivery at this firm.
What to Benchmark and What Needs to Be Completed before Initiating the Study
When benchmarking, the management should be very clear on what it needs to focus on within a given period. In this case, the focus of the team is to improve data archiving at SEWA by introducing cloud computing as the new approach of managing data. As such, benchmarking will be strictly limited to the data management system of the selected organization. The company will not focus on other activities within the selected firm because such deviations may limit the ability to achieve the desired outcome (Lasserre 89). The strategy would be to review how these firms managed to digitize their data successfully, challenges they face, strategies they use to overcome various issues that arise, and the overall outcome of the new system.
Before initiating this study, the researcher will need to engage the management unit if this company. It is important to determine if senior managers at the company also feel that the current traditional archiving method is outdated and needs to be replaced. The researcher would also need to determine if the management is willing to embrace the new system. The information would help guide the study because the researcher needs to offer a guideline on what the management would need to do to overcome the challenges identified. The researcher will also determine strategies that similar companies in the country, such as DEWA, use to achieve similar goals.
Benchmarking Partners and How They Were Selected
The company should select benchmarking partners that would help it to transit from the traditional archiving method to cloud computing approach of managing data. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and Etisalat were selected as the most appropriate partners for benchmarking. The selection was based on the industry in which the first firm operates and the number of customers the second company is currently handling. DEWA offers similar services as SEWA, but in the Emirate of Dubai. It has managed to meet the increasing demand for the product despite the increasing population in the city. Emulating its practices may enable this firm to achieve success. Etisalat is one of the largest companies in the country with numerous customers both locally and in the international market. The partner was selected because it has one of the best data management systems in the country. It is able to engage its customers in the online platform.
How to Obtain Data
When conducting the study, the researcher will need to select the most appropriate method of obtaining data. According to Morden (112), it is important to select a method that would enable a researcher to access the needed information within the period available for investigation. The interview would be the most appropriate method of collecting primary data. The management of SEWA needs to understand how to embrace best practices in data management. It will need to learn from some of the companies that have implemented the system already. Two partners have been selected to help this company upgrade its system. The best way of obtaining the needed data would be through interviews. Employees working in the data management unit have the best capacity to explain the effectiveness of cloud computing, how to overcome the challenges, benefits of using it, and factors that SEWA should consider before, during, and after digitizing its data. Online surveys may be an alternative strategy in case interviews cannot provide sufficient data.
What Will Be Done After Data Collection
When data is obtained from primary sources, the researcher will focus on analysis. The goal will be to process the raw data into practical strategies and plans that can be implemented by SEWA. The processed data should explain employees of the company who will be involved in the implementation process when the company should introduce the new practice, how it should be introduced, and measures that should be taken to avoid unnecessary wastes. Data analysis and interpretation should be done in a way that would be easy for the management of SEWA, especially the authorities responsible for archiving, to understand why the new system would be beneficial and what is needed for the implementation to be a success.
Conclusion
Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority has a unique responsibility of providing clean water, electricity, and natural gas to the residents of the Emirate of Sharjah. The company has embraced various best practices, especially based on the guidelines offered by DEWA to ensure that it meets the needs of its clients in the best way possible. However, the preliminary survey shows that the use of traditional document archiving process is ineffective as it consumes a lot of space, requires more employees, and often faces the problem of lost or misplaced data. The study suggests the need for SEWA to introduce the cloud-storing system to eliminate these challenges. Cloud computing has proven to be effective in enhancing data management in the digital platform. The study recommends that the management of SEWA should consider embracing benchmarking as a way of maintaining continuous improvement in its data management system. DEWA and Etisalat have been identified as some of the best firms that this company can benchmark against to help it improve its efficiency in record management.
Works Cited
Ansoff, Igor. Strategic Management. 11th ed., Palgrave Macmillan Limited, 2016.
Biswas, Asit, et al., editor. Assessing Global Water Megatrends. Springer Nature, 2018.
Colombo, Silvia, editor. Bridging the Gulf: EU-GCC Relations at a Crossroads. Edizioni Nuova Cultura, 2014.
Dawoody, Alexander, editor. Public Administration and Policy in the Middle East. Springer, 2014.
Hill, Charles, et al. Strategic Management Theory. 12th ed., Mexico Cengage Learning, 2017.
Kumar, Pardeep. Fundamentals of Management. S Chand & Company Limited, 2016.
Kumetat, Dennis. Managing the Transition: Renewable Energy and Innovation Policies in the UAE Algeria. Routledge, 2015.
Lasserre, Philippe. Global Strategic Management. Palgrave, 2017.
Loeffler, Bruce, and Brian Church. The Experience: The 5 Principles of Disney Service and Relationship Excellence. Wiley, 2015.
Morden, Tony. Principles of Strategic Management. 3rd ed., Routledge, 2016.
Peppard, Joe, and John Ward. The Strategic Management of Information Systems: Building a Digital Strategy. Wiley, 2016.
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