Prestonwood_Final_Fred

By: Justin Fernandez | July 2016 | The Creek
Business Process Improvement

CONTENTS
Executive Summary..............................................................................................................1
Introduction.........................................................................................................................2
Health and Safety Concerns .................................................................................................3
New Employee Training ...................................................................................................... 6
grouping and Time studies...................................................................................................7
Inventory Control................................................................................................................ 9
Recommended Improvements............................................................................................ 10
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................... 13
Refferences......................................................................................................................... 14

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Prestonwood,whilebeinga successfulorganizationstillhasroomtogrow.
This can be achieved by following this business process improvement plan
tailored to reduce safety concerns, increase productivity, and enhance employee
morale. Implementing the recommendedimprovements will give management
peaceof mindknowingthat PrestonwoodCountryClubis runningsmoothlyand
efficiently.
In order to achieve these goals, new processes and procedures must be
implemented. These will include:
 Golf ball cleaner sanitation
 Proper lifting procedures
 New employee training
 Opening/closing procedures
 Inventory forecasting
 Scheduled breaks
 Employee promotion
 Cart/valet system

INTRODUCTION
Prestonwood is a member of the ClubCorp family of country clubs which
operates 148 clubs with 18-hole golf amenities in 26 states. Prestonwood
represents two of these locations in the Dallas metropolitan area, The Creek,
located in Dallas (75248) and The Hills, located in Plano (75093). The Dallas
Metropolitan area is bursting with industry and serves as a major financial hub
for southern America. Average annual income is almost $6,000 higher in Dallas
as compared to the rest of Texas [1]. The residents of the Dallas Metropolitan
area have the means to live an elevated lifestyle and choose to do so through
establishments such as Prestonwood Country Club. Here they can socialize in a
community with people of comparable economic stature and similar interest.
These interest include sports like golf and tennis, fine dining, and fun activities
like painting and wine night and the pursuit of other leisure activities. By
examining the standard practices, training of new employees, and methods of
operation from a first-hand perspective, I believe I can help improve the
efficiency, quality of work, labor cost, and employee safety all while maintaining
the elegance and pride of Prestonwood Country Club.

HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS
Marinating health of employee partners is imperative to a successful
business practice. Employees must be confident that their employers are
investedin their well-being orrapidemployeeturnoverislikely. Employersneed
to follow health and safety guidelines to avoid violation fines from governing
bodies like OSHA, NIOSH, ILO, and WHO. A proactive approach will reduce
medical and compensation cost associated with employee injuries. During my
time at Prestonwood, there were many health and safety concerns that stuck out
to me.
The cart barn houses a commercial ball cleaning machine (shown below) used
to get mud and dirt off for reuse. The bottom section of this machine is a tub of
standing water containing over 15 gallons of water.
This process relies on the cleanlinessof the water. However, there is no standard
as to when the water shouldbe changedorwhen thecontainershouldbe cleaned.
Employees simply stick theirhand inside the tank and if your hand is still visible
through the murky liquid, then the water is considered useable. This practice
lacks concern for waterborne pathogens and is dangerous for employees and
membersalike.These pathogensincludeamoebiasis,cryptosporidiosis,botulism,
and even hepatitis Acan manifest itself in water [2]. All of these cultivate in dark
stagnant water and growfrom the animal feces and minerals in the ground. The
pathogens can enter through open sores, hand to mouth contact, or simply

breathing in the air they reside. Molds are also serious threat to employees who
spend many hours in the cart barn where there is poor air circulation. Inside the
ball cleaner is the precise place where mold would thrive. Under the right
conditions, it can even begin to grow overnight and cultivate exponentially
within a week. Mold infections can cause fever, skin infections and even
pneumonia. Along with air and water borne pathogens, mosquito populations
can reach threatening levels within 10 days under the conditions mentioned
above [3]. Mosquitoes carry other diseases like malaria and Zika which can be
fatal [4].
Threats of this nature can cause serious implications for a business.
Therefore,Prestonwoodshouldemptythewater out of the golf ball cleanerevery
night at closing time as a precautionary measure. A policy should be
implemented requiring the golf ball cleaner to be emptied every night and
scrubbed every two weeks. Applying a simple soap and water solution will
prevent pathogens and mold from forming. In addition, bleach is appropriate as
long as it is handledcarefully,dilutedin correctproportions,notmixedwith any
other chemicals, and rinsed thoroughly.
Lifting heavy objects is a day-to–day responsibility of Prestonwood
outside service staff employees. However, when performed properly, the risks
associated with these tasks can be drastically reduced. That is why The National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH, has developed certain
guidelines for lifting and how to design the task procedure to ensure the
employee’s safety. This equation is described in the figure below.

**NOTE: All the measured values of H, V, D, A, F, C are not the final values of the
equation, they need to be converted to Multipliers via tables shown below**
The most dangerous lift for the outside services staff at Prestonwood is lifting a
full bucket of range balls on and off of golf carts. Range balls are collected and
placedinan empty44-gallonplasticbarrelthentransportedbacktothe cartbarn
for cleaning.This task is performed between two and four timesdaily. According
to the NIOSHlifting equation at 60 pounds, lifting this barrel just 3 times a shift

gives a Lifting Index of 2.53. The parameters for the NIOSHlifting equation are
displayed in the figure below.
At 2.53 the lift is a high risk for lifting injury. Once the barrel exceeds 71 pounds
it enters the >3 territory and can have severe consequences. This lift is a danger
to employees’ hamstrings, gluteusmaximus, quadriceps, lower back, shoulders,
and neck. It is crucial that the lifting procedure be redesigned immediately to
provide a safe work environment for outside staff employees.
I suggest only loading and unloading an empty barrel, then use smaller
buckets to incrementally fill the barrel up. Employees will place and secure the
emptybarrel on the back of the golf cart. As cleanballs come out of the machine,
the smallerbucketsare filledand emptiedintothe securedbarrel.This will allow
the employee to avoid lifting the entire barrel full of golf balls. If unloading a full
bucket of golf balls is required, a ramp is recommended. This elongates the H
(height) in the NIOSHequation while taking the weight off of the employee.
NEW EMPLOYEE TRAINING
I was hired as an outside staff employee partner. The day-to-day
responsibilitiesof this position include: adhering to all golf services preparation,
maintaining and organizing golf carts, providing valet car side service, and
transporting member equipment. In addition to these designated tasks, the
outside services staff’s inherit duty is to provide a unique and luxurious
experience for members all while continually Building Relationship &Enriching
Lives.
Every new hire begins their journey at Prestonwood with a clean slate;
ready to learn and eager to perform well in their new position. As you add new
membersto yourprofessionalfamily,newideas,new perspectives,andnewskills
are acquired.Thisisthe lifebloodof yourbusiness.New employeesmustbegiven
specific goals so that they can contribute to accomplishingobjectives along with
the restof the team. Inthisregard,communicationiskey.Newemployeesshould
feel comfortable not only asking questions about what their responsibilities are,

but giving suggestions and offering their outside perspective. This is the most
valuable quality of a new employee. If new employees are not given a chance to
communicateupwards,thenitwilllower moraleandincreaseemployeeturnover
dramatically. Not all employees feel comfortable vocalizing opinions for or
against the current procedures. The manager should schedule a session where
the new employeecan give feedback privatelywithoutdiscouragement.Thiswill
aide in supervisor-subordinate communication and allow for creative thinking
to blossom. Workers who feel valued will be more invested in their job and take
more pride in their position, their staff, and the establishment they are a part of.
“It’s betterto grow your employees, steerthem into a place that they can
learn and succeed, and want to work hard and be loyal, than to have a
revolving doorof employees. That’s demoralizing.” -Glen Mazzara
GROUPING AND TIME STUDIES
Becoming more efficient is the unspoken goal of every business. If a four-
memberemployeestaff can completetheworkof a five-memberstaff, laborcosts
can be cut dramatically. This does not indicate that the five-member staff was
not working as hard. It means they were not working as smart. Implementing
strategies that allow the staff to become more efficient are becoming more
popular in the world of business, and one of these strategies is called Grouping.
Grouping takes place when one employee completes a series of task in a row as
opposed to switching between tasks. When you switch tasks your brain takes
timeto acclimate,slowingdownthe process.However, if you continuea one task
untilits completionyouwill movequickerand work moreefficiently. If everyone
in a team is grouping tasks, your staff will run like a single organism.
Communication and understandingyour role are paramount in this strategy. A
single lone wolf can slow down the entire process.
Grouping can be appliedmost prevalently to Prestonwood’s opening and closing
duties which require several tasks in different locations across the property.
During an opening shift an outside services staff member’s responsibilities
include unplugging carts from charging stations, linking carts together,
transporting to the staging area, and preparing the carts for use (stocking
scorecards, seven tees, two dry towels, and two wet towels). This can be done
more efficiently with two staff members using grouping. One staff member
unplugsandlinkscarts,whilethe secondstaff memberdrivescartsto the staging
area (no preparation is done at this time). Once all carts are transported to the

staging area employees restock dry and wet towels. This prevents carts that are
prepared for use from being parked behind carts that are not. The goal is to have
as many carts as needed parked and 15-20 carts staged at 7:00AM when the first
members start arriving. At the point, helping the guests with their equipment
and providing car side valet service becomes priority. This is where a third or
fourth employee will arrive and continue the process of staging the carts and
guest satisfaction will resume. Theoretically, this will eliminate two labor hours
a day, and twelve labor hours on a six-day work week saving the company
hundreds of dollars a month in labor cost.
For the closing shift a similar approach can be applied. With 3-4 staff members
on a typicalclosingshiftthe strategywill be as follows. Oneemployee willreturn
empty carts as members finish their rounds. The employee will connect and
deliver carts to the cart cleaning area. Once all carts are disconnected, the
employee will restart the process of finding and returningempty carts. Asecond
employee will be in charge of removing trash and used towels from the carts.
Once all trash is removed, he/she will wash all carts, ensuring the carts are
presentable for opening shift use (This includes replacing seven tees, a scorecard
& pencil, and full sand containers). A third employee will be inside the cart barn
driving carts to the designated charging stations where s/he will plug the carts
into their respective charging ports and repeat the process until all carts are
charging. The fourth employee, if present, will clean member’s clubs as they exit
the course.
Time studies are a business efficiency technique designed to accurately predict
how long a given task will take an average worker at a normal pace. I conducted
a preliminary study to determine the efficiency of the current method vs. the
method I’ve suggested. One would immediately assume that two workers could
do a task faster, while that may be true it may not be as efficient which is the
overall goal. During the preliminary study, I found that the average time per
worker was lower when only one employee was working. Shown in the table
below.

Based on my independent research, I’ve conclude that the second worker is
slowing down the process and would be more valuable assigned to a different
task.
INVENTORY CONTROL
For members, a pleasurable experience means having all the necessary
elements for a round of golf. This includes a scorecard, pencil, seven tees, and
four towels (two wet and two dry). These things enhance member experience
and are pivotal in providing the luxury service Prestonwood members seek.
When The Creek runs out of these items, members feel forgotten and
unimportant. Why would members pay to be a part of a country club if when
they cometo participateinactivities,materialsarenotprovided?Thisisprecisely
what happened on June 2nd when Prestonwood ran out of towels. A similar
instance occurred with our tee inventory June 30th-July 6th. Disgruntled
members were further upset when outside staff employees were left with no
option but to assist guests in search each tee box for spare tees.
The remedyisa forecastingmodelthatrepresentsthenumberof supplies
used each month. When inventory is taken at the end of each month, remaining
inventoryshouldbe subtractedfrombeginninginventorygivingyouthedemand
for that period and that is your demand for that period. Once a significant
number of period data has been collected a trend can be identified. Assuming
your business is always growing and obtaining new customers, as it should be,
then the demand for tees in 2016 should exceed the demand for tees in 2015, and

so on. By summing up all the demands for a 12-month period we arrive at the
demand for that year. Using a linear forecasting model, one could track growth
of demandfor all supplies.Thisis done by calculatingtheslope(m) of a Demand
vs. Time graph using the formula: 𝑚 =
∑(𝑥𝑖 𝑦𝑗)−(𝑛𝑥̅ 𝑦̅)
∑(𝑥𝑖
2)−(𝑛)𝑥̅2
where 𝑥𝑖 is the number
of the period (year one: x=1, year two: x=2 etc.) and 𝑦𝑗 is the respective demand
for each period. The 𝑥̅ and 𝑦̅ are simple averages of the 𝑥𝑖 and 𝑦𝑗 . These
numbers will be applied to the basic linear equation: 𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑏 just rewritten
as: 𝑏 = 𝑦̅ − 𝑚𝑥̅ to solve for b (the y intercept).Onceb is identified,the equation
will be written as 𝑌 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑏 where you will have all variables needed to
calculatethe demand(Y)at any period(year)needed(x). Oncethat is completed
you may now investigate how your monthly demand operates.
I expect a seasonal pattern because of the popularity of golf in the summer
monthsand its declinein the wintermonths. Assumingthissystembegins at the
end of July 2016 then one would document the demand for that month and
record it. Continue doing this until you have at least 2 complete cycles (years).
So at the beginning of July 2018 you should have enough data to forecast the
future periods (months) with statistical accuracy. Once you have collected all 24
data points,you nowhave the necessarydatato computea SeasonalIndexModel.
A simple average is where: 𝐷̅𝑗 =
∑ 𝐷𝑖
12
𝑖=1
12
. This is how you will get 𝐷̅ for each
cycle. Then, divide each 𝐷𝑖 by 𝐷̅𝑗 respectively. You have just obtained the
seasonal index. This seasonal index now indicates what portion of the 𝐷̅𝑗 that
specific period consumes. If a period demands more supplies than the average
the seasonal index will be over 1. Likewise, if that period uses less than the
averageit willbe indicatedwitha seasonalindex of less than 1. Oncetwo ormore
seasonal indices are obtained for a particular period (July 2016 & July 2017) you
can average them and obtain an average seasonal index. This can be applied to
estimate the demand for July 2018 by multiplying the average seasonal index
(averageof July2016 &July 2017 seasonalindices)by the estimatedyearlydemand
that would be calculated by the above equation 𝑌 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑏. Using this method
will help management order a statistically accurate number of supplies and
prevent shortages.
RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS
This sectionwill detailmiscellaneousimprovementstoincreaseemployee
morale, provide more structure to the employee hierarchy, and maintain quality
amenities for the members.

A recent study concluded that employees feel guilty about resting or
taking break on the job even though 86% of workers agree that it makes them
more productive [5]. “Coffee Breaks”, as the Fair Labor Standards Act calls it, are
paidbreaksthat last 20 minutesorlessand promoteproductivity[6].Breakshelp
employees from losing steam in the middle of a shift. Specifically, in the
customer service industry, maintaining enthusiasm when connecting with a
memberiscrucial.A disengagedemployeecanbe perceivedasrudeanddiminish
the customer experience. According to studies by the Industrial and Labor
Relation Review scheduled breaks are productive while self-scheduled or
unscheduled breaks were unproductive [7]. Giving employees time to recharge
will helpthem be more preparedtofullyservicemembersthroughouttheirshift.
A scheduled 15-20 minutebreak is recommendedforeachemployeeat staggered
intervals.
A Towers Watson study concluded that two elements are crucial in
preventingemployeeburnout:“havingleaderswho build trustby demonstrating
a sincere interest in employee well-being and having manageable stress levels…”
[8]. While taking breaks will help keep employees at manageable stress levels it
does not prevent supervisor disassociation. A manager’s greatest task is to have
controlover severaldifferentaspectsof the business.The ultimategoalis to have
each cog perform flawlessly with each other resulting in an efficient and happy
work environment. Managers time is valuable, and requiring a manger to
delegate specific task to each outside services staff member is inefficient and
often results in miscommunication. The problem lies in that the outside staff is
supervised by golf shop professionals who specialize in the game of golf and
golfing equipment. There needs to be a person who managers feel can represent
company interest and handle small to medium scale issues that face the staff on
a day to day basis. An increase in teamwork and productivity can be achieved by
instilling more trust into an outside services staff member and creating a shift
leader position. I recommend promoting four members to shift leader status.
This would allow the outside services staff to be supervised from within. These
four selected employees would wear a different color shirt to signify to members
their authority. This would allow the management to have a clear path to relay
current events, opportunitiesfor improvement, and discipline if need be. A shift
leader would have authority backed by management and would be an extension
of managementitself.Thiswouldallowopportunityforadvancement,increasing
employee motivation to constantly improve their work instead of residing in
stagnant positions [9]. Promoted employees are experienced and have in-depth
knowledge of the position and the team’s strengths and weaknesses. This
position would be granted a wage increase and be accountable for all the

opening/closing duties. Shift leaders would have the authority to coordinate
resources and workflow of the outside services staff. The shift leader would be
responsible for training new employees to keep consistency within the
organization and avoid confusion. Promoting an employee to shift leader would
give management insight from an employee’s perspective. Throughout the day
various decisions are made by the staff and with no designated leadership or
accountability, these decisions are left in chaos. Determining who will pull carts
out of the barn, collect range balls, clean clubs on the 18th
green, and many other
tasks turn into a finger pointing session of, “I did it yesterday”. This is a clear
symptom of lack of leadership. Ashift leader should be present at every shift to
make assessments in real time about what is best for the club such as sending an
employee home when business is slow. It is not uncommon for four employees
to be on the clock when two employees could easily and efficiently perform the
tasks at hand. The shift leader would have the authority to allow two staff
members to go home while he/she completes the task. For example, during the
closing shift four employees may be waiting for 2-4 carts to be returned when
two employees could complete the closing responsibilities in just as much time,
saving possibly an hour of labor (two employees staying an extra 30 minutes)
three times a week. Promoting a leader from within the outside service staff will
increase employee cooperation and prevent disengagedstaff members. Having a
shift leader communicate with management regularly and discuss employee
progress, recommended improvements, and expectations will place a bridge
between staff members and management so supervisors can receive regular
feedback on important issues facing the staff through a reliable source.
During my time at Prestonwood, a new cart staging system was
implemented.Thissystemmoves all the cartsfrom the bottom parking lotto the
concreteareanear the proshop.There are manybenefits to this change.It allows
management to observe who is in possession of carts. This prevents members
from arriving after all tee times have be closed, and playing a round of golf
withoutpayinggreenfees. Members can nowmeet upwith theirgroupsandload
their equipment together, preventingthree or four carts from being individually
taken from the parking lot. The carts are closer to the cart barn and on the same
elevation preventing damage to the carts or other property through recklessly
driving a string of four carts up and down hills. However, there are some
drawbacks to the way the current system is being operated. If a member arrives
and needs to additionally prepare for his/her round of golf the outside staff
members are required to wait for him/her or instruct the members to walk up
the hill. This is not convenient for the members, especially our older members.
Additionally, if a 2-some arrives we are required to stand on the back of the cart

and request to be driven by the member. This is dangerous and directly violates
the regulations of use stated on the golf cart itself. Violating operator
instructionsmayresultinlackworker’scompensationifan accidentwouldoccur
and injure an employee. Furthermore, this is very unprofessional and not
becoming of an upper echelon country clubsuch as Prestonwood. Henceforth I
recommend that golf bag drop off and valet be combined. A member will drive
into the circular path surrounding the flag poles where their bags will be
unloaded and they will be directed straight into the clubhouse. Once they exit
their vehicle, a person qualified by management will perform the valet service.
Three golf carts will be positioned near the valet station and used to deliver
members’ golf bags to the current staging area. This idea is similar to elegant
hotels utilizing their valet service as a suitcase drop off, as well. This presents a
graceful transitionfor the member allowingdirect access to clubamenities upon
arrival. It will also allow members who prefer to handle their own equipment to
remove themselves completely from the process.
CONCLUSION
I enjoyed my time at The Creek course and was happy I was accepted into
the Prestonwood and Club Corp family. The experience was eye opening for me
as it gave me the chance to view up close and personal how a sophisticated and
customer centric organization conducts itself. The improvements suggested
were drafted after spending 10 weeks alongside the outside services staff and
realizing howdedicated these employees are to their craft. These enhancements
would allow the staff to reach its full potential of satisfying members as well as
allow management to reach their full potential in communicating expectations,
andreachinga sustainablebottomlinefor yearsto come.By improvingthesafety
conditions for our employees, having a consistent new employee training
program, and implementingan efficient task assignment and inventory control
program the Prestonwoodbrand can expand into newmarkets and continue the
success of Building Relationship &Enriching Lives.
“Employees who believethat management is concernedaboutthem
as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more
satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers,
which leads to profitability.” –Anne M. Mulcahy

REFFERENCES
[1]: http://www.forbes.com/places/tx/dallas/
[2]: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/training/videos/transcripts/water.pdf
[3]: http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2016/03/zikaandwater/
[4]: https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/us_transmission.html
[5]: http://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/hr-101-yes-your-employees-are-more-efficient-when-
they-take-a-break/
[6]: http://www.twc.state.tx.us/news/efte/flsa_does_and_doesnt_do.html
[7]: Carlin, Paul S. "Is Lunch and Other Break Time Productive in Sweden? A Hedonic
Earnings Approach." Industrial and Labor Relations Review 50.2 (1997): 324-41.Web.
[8]: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/14/business/dealbook/when-employee-
engagement-turns-into-employee-burnout.html
[9]: https://www.proopinion.com/en/blog/how-do-opportunities-for-career-
advancement-improve-worker-morale

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