Starwood: Operations as a Competitive Weapon

Starwood: Operations as a Competitive Weapon

The focus of any business like Starwood is to take its efforts (inputs) and provide outputs to make a profit. Starwood’s key inputs on top of the customer services are AV Services, Food and Beverage as well as meeting rooms. Starwood streamlined their access points to the various departments a client may need during their stay on property. This was achieved by giving each customer/client a Nextel phones with all of the different departments pre-programed in the phone. When the customer needs a service, the number for the department that they need is already there. The necessary service inputs are there but weren’t easily accessible to the client. By using the Nextel Phone, Starwood used it as a input which gave the service output a greater value.

Starwood believes in customer rewards by having a customer rewards program. The more the customer does business with Starwood the greater the benefit to the customer. This creates a positive experience to the customer and creates an atmosphere where the customer is more inclined to do business with Starwood as a result of their experience. This also, creates a bargaining chip with clients when choosing a hotel to do business with.

The efficiency and productivity are essential to the success to Starwood. The major advantage of these philosophies is that both input and output are to be considered according to Barros, Peypoch and Solonadrasana (2009). These philosophies also generate hotel efficiency scores.

Starwood takes great pride in the assistance they offer to their customers. Such assistance comes in the form of tools available for their meetings. These tools range from guides to resources, budgeting, all the way to management. This makes Starwood more as resource than just a facility. Starwood’s use of the concierge concept also puts them at advantage over their competition for it allows them to stay true to their focus which is customer driven. The concierge is available to each client 24 hours a day and is there to anticipate and fulfill the client’s needs should they have any (2013).

Starwood’s approach to their core processes are value driven and