Summary of Key Points

Summary of key points

Food Zone interviews

3 Main topics where put in questions

Organizational health

• Customer satisfaction is taken into account and complaints are handled immediately
• Building team spirit is a major factor in all sectors of all the stores.
• The organization has implemented strategies to improve stock holding that in turn improves turnover.
• All employees are not part of decision-making
• Crime and fraud amongst customers as well as staff are issues that can threaten the success of the organization.
• The more you put in the more you get out, is that cultural installed within this organization
• Conflict within the work place is dealt with mutual respect and is handled by the owner and manager of the store.
• Goals and objectives are set up by the C.E.O Team and infiltrated throughout the network of stores around Africa.
• Competition with OK foods and they are focused on mainly rural, low income areas.

Strategic Priorities

• The store at which the interviews where conducted have been neglected over the years and thus become a priority to rectify this situation, with revamping the store as well as redoing stock volume and corrective pricing.
• The director and store owners have a hands on approach to handling issues
• There employee retention strategy is based on the ideas that an employee can stay if their happy or and leave if their not
• Strategies are put in place to create a happy work environment that is used to improve productivity and service delivery.
• Turnover ranges from R550000- R630000 (one store per annum, Good Wood Store)
• 12% employee turnover rate. ( Good Wood Store)
• Employees are seen as investments and through training are grown into the organization
• Competitive advantage is achieved by selling new products/services when they become available as well as specials in season on items that are in demand
• Internal promotion is an aspect that is used to motivate and grow employees throughout the organization
• The organization is based on a strictly centralised system, as top management are the only decision makers.

Vision/mission

• To hone, harness and combine the buying power, skills and flair of their members.
• To convert their members through marketing advertising, training and technology to branded stores.
• To ensure an above-average return on investment for all of our stakeholders.
• Expand in the retail- Expansions of the food zone division, combined with reposition of the BEC group as a retail account.
• Enhance group value through growth of centralised distribution and procurement capacity.
• Focus on customer communication with store discipline for enhanced brand awareness.
• Conversion to ARCH technology for enhanced data sharing and operations reporting.

Analysis approach

• The use of comparative analysis with other brands similar to food zone.
• Lecture case studies to identify problems or issues within the organization.
• Qualitative and Quantitative data to understand the health of the organization.
• Analysing key focus areas such as enhancing the group value, with customer communication.
• Analysis information from all perspectives such as employees, managers and CEO’s