Operations management – case analysis: southwestern university (c)
Southwestern University: (C)*
The popularity of Southwestern University’s football program under its new coach Phil Flamm surged in each of the 5 years since his arrival at the Stephenville, Texas, college. (See Southwestern University: (A) in Chapter 3 and (B) in Chapter 4.) With a football stadium close to maxing out at 54,000 seats and a vocal coach pushing for a new stadium, SWU president Joel Wisner faced some difficult decisions. After a phenomenal upset victory over its archrival, the University of Texas, at the homecoming game in the fall, Dr. Wisner was not as happy as one would think. Instead of ecstatic alumni, students, and faculty, all Wisner heard were complaints. “The lines at the concession stands were too long”; “Parking was harder to find and farther away than in the old days” (that is, before the team won regularly); “Seats weren’t comfortable”; “Traffic was backed up halfway to Dallas”; and on and on. “A college president just can’t win,” muttered Wisner to himself.
At his staff meeting the following Monday, Wisner turned to his VP of administration, Leslie Gardner. “I wish you would take care of these football complaints, Leslie,” he said. “See what the real problems are and let me know how you’ve resolved them.” Gardner wasn’t surprised at the request. “I’ve already got a handle on it, Joel,” she replied. “We’ve been randomly surveying 50 fans per game for the past year to see what’s on their minds. It’s all part of my campuswide TQM effort. Let me tally things up and I’ll get back to you in a week.”
When she returned to her office, Gardner pulled out the file her assistant had compiled (see Table 6.6). “There’s a lot of information here,” she thought.
TABLE 6.6 Fan Satisfaction Survey Results (N=250)(N=250)
Overall Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Game Day
A. Parking
90
105
45
5
5
B. Traffic
50
85
48
52
15
C. Seating
45
30
115
35
25
D. Entertainment
160
35
26
10
19
E. Printed Program
66
34
98
22
30
Tickets
A. Pricing
105
104
16
15
10
B. Season Ticket Plans
75
80
54
41
0
Concessions
A. Prices
16
116
58
58
2
B. Selection of Foods
155
60
24
11
0
C. Speed of Service
35
45
46
48
76
Respondents
Alumnus
113
Student
83
Faculty/Staff
16
None of the above
38
Open-Ended Comments on Survey Cards:
Parking a mess
Add a skybox
Get better cheerleaders
Double the parking attendants
Everything is okay
Too crowded
Seats too narrow
Great food
Phil F. for President!
I smelled drugs being smoked
Stadium is ancient
Seats are like rocks
Not enough cops for traffic
Game starts too late
Hire more traffic cops
Need new band
Great!
More hot dog stands
Seats are all metal
Need skyboxes
Seats stink
Go SWU!
Lines are awful
Seats are uncomfortable
I will pay more for better view
Get a new stadium
Student dress code needed
I want cushioned seats
Not enough police
Students too rowdy
Parking terrible
Toilets weren’t clean
Not enough handicap spots in lot
Well done, SWU
Put in bigger seats
Friendly ushers
Need better seats
Expand parking lots
Hate the bleacher seats
Hot dogs cold
$3 for a coffee? No way!
Get some skyboxes
Love the new uniforms
Took an hour to park
Coach is terrific
More water fountains
Better seats
Seats not comfy
Bigger parking lot
I’m too old for bench seats
Cold coffee served at game
My company will buy a skybox—build it!
Programs overpriced
Want softer seats
Beat those Longhorns!
I’ll pay for a skybox
Seats too small
Band was terrific
Love Phil Flamm
Everything is great
Build new stadium
Move games to Dallas
No complaints
Dirty bathroom
*This integrated case study runs throughout the text. Other issues facing Southwestern’s football stadium include: (A) Managing the renovation project (Chapter 3); (B) Forecasting game attendance (Chapter 4); (D) Break-even analysis of food services (Supplement 7 Web site); (E) Locating the new stadium (Chapter 8 Web site); (F) Inventory planning of football programs (Chapter 12 Web site); and (G) Scheduling of campus security officers/staff for game days (Chapter 13 Web site).
Discussion Questions
- Using at least two different quality tools, analyze the data and present your conclusions.
- How could the survey have been more useful?
- What is the next step?
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