The project attended was a training course on Productivity Measurement for Service Sector Organizations. It was attended by policy makers, government officials/representatives and practitioners from the service sector enterprises whose main role is to improve productivity measurement across or within their organizations.

Through the intensive 3 days sessions, participants were able to:

  • Learn and apply productivity concepts and measurements in service-sector organizations
    within the context of digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI).
  • Equip participants with productivity measurement tools and frameworks that promote service
    quality and innovation.

Objectives for participation

As the Dean of the College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management at the Lyceum of the Philippines University Manila, I am deeply involved in various Quality Assurance programs and Service Productivity measures with CHED, TESDA, TIBFI, Department of Tourism and PACUCOA.

The Productivity Measures for Service Sectors concepts and principles can be applied in the various roles in my engagement with the industry, government and academe.

Participants

There were thirty seven (37) participants from various countries from both public and private organizations, occupying diverse positions in the service sectors. There were 12 countries represented with delegates coming from Bangladesh (2), Fiji (1), India (3), Indonesia (7), Islamic Republic of Iran (3), Pakistan (1), Philippines (5), Republic of China (1), Sri Lanka (3), Thailand (3), Turkey (3) and Vietnam (5).

For the Philippine delegation, there were three female participants out of five, with 2 government representative, 1 Academic, 1 PSQ official and 1 owner of a travel consultancy firm.

Scope, Content and Methodology

The workshop started with the Opening session organized by Indonesia as the NPO for this year with Welcome Message and Introduction of Participants from different countries and the workshop Speakers.

Our Speakers were composed of the following:

▪ Dr. Joo Seng Tan
Associate Professor, Nanyang Business School, Singapore

▪ Dr. kanagi Kanapathy
Associate Professor, Department of Operations and Management Information Systems
Faculty of Business and Accountancy, University of Malaya, Malaysia

▪ Dr. Agus Made Yoga Iswara
Corporate General Manager MACA Group, Indonesia

There were a total of nine (9) sessions for the three-days workshop and all was delivered using the Zoom virtual platform. All materials were provided by the Secretariat for easy access of all the participants

Session 1: Understanding Service Sector Productivity

This session highlighted the critical imperative for productivity in the service sector. It introduced key productivity principles, factors of production and output in the service-sector productivity, how they differ from productivity in the manufacturing sector.

Session 2: Understanding Productivity, Quality and Innovation

This session gave us insights on key productivity, quality and performance measurement tools that can be used in the service sector.

Session 3: Service Sector Productivity Measurement in Indonesia

In this session, the service-sector productivity of the hospitality industry in Indonesia were presented as a case. It showed how service productivity is linked to performance and how it is measured.

Session 4: Measuring Service-Sector Productivity

This session highlighted the challenges and problems in service-sector productivity measurement and introduce productivity and quality measurement tools in the food and beverage (F&B) industry.

Session 5: Service Process and Performance Management

This session explained how productivity and quality measurement can lead to service process and performance improvement.

Session 6: Service Sector Productivity in the Indonesian Food and Beverages Industry

This session introduced service-sector productivity in the F&B industry in Indonesia and show how companies are measuring service productivity and linking it to performance.

Session 7: Paradigm Shifts in Service-sector Productivity Measurement Using Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Service Automation (RAISA) Technologies: Harnessing Productivity Potential and Addressing Challenges

This session highlighted the impact of RAISA technologies on productivity in the service sector. Specific examples from the hospitality and F&B industry was shared. Participants were grouped and brainstormed in an activity that was presented in the plenary.

Session 8: Productivity Improvements through New Technologies

This session showed how service-sector organizations can harness the productivity potential of new technologies for continuous improvement. Participants were grouped and brainstormed in an activity that was presented in the plenary

Session 9: Summary of Productivity Concepts in Service Productivity

This session summarized productivity concepts, principles, tools, and measurement techniques in the service sector. Participants shared key takeaways and applications.

In the group activity, I was part of Group 6 and our group was composed of members from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. As it was an international workshop, English was used as the language in the lectures and workshops.

Outcomes and Evaluation

The workshop was well- organized and I believe the objectives during the first day of the workshop was attained. There were so many new learnings that can be applicable in the workplace especially on how service productivity are measured. Through the sharing of experiences of the Speakers, the theories and principles were given a perspective where it can be practically applied.

Recommendations and Action Steps

Recommendations

  • Pursue more trainings and workshops as it can reach out to as many grantees who will benefit from new learnings and innovations that can be used and applied in various contexts and countries.
  • It is highly encourage to involve more participants from different countries to allow for borderless collaborations and sharing of best practices and knowledge
  • Continue to use the Zoom virtual platform which is a very good alternative at this time of the pandemic as it can reach more participants who will need specific training needs.
  • It is recommended to have more breakout sessions where participants can contribute more ideas on a given exercise
  • Share best practices learned from the workshop as a result of attending this training
  • Productivity measures in the service sector can be made as a topic in webinars/trainings conducted virtually
  • Publish materials that will create consciousness with service sector productivity

My action plan

  • Promote Productivity Measurement in the Service Sector in various undertakings
  • Assist our institution in the alignment of program and institutional standards with the concepts and principles learned in the workshop and utilize various assessments measures.
  • Provide assistance by giving lectures in the Undergraduate/Graduate Studies in the topic Productivity Measurement in the Service Sector.

Submitted by:

Lilibeth Aragon, PhD
Dean, College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management
Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila
Email: lilibeth.aragon at lpu.edu.ph

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