In 2014, there are more than 18,000 KFC outlets in 115 countries and territories around the world (Australia, 2014). 40 years old American named Harland sanders of Corbin, Kentucky USA started cooking for travellers who stopped there for the gas, selling them his southern style fried chicken and KFC was founded in 1952. As word spread and Sanders' fame began to grow people started travelling from far and wide just for a taste of his food. Sanders spent the next nine years perfecting his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices, and the basic cooking technique that's still used today (Australia, 2014). The KFC’s first store in Australia was opened in 1968 in Guildford; NSW employing 25 people, today it has grown to more than 612 stores across the Australia. In Australia KFC owns and operates 160 stores with the remainder owned by our community of franchisees and it serves around 2 million costumers every week and it has employed around 30,000 Australian. The Colonel's signature secret blends of 11 herbs and spices. Even today these remain a secret with the original recipe under lock and key in the headquarters in Kentucky, USA (Australia, 2014). KFC is part of Yum! Brands, Inc. The company was ranked 239 on the fortune 500 list with the revenue in excess of $ 11 billion in 2008. Its location can be found operating as free standing units and kiosks in high traffic areas or populated area like in city. Most of the KFC store is co-located with the fast food stores like Hungry Jacks or Mac Donald’s in Australia. More than 20 % of the KFC restaurants are company operated; the remaining is either franchised or licensed. Franchisees are required to meet certain operating standards as part of their franchise agreement.
The vision of the KFC ‘our passion as a restaurant company, is to put a YUM on people’s face around the world, satisfying costumer every time they eat our food and doing it better than any other restaurant company’ (Terms, 2016). As KFC is the international renowned fast food company all around the world. KFC’s ambition is to increase and maintain the quality of food in Fast Food Company. Their main aim is to lead the fast food market. Basically they want their product to be provided to everyone that is why they are increasing their fast food industry all around the world. After catching such a marvellous position in the fast food market they are going to introduce a new item ‘boneless fried chicken’. The main target market of KFC is the Asian countries as demand of the chicken is higher in these countries than any other countries. For example Indian is found of spices and KFC chicken full fills their demand.
METHODOLOGY
KFC’s Organizational structure
The chief executive officer (CEO) has the control over departments and employees. The regional manager controls and monitors the area manager. The area manager look after the day to day operations of all company owned restaurants in the market; plans, give commands, supports store manager; plans and set goals; focuses on in store problem solving/ process improvement; sets standards; recognizes and motivates restaurant managers, assistant manager and team member of the restaurants. Restaurant manager is accountable for creating and running an energetic environment within the workers who are committed to serving the best chicken with a smile in a fast speed. Restaurant manager directly contact to the area manager and accountable for the successfully implementing and maintaining all companies policies and procedures in relation to operations like customer services, cash handling, marketing, human resources, purchasing, health and safety, administration, training and development of the restaurant facilities. Restaurant manager is assisted by the assistant manager who is also responsible for the all the procedures that is look after by the restaurant manager. Trainee manager is assisting both restaurant manager and assistant manager of the restaurant, Trainee manager also have to help the employees in day-to-day services and ensures all the operation in running well and smooth in the restaurant. In the last there are two team members one is customer service team ensuring quality service to the customer, making the area clean, serving the customers at a fast speed with a smile in their face and another one is food service team, the cook main task is to prepare and cook in fast speed because customer do prefer hot KFC product, and to maintain the kitchen area clean and it should look hygienic.
Head Office Departments
Business development
The development team finds builds and maintains KFC restaurants. The team is set up in four key areas that are network planning, acquisition, store design & construction and estate management. The team works closely with the finance team to ensure that the new restaurants is not only optimizing the customer experience but also driving industry leading returns for the share holders. They are also responsible for ensuring KFC’s high standards of convenience, comfort and safety are maintained iin all restaurants of KFC and facilities through an refurbishment program.
Finance
Meaningful and insightful analysis of their performance is central to ensuring their continued business success. In the first example this requires accurate and timely accounting. Whether it be paying the suppliers, billing the franchisees, managing cash and asset purchase or paying salaries for the employees, each member of the financial control team is dedicated to ensure all business transactions are accurately and efficiently recorded. This provides a robust platform for the business control and commercial teams to analyse results and partner with key stakeholders to set and drive the strategic direction of the business.
Human resources
The people’s culture is key to KFC’s success and finding the right people who will thrive in the job they do paramount. Their HR practices are second to none and they thrive on going employees the opportunity to grow and develop within the business. Their vision is to build a world class organization which will be achieved through managing the talent, building people capability, creating engagement and driving organization effectiveness.
Information technology
The IT team at KFC select implements and maintains professional technology solutions that support and enable the strategic goals of the business. The team supports restaurants throughout the area with a robust and standard framework of applications and infrastructure. The team has a passion for the provision for thr provision of the world class solutions and support from the in- store technology that enables their stores to sell great chicken to the timely relevant and accurate reporting to the management team that enable clear decisions to be made.
Marketing
The driving force behind the KFC marketing team is a shared passion to deliver a constant pipeline of irresistible tasting meals. The process starts with defining consumer needs and exploring new ways to deliver consumer led innovation. The marketing team work cross functionally with the product excellence and operations to develop and implement new ideas and with finance to measure their contribution to the business. The marketing team is also the heart of communication, both within business and most importantly to the consumers. The multimillion pound marketing budget is divided between media buying and advertising production to ensure a year round calendar of new news to drive consumers back to KFC restaurants again and again.
Operations
The operations team is the hub of the company, running KFC store and serving the customers the quality food. The function covers the leadership, management and evaluation of all stores and above store support staff. Operations work alongside all KFC functions to ensure that their restaurants look clean and hygienic; the team members are very motivated and well trained to deal with the customers with a smile on their face.
Franchise
The operational support for the KFC franchisees is a key focus for their business. They have a dedicated team working with their franchise partners on delivering exceptional excellence.
PLANNING OBJECTIVES
Their main objectives of KFC is to create and to maintain superior quality of food, services and customers and for that they are following the marketing mix strategies like product, place, promotion and pricing. They are also focusing on accomplishing the remarkable financial return of KFC and their employees. Currently KFC is following the management functions ‘POLCA’ that is stands for Planning, Organizing, Leading, Controlling and Assurance.
PLANNING
KFC has been launching their new products line to the customers to increase the market worth value of the KFC and its share in market. KFC have their own philosophy of management that is C.H.A.M.P.S. It stands for six universal areas of customer expectation common to all cultures and restaurants concepts which are:
‘ Cleanliness
‘ Hospitality
‘ Accuracy
‘ Maintenance of facilities
‘ Product quality
‘ Speed of service
It is an operating platform used to ensure that the customer has the consistence quality experience in every restaurant every day and every occasion all around the world. It is the program that backs up the colonel’s promise to the customers.
ORGANIZING
Factors like supplying, customers, competitors and market intermediaries are lies in internal environment of the company and it is controllable by the company but the external environment which contains the factor like demographic, natural, technological, political, and cultural factors are tough to control by the companies for example people of South Korea prefer boiled food and don’t like spicy food much. There is one more example the owner of the Kentucky friend chicken had shorten its name to KFC because Chinese people have a perspective of fried word as unhygienic.
LEADING
It is one of the main functions of the management and it is related with the staff behaviour towards the employees. The HR manager is responsible for all the related factors of customers and employees at KFC are very well trained by their manager as before joining the KFC they have to go through with proper training about serving the customer with a smile. The HR manager keeps motivating the employees and giving feedbacks about their daily work. There is a 360 degree feedback system in KFC; it is process in which employees get confidential and anonyms feedback from the manager and the employees who work around them.
CONTROLLING
Controlling means to evaluating the current task performance and compare it with the goals sets and analysing the deviation and taking the correct steps to fix the problems. HR manager plays the main role in controlling by looking after the feedback, external control, concurrent control, financial, purchasing, inventory and statistical control.
ASSURANCE
KFC ensures that its customer get the fresh quality chicken served hot, the restaurant look clean and its employees work at very fast pace, using fresh spices, there will be no shortage in the sale, having more and sustaining the existing customers.
Conclusion
KFC is one of the famous and demanded fast food companies all over world as we all know about it. The thing that KFC focus on is the competitor’s product. They should make its organization hierarchy look simple and easier for their employees. They should focus on the ability of the employees and to know about the demand of customers they also have to focus on market surveys. By giving initiatives or bonuses to their employees they can make their employees happy which will make them more dedicated to the work. Other fast food companies are going well with its brand image and brand loyalty of the customers.
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