Strategic Context Of Etisalat Operations

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Introduction to the Company

Emirates Telecommunication Corporation has the commercial brand name of Etisalat. Etisalat is basically a United Arab Emirates (UAE) based company and has its operations in 18 different countries of Africa, Asia and Middle East. The company was initially established in the year 1976 and was one the first few companies to introduce the mobile communication in the region of Middle East. The company has also its recognition in world’s top 500 companies. Etisalat is recognized as 15th largest telecom operator in the world in 2012. The total customer base of the company is more than 135 million. It is also known as most powerful company in UAE by Forbes. The company is specialized in telecom operations and provides connectivity to various telecom operators of UAE (Etisalat, 2012). The company has various service offerings in the markets of satellite TV, mobile network, landline network, broadband internet and wireless communications. The company is offering various services to both business customers and general consumers.

Strategic Context of Etisalat Operations

The information and processes handling of Etisalat is handled by the model which is named is Input Process Output Model. The three terms of input, processes and output are very significant in the smooth running of all of the company’s operations. All of the information and data of the company is being handled by these three terms. In the first step of the model, the information and related data related to all of the company operations and telecom services is being fed into the company. This information is then being stored into the system and then the processing of information is being initiated. After the processing of the information, the output is generated and the correct required output becomes ready for the organization to be used in various operations. This model is generally used in handling the customers’ complaints and feedback. This model stresses the importance of valuing the customers of Etisalat. The efficient working of this model is strongly associated to in raising the loyalty among the customers and also to main good relationship with the customers. This model also helps the organization to solve various problems and provides the bases in getting solutions. This model also facilitates the top management and other employees of the organization in developing their thinking level. Through the effective utilization of this model, company can move and expand its operations from category of business to the other.

Issues and Problems in Company’s Operations

There also some problems and issues in the operations of the company which are creating hurdles in company’s growth. These problems need much attention of the company and also need immediate solution so to maintain its status in the telecom market. The first problem is associated to the GSM facilities of the company which is one of the biggest problems faced by the company. It has been observed that there are some serious issues in the service quality and network availability faced by consumers of Etisalat. Many consumers complained about the network stability of GSM services (Makahleh, 2013). The other problem is associated to the internet connectivity problems in the BlackBerry phones offered by the company. Now the customers feel reluctant to buy BlackBerry phones from Etisalat because they face problems of connectivity and also in getting the unlocking code for their smartphones (Lawati, 2009). On the other hand, the company recently offered the iPhone smartphones such as iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 but the company is unable to give efficient support for these smartphones to the customers and the after sale service is also not up to the mark (Baldwin, 2011). For any telecom company, the support and complaint handling is very important to win the trust of the customers. The support facilities are much important for the business customers. It is also seen that the E-Support of the company to its business customers is not as effective as compared to the other competitors in the telecom industry. Problems occur at the regular pace and Etisalat is losing the trust of its business customers day by day.

Performance Objectives of Etisalat

The main performance objectives for the company are dependability, time, cost, quality and flexibility. The company’s working objective is the reduce distances between people through telecom services. The company also focuses upon extending the reach of its services. The company believes on offering full openness to its customers so that in case of any problem the customers would be able to reach the company’s officials without any hurdle.

Operations Layout and Design

The main process in the operations of Etisalat is work order process. This work order process is proved to be the best option for the companies in the services sector and especially for telecom companies. This work order process deals with Etisalat’s entire processing unit. This work order process enables the company to make priorities in different job functions by keeping in view the cost, quality, and time. Through this, the company makes inquiries in a very efficient way and also identifies the out of stock items easily. This enables the company to get approach to various lists such as Report for the technician, Work order report, Report for open work order, Tools for work phase and also the report for work phase.

Process Mapping of Etisalat:

In process mapping the company follows six systematic steps. The company follows the product or service one by one and associates that particular product or service with the entire group. On the other hand, the placement of various components is done on the right place. It is very important for the company to form a group among various customers of the company as per the market potential and capture. Then the company shows the various components in the next step of the mapping and in this the company takes the decisions and makes policies on group based scenario. Then the additional information is ensured to be added in the system so not to avoid any crucial information to be missed. Combining various services and sub services is done in the last stage e.g. in case of issuing and making the SIM, the company combines the GSM services and internet services.

Conclusion

Etisalat is one of the leading companies in the telecom industry not only in UAE but also in the entire world. This short report includes some of the major parts of company’s operations management. It is very important for the company to solve some of the problems associated to GSM and E-Support to enhance the growth and also to maintain the status of the company in the market.