A Robertson & Son - Report 1998

A. ROBERTSON AND SON

“COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE”

Submission To The Recognition Panel

For Recognition As An

Investor in People

Shirley DalzielInvestors in People ScotlandAugust 1998

SD:03264P August 98

CONTENTS

Page No

INTRODUCTION TO THE ORGANISATION 3

THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS 6

THE EVIDENCE: Commitment 10

Planning 11

Action 14

Evaluation 16

APPENDIX I: Organisation Chart 19

SD:03264P August 98 Commercial in Confidence 2

INTRODUCTION TO THE ORGANISATION

Name of Organisation: A. Robertson and Son

Nature of Business: The Business is made up of a furniture and carpet retail outlet and also a travel shop providing holidays, train and air tickets.

Ownership: The Business is run as a Partnership between two brothers. They both run the whole business together, however, one Partner has prime responsibility for the furniture and carpet retail outlet, while the other has prime responsibility for the travel shop. Their father, who ran the business previously, acts as a business consultant, giving advice, particularly with regards to technical elements of the soft furnishings. The Partnership is called A. Robertson and Son, this is also the title of the furniture and carpet retail outlet. The travel shop is called A. Robertson Travel.

Authority and Autonomy: This organisation is completely independent, and as such satisfies all of the criteria for authority and autonomy.

Structure:

Number of Employees: The furniture and retail outlet, has a total of five staff. This is made up of one Partner, one Sales/Administration Assistant, a Services Foreman, a Flooring Technician and a Stores and Dispatch Facilitator. The travel shop has a total of three staff consisting of one Partner and two part-time Travel Consultants.

Number of Sites: There are currently three sites. The travel shop and the furniture shop, plus a storage facility.

Locations of Sites: Both the travel and furniture shops are based in Argyle Street, Rothesay, Isle of Bute. The business also has a store based in the High Street in Rothesay for furniture and carpet storage and distribution.


Scope: Although this is one business, it is operationally run as two separate businesses. For this reason, all staff were selected for interview.

Recent History:

A. Robertson and Son is a family business, dating back to 1883. It was originally an upholstery, cabinet making and bedding manufacturer. The business moved to its present premises in 1974. In 1989, with a view to increasing the furniture display frontage, a neighbouring shop was also purchased. At the same time, A.T. Mays Travel Agents closed their shop in Rothesay, making two of their staff redundant and leaving only one remaining travel agent to serve the Island. After a great deal of investigation, and planning, A. Robertson Travel was established and managed by one of the Partners, employing both the redundant A.T. Mays staff. Date committed to Investors in People and to whom: May 1997 to Argyll and The Islands Enterprise

Involvement in other relevant initiatives: The furniture business is a member of Association of Independent Stores (A.I.S.) and British Shops and Stores Associates. The travel shop is a member of the Association of British Travel Agents, (A.B.T.A.). It is also a member of the Passenger Agent Shipping and Retail Association, (P.A.S.A.R.A.), the International Air Transport Association, (I.A.T.A.) and the Association of Train Operating Companies, (A.T.O.C.).

Why the organisation is seeking Investors in People: “The partners and staff at A. Robertson and Son, strive to achieve and maintain the highest standard of service through an ongoing process of training and development. This is what we think Investors in people is all about. Achievement of the Standard will also publicly recognise our commitment to quality”.

What benefits has the organisation gained from the journey: Benefits have been gained in terms of the business and staff. The business is now providing new services and products which would not previously have been considered. Staff now have more confidence, having been trained in depth to do their jobs. Networking and meeting others who are working towards the national Standard, has also proved advantageous.


The Assessment

Dates of onsite and locations: 13 August, 1998, on premises of A. Robertson and Son, and A. Robertson Travel.

Summary and Recommendations

There are two basically separate businesses within A. Robertson and Son, each run primarily by one of the partners. The business plan, training and development budget and plan are shared across the two businesses. The business plan is reviewed four times per year, with staff from both businesses jointly contributing to two of these reviews annually.

Training needs are discussed at these meetings as well as at morning meetings within the furniture shop and more informal meetings within the travel shop. They are also discussed on an on-going informal basis. A quote by one employee illustrates the informality of day-to-day operations, “We discuss everything, every day”.

Evaluation takes place by observation, question and answer sessions, setting tests, customer feedback and external certification. Changes to profit, turnover and new services offered, provides evaluation data at the organisation level.

A. Robertson and Son is recommended to the Recognition Panel as an Investor in People.

Shirley DalzielAugust 1998


THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

WRITTEN EVIDENCE REVIEW

The written evidence included a story board in the process format; a brief history of the organisation; the mission statement; business plan; organisation chart; skills matrix; extract from A.I.S. trading manual; induction training programme; examples of job descriptions. The last included duties and standards required within the job, training opportunities and details of the grievance procedure. A training and development plan was also included, which incorporated the costs of training and development and objectives and outcomes of training. These satisfied the requirements for Indicators 2.1/2.2 and 2.4. They also provided evidence for Indicators 1.1/1.3/2.6/3.1/3.4/3.6/4.1 and 4.2

The on-site interviews were planned to:

ensure that all employees have been given a copy of the ‘job descriptions’ and that they had read and understood their content, including training and development opportunities, and that they know how this fits with the future plans of the business (1.1/1.2/1.3/2.6/3.4)

establish how the partners’ commitment to training and development is demonstrated to employees in practice (1.1/4.6)

find out how the business plan is put together, how often it is reviewed, by whom, whether it is flexible and how it links to the training and development plan. How organisational, team and individual needs are reviewed against the business objectives within the plan, how often and how this links into the skills matrix (2.1/2.2/2.3)

ensure that all employees know who is responsible for their training and development, that they are effectively supported and developed by the partners and are encouraged to identify their job related training and development needs (2.5/3.2/3.3/3.5)

confirm that planned training has taken place and identify if S.V.Q.s or other appropriate external accreditation has formed part of this (2.7/3.6)

establish how training and development spend is decided and the extent this has been worthwhile in terms of benefits and achievement of business objectives (2.4/4.3/4.4)

ensure that outcomes and objectives in the training and development plan are assessed and establish how this happens (2.6/4.1/4.2)

identify any changes to training and development that have happened as a result of evaluation (4.5)


confirm new staff are introduced to the organisation in line with the induction programme presented in the portfolio (3.1)

THE ONSITE INTERVIEWS

The Scottish Investors in People guidelines recommend that for an organisation of this size, eight employees in total, that a sample of between 60% and 100% is selected, with a minimum of six employees being interviewed. In this instance, all employees were interviewed representing a 100% sample. This was due to A. Robertson and Son, operating as two separate businesses. Interviews took place in the premises of the furniture and carpet retail outlet and the travel shop. All interviews were conducted on a one-to-one basis.

The on-site interviews revealed that:

all employees were provided with a copy of the job descriptions which contained details of the job and the standards required, training and promotion opportunities, details of the grievance procedure and other items related to a contract of employment. All staff were able to talk about its content and how the job they did and training they had received, fitted in with the future plans of the business (1.1/1.2/1.3/2.6/3.4)

employees believed that the partners were committed to their training and development, as they regularly discussed training opportunities, encouraged staff to take up any external training that they felt could contribute to the business, paid their expenses and often sent them on courses for areas of the business they might need in the future. Certificates achieved are put up on the shop wall and achievements are printed in the A.I.S. (Associated Independent Stores), Newsletter. In addition, training required for each job is also recorded within the job descriptions. (1.1/4.6)

there is an annual business plan which is drawn up and reviewed quarterly by the partners. Two of these reviews will involve staff from both businesses. It is also reviewed informally by the partners on a more regular basis, to keep track of targets. Training and development needs, at all levels, are discussed at the same time as the business plan is reviewed. Training needs are also identified as part of regular morning meetings in the furniture shop and more informal discussions within the travel shop. A number of examples were provided which indicated the flexibility of the plan. The skills matrix notes the skills required by each individual and job in general terms, such as skills being required in sales, administration and customer service. It is therefore not adjusted regularly, in the same way as the training and development plan (2.1/2.2/2.3)


all employees identified the appropriate partner as being responsible for their training and development. This was made known to them through day-to-day contact and discussions within the shops. They all felt that the partner is effective in training and development, helping them identify their needs, conducting training themselves, identifying suitable external courses and discussing learning and possible applications afterwards. Staff noted that they were encouraged to identify their own training needs and these were discussed at quarterly meetings and morning meetings or discussions (2.5/3.2/3.3/3.5)

all planned training within the training plan to date has taken place. This included, within the furniture shop, S.V.Q.s in Information Technology and in Business Accounting. Within the travel shop, it was felt by the staff that the S.V.Q.s in travel were more for employees who were new to working within a travel agency (3.6/2.7)

a percentage of turnover of both businesses is allocated to training and development on an annual basis. Likely business benefits are calculated prior to training taking place and to date, all anticipated benefits have been realised. For example, it was recognised by staff that new floor coverings were becoming popular. As a result, a member of staff attended training in fitting timber flooring and the shop has successfully been providing this service to customers since, easily recouping the costs of training (2.4/4.3/4.4)

outcomes and objectives of training are specified on the training and development plan. However, it is only external training which is listed on this plan and as such all courses listed result in a certificate. To achieve the certificate, participants have to show a theoretical and practical knowledge of the task, such as laying linoleum and understanding the different types. Within the travel area, there are usually end of course tests, with the person achieving the most points, winning a holiday or a cruise. Internal, on-the-job and off-the-job training happens in both shops, although is not listed on the training and development plan. However, outcomes and reasons for training being undertaken are discussed with the employee beforehand. Afterwards, the partner will ask questions and observe them undertake the task in practice, where relevant. For example, he may ask them to look up and ‘book’ a particular holiday. A point is also made of asking all customers, after they have received the products or service, what their views are on the service they received and whether any improvements can be made (2.6/4.1/4.2)

examples were provided of where changes had been made to training and development as a result of evaluation (4.5)

two employees who had been with the organisation for eight and nine months confirmed that the induction programme, as outlined in the portfolio, was followed (3.1)

As in-house training was not listed on the training and development plan, additional information was sought as to how internal training was driven and how objectives and standards were


established. Standards are set within each individual’s job description and these relate very closely to standards set by bodies such as the A.I.S., who provide a manual of trading standards and I.A.T.A. who specify standards and procedures for airline reservations. Additional written information was provided to substantiate this and consisted of the A.I.S. Trading Manual and I.A.T.A. booking procedures. Staff confirmed that their training needs were often identified against these standards and that they formed the basis of in-house training. They noted that they were then assessed against these by questioning, tests and observation (2.3/2.6/4.1/4.2)

A market survey conducted in 1991 and 1996 was provided on-site which provided evidence of changes in market share within the furniture business and market size for both businesses. During a tour of the shops, employees certificates were also identified (4.6).

FEEDBACK

This will be in the form of this report plus a letter containing any additional feedback from the Recognition Panel and the recommendation that they discuss feedback with their LEC Advisor. The Assessor will also telephone the organisation to confirm its understanding of the feedback and to expand upon this if requested to do so.

NOTE: Due to the size and structure of this Organisation, the evidence in this report has been presented against the four Investor in People Principles.


COMMITMENT: THE EVIDENCE

Principle 1: An Investor in People makes a commitment from the top to develop all employees to achieve its business objectives.

All employees have a copy of their job description. This contains details of the requirements of their job, the duties and standards they have to achieve, attitude required, the training and development opportunities that are open to them, grievance procedures and other information relating to contractual aspects of the job. New employees are provided with this at induction. A skills matrix has been prepared, which identifies core skill areas required by each member of staff. (1.1/1.3/3.4).

The partners’ commitment to training and developing employees is also demonstrated to them, as training needs and opportunities are regularly discussed and opportunities provided for their further development. Staff are encouraged to take up any training which they feel will contribute with their expenses paid for by the partners (1.1).

All staff in the business attend two of the business plan reviews per year. This enables them to understand what is happening in the business as a whole and put forward any ideas they may have. They were all able to discuss the vision and objectives of both the business they worked in and the partnership as a whole (1.2).

No representative structures exist within A. Robertson and Son.

Strengths and Development Areas

The job description which is given to all employees provides a lot of very valuable information for staff, such as training and development required to do the job, opportunities for promotion and standards required (1.3).

Additional information, such as the mission and person responsible for training and development could be added to ensure all information recorded in one document (1.3/3.4).

The skills matrix may require updating to incorporate views from existing staff (1.3).


PLANNING: THE EVIDENCE

Principle 2: An Investor in People regularly reviews the needs and plans the training and development of all employees.

A. Robertson and Son has an annual business plan, which is reviewed four times a year, by both partners, as well as on an on-going informal basis to review sales and targets. Staff from both businesses attend two of the formal reviews each year and put forward their ideas for the future of the business. The plan contains objectives for the business as a whole and more specific objectives for each of the separate businesses. There are a number of examples of the plan’s flexibility. For example, the furniture shop had a small linen department which was found to be too far removed from the rest of the shop and was not providing a big enough selection for customers. As there is a high demand for this type of product, it is now planned to purchase a further shop to be devoted to this area (2.1).

Training and development needs are identified at organisational, team and individual levels, each time the business plan is reviewed (2.3). This then forms the basis of the training and development plan, which includes information on who needs the training, what specifically is required, who will provide the training, the outcomes required, how long it will take and how much it will cost, including cost of replacement staff (2.2/2.4). A percentage of turnover of the business as a whole is allocated to training and development (2.4).

Training needs are also reviewed more informally, on almost a daily basis. Within the furniture shop, all staff meet in the morning to discuss the coming days activities and review what happened the day before. If something is identified, such as a member of staff being asked to provide information about a particular kind of floor covering, which they were unable to do, then this is identified as a training need. A suitable course will be identified and the information recorded within the training and development plan. Within the travel shop, there is always one travel consultant working with the partner. They will also discuss activities and needs, each morning, though on a more informal basis (2.3/2.6).

As a result of these meetings and discussions, all staff know who is responsible for their training and development (2.5).


Within each employee’s job description there is a set of standards, to which they must work. These are linked to a number of standards which form the basis of in-house training. For example, within the furniture shop there are standards set by the A.I.S. in terms of trading standards required between the supplier and the retail outlet. These are recorded within the A.I.S. Trading Manual. In addition there are standards for floor covering fitters, such as BS5325 Installation of Textile Floor Coverings and BS8203 installation of Resilient Floor Coverings. Within the travel shop, staff are trained to standards and procedures as laid down by the travel associations and travel companies. For example, The Association of Train Operators Company, (A.T.O.C.), lay down specific procedures for booking train tickets and reserving seats; International Air Transport Association, (I.A.T.A.), lay down procedures for booking domestic airline tickets and the Passenger Agent Shipping Agents Retail Association, (P.A.S.A.R.A.), lay down procedures for booking cruises and travel by boat. Tour operators, such as First Choice, will also have set procedures for booking package holidays (2.6).

Externally accredited courses (2.7) which staff within the furniture shop have completed or are currently undertaking include:

S.V.Q. Level I Information Technology S.V.Q. Level I Business Accounting National Institute of Carpet Fitters Levels I, II and III H.N.C. in Advertising at James Watt College A.I.S. (Association of Independent Stores) Courses, for example in

Sales Training Product Knowledge Management Training Buying Trainer Training

Argyle and the Islands Enterprise courses: Health and Safety Certificate Employment Legislation

Courses and certification by companies in the furniture and floor covering business. For example, Stoddart Templeton - Retail Sales course


Within the travel shop, most of the courses undertaken relate to Associations and companies within the travel business (2.7). These courses are all certificated. For example:

Association of Train Operating Companies Quality of Service Certificate (A.T.O.C.) Holiday Autos - Car Hire, Distance Learning Package Passenger Agent Shipping Agents Retail Association, P.A.S.A.R.A., Level II International Air Transport Association, Sales and Ticketing, I.A.T.A.


Staff from both businesses are involved in reviewing the business plan together, which helps to provide them with a wider understanding of the future plans of A. Robertson and Son (2.1/1.2)

The training and development plan should include internal training and development required in addition to that provided externally. Skills and plans for managing and running the new linen retail outlet could also be included (2.2/2.3).

The travel shop looked at S.V.Q.s which were developed by A.B.T.A. Association of British Travel Agents, however the staff felt that they were more orientated to staff who were new to Travel Agency Work. S.V.Q.s should not be ruled out and the Local Enterprise Company should keep the business informed of levels which are suitable for more experienced staff (2.7).


ACTION: THE EVIDENCE

Principle 3: An Investor in People takes action to train and develop individuals on recruitment and throughout their employment.

An induction training programme is in place for all new staff and includes information on First Aid, Fire and Safety and contractual information. Training for the job begins on the second day of employment and is on-going until all required areas have been covered. During this time, regular discussions are held with the partner, to talk about standards, progress and further training opportunities. Staff who have changed roles or taken on further responsibilities within the business also reported that they had received training to enable them to do the job (3.1).

All staff felt that the partners were effective in training and developing them, helping to identify their training needs, conducting training themselves, identifying suitable external courses and discussing learning and its possible application after training has taken place. (3.2/3.3)

Staff also noted that they were encouraged to identify their own training needs and these were discussed at quarterly meetings and morning meetings or discussions, as well as on an on-going informal basis. Staff regularly reported reading trade journals, which the partners supply, to help give them ideas on new products and services the business could provide. Any information about courses, which was posted to the company, would either be handed to staff members directly or put on the notice board in the staff rooms. (3.4/3.5)

All staff were able to discuss training that they had had to date, the reasons for it, in terms of their own need and that of the business, as well as the specific outcomes of their training (3.6).


A comprehensive induction programme is in place, which incorporates regular reviews with the partner and ends with a discussion of how the induction programme fits into a larger scheme of on-going training. A plan is then set for future development (3.1).


This future plan does not appear to be recorded in any paper format for follow up purposes (3.1).There have been no new staff in the travel shop for three years and therefore this induction process has not been used. It is important to make sure that the same, or similar, process is used in practice throughout the business (3.1).

Although the partners have attended training courses in management as part of provision by A.I.S. (Associated Independent Stores), and by travel companies; the nature of the business and its diversity of products could benefit from further strategic input (3.2).


EVALUATION: THE EVIDENCE

Principle 4: An Investor in People evaluates the investment in training and development to assess achievement and improve future effectiveness.

Outcomes and reasons for undertaking training are recorded on the training and development plan. However, all of the training on the plan is external, for which objectives are set and certificates provided. To achieve these certificates, participants have to show a theoretical and practical knowledge of the task, such as laying linoleum or wooden flooring, as well as understanding the reasoning behind different the methods. Within the travel shop, training is also mainly external, with end of course tests. New procedures may be provided in writing to the shop and the partner will learn and understand what to do himself before training the staff. These procedures, usually outline the purpose of the training, what the staff member will be able to do at the end of training and details of the procedures themselves. An end of course test usually has to be completed, which is sent back to the company, often with the prize of a holiday being offered, for the person getting the most right answers. The partners themselves, when conducting in-house training will discuss the purpose of training before it takes place and then ask questions afterwards, or ask for the trainee to, for example, to recommend and ‘book’ a holiday for a certain type of family or to provide information about different brands of carpet. Because it is a small organisation, with all staff working very closely together, observation in practice forms part of the evaluation process. The partners will also go out of their way to ensure that all customers are asked about their views on the products or service they received and any improvements that could be made. This not only helps assess performance, but ensures that there is word of mouth recommendation for their products and services on the island (4.1/4.2).

Organisation’s target: To maintain 100% customer satisfaction when buying carpets.Training and Development Intervention: Sales and administration assistant attended course run by Stodart and Templeton to learn about sales and product knowledge for floor coveringsOutcome(s) of training and development:. She has greater knowledge of the product and as a result is more efficient in her dealings with customers and with the administration side of the sale. Customers now thank her for her help and advice. Her confidence has also increased.Impact: 100% customer satisfaction is maintained.


Organisation’s target: To increase turnover in contract flooring by 10% (and increase market share across the board).Training and Development Intervention: A member of staff attended course run by Forbo Nairn to learn how to fit smooth floor coverings. (A common contract material).Outcome(s) of training and development: This member of staff can now take on more of those kinds of job himself and with less supervision than normal. This means that more customers can be dealt with in any one day.Impact: Turnover in sales increased by 10%.

Organisation’s target: To increase sales of rail tickets by 15%Training and Development Intervention: Member of staff attended ‘Quality of Service Training for Rail’.Outcome(s) of training and development: Customers receive a better quality of service when buying rail tickets. For example, they can now be provided with details about the journey, information on train services and possible connections. They can also recommend one service over another, in terms of reliability of timings, journey information available, where to change stations and the fare selected.Impact: Sales of rail tickets has increased by 15%.

In addition, one of the partners conducted in depth market surveys on the island, in 1991 and again in 1996. This enabled him to identify the potential market size for each of their product areas, the number of competitors, and their share of these markets (4.3).

The partners are aware of the costs of training through the training and development budget and the training and development plan. The benefits are seen to outweigh the costs. New products and services can now be provided to customers, resulting in increased turnover and profit. For example, Amtico flooring. (4.4).

A number of examples were provided where action had taken place to implement improvements to training and development identified as a result of evaluation. For example, a Health and Safety course, provided by Argyle and the Islands Enterprise did not meet the needs of staff. This information was fed back to the Local Enterprise Company and A. Robertson and Son are currently sourcing a new provider. A Majorcan Tourist Board day was held to enable staff to find out more about holidays and services within Majorca. The aim of the day was to meet and talk to the representatives from the Tourist Board, however, only 20 minutes was allocated to discussion with the representatives, with the remaining time being given over to lunch. This feedback was


given to the Majorcan Tourist Board and when similar days are booked, the length of time to talk to representatives is always checked to ensure that it is long enough and will meet their needs (4.5).

On-going commitment to training and development is communicated to all staff through regular discussions about training and training needs, as well as making a wide variety of courses available to all staff. All certificates achieved are posted on the walls of the shops and achievements within the furniture store are written up in a newsletter printed by Associated Independent Stores (4.6).


A very detailed, in-depth market survey has twice been conducted, to establish market size and market share of products and services provided by the company. The information provided is seen as very valuable to the future of the company. Despite the effect of intervening variables, it could be possible to link this more closely to training, for purposes of evaluation (4.3).


APPENDIX 1ORGANISATION CHART

(Supplied by A. Robertson and Son)


A Robertson & Son - Report 1998

Documents

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