The School of Tourism, Changchun University, Changchun, China
(e-mail:yun8092@sina.com)
Abstract - The quality is the lifeline of enterprise. The intangibility and tangibility of the hotel’s products makes the hotel service quality to show its great comprehensiveness. In this article, PDCA cycle is applied to the management of hotel service quality, analyzes its main problems and their reasons, and develops the corresponding countermeasures in order to achieve the continuous improvement of the hotel service quality and increases hotel’s vitality and competitive advantage.
Keyword - Continuous improvement, hotel management,
PDCA cycle, service quality
I. INTRODUCTION
As early as the 1970s, the issues of service quality management had got the attentions of scholars who worked in the western developed countries. “Management of Service Operation”, which is written by W. Earl Sasser,
Richard Paul Olsen, D. Daryl Wyckoff and published in
1978, is one of earliest books. It makes systematic expositions of the service product, the service quality and the service quality management. Thereafter, the Nordic
School, as the representatives of Christian Gronroos, makes a lot of pioneering research on it [1] . Someone, such as Berry, Zeithmal, Parasuraman, makes a more in-depth systematic research on this issue [2] . But the research of service quality in our country is still in the stage of drawing lessons from foreign research results. And we also need to constantly improve in terms of theoretical foundation and research methods etc.
Based on the PDCA cycle theory, this article discusses how to improve the hotel service quality.
II. PDCA CYCLE THEORY
PDCA cycle theory [3] is co-founded by Walter A.
Shewhart and William Edwards Deming, who are the
American quality experts. It is one of effective methods to improve the quality management activities, especially has been widely applied in quality continuous improvement.
A. The four phases and eight steps of PDCA cycle
The four phases of PDCA cycle: the Planning phase, the Do phase, the Check phase and the Action phase.
These four phases form a loop, and continue the cycle, so that make the target to continual improvement, as shown in Fig. 1.
1) The Planning phase: the plan is the first stage of the quality management. Through the plan, we can determine the policies and objectives of quality management, and the action plans and measures for achieving these policies and objectives. The Planning phase includes the following four steps.
The first step, to analyze the current situations, to find out the quality problems;
The second step, according to the quality problems which we find out, to analyze the causes and the influencing factors;
The third step, to find out the major causes and the main influencing factors;
The fourth step, we should develop the measures for improving the quality, to propose the action plan, and to expect the results. The action plan mainly includes the cause, purpose, place, time, executor and method, also known as 5W1H.
2) The Do phase: this phase is only one step.
The fifth step, is in accordance with the plans, objectives and measures to implement specifically.
3) The Check phase: this phase also includes only one step.
The sixth step, check the effect of the plan implementation. By doing a self-inspection, mutual inspection, process handover inspection, full-time inspection etc., we will contrast to the implement results and the predetermined targets, to carefully check the implementation results of the plan.
4) The Action phase: the Action phase includes two concrete steps.
The seventh step, sum up the experiences. To deal with the various problems which we check out, to approve those correct ones, to summarize to the written, and to set the standards.
The eighth step, put forward the unresolved issues.
According to the inspections, we can list the remaining issues and transfer them into the next cycle, such as the effect is not obvious, the effect of measures is not yet in line with the requirements, and the quality problems are not been solved.
The Action phase is a critical phase of the PDCA cycle. The mission of this phase is to solve the problems, sum up experiences and learn lessons. The focus of this phase also is to revise the standards, including the technical standards and the management systems. No

standardized and institutionalized, it would be impossible to make PDCA cycle to move forward.
Deal with the remaining issues
Deal with the results of inspection
A
C
P
D
Analyze the current quality situations
Find out the problems of quality
Analyze the causes of problems
Develop the improvement measures
Carry out the improvement measures
Check the implementation of plan
B. The characteristics of PDCA cycle
Fig. 1. Picture of PDCA cycle
The main features of the PDCA cycle are the cycle,
III. THE MEANING AND STRUCTURE OF HOTEL
SERVICE QUALITY large ring with a small ring, ladder rise, the use of statistical tools [4] .
From the broad sense, the hotel service quality including the hardware quality and software quality; from
The cycle refers to the four processes of PDCA cycle is not only run once, but to carry out again and again; the narrow sense, it only means the software quality. The article uses the generalized meaning of hotel service
The large ring with a small ring refers to the organic and logical combination of organizing the overall quality. The hotel service quality refers to the ability and extent that the service activities can meet the standard operation and its various sub-sectors;
The ladder rise refers to the PDCA cycle is not stuck in the same level cycle, but continues to solve the problems, and it is the gradually increasing process on the requirements and the needs of guests, its essence is the unity of the quality of tangible products and the quality of intangible services in hotel [5] . Its connotation is rich and its structure is complex, as shown in Fig. 4. level of the quality management, as shown in Fig. 2, shown in Fig. 3.
A. The hardware quality
The objective
1) The quality of facilities and equipments: the facilities and equipments are the foundation for the hotel’s
A P
C D existence, are the support of the labor service in hotel.
The configuration and operation condition of equipment is an important content of hotel service quality, mainly refers to the hotel’s location, building structure, functional
A P
C D The continuous improvement layout, sharing system, facilities in each department.
2) The quality of physical products : the physical products can satisfy the needs of customer’s material consumption, its quality level is also an important factor to affect the service quality. It mainly included the food quality, the quality of guest supplies, the product quality and the quality of service supplies [6] .
Fig .2. Picture of the continuous improvement in the PDCA cycle
A P
C D
A P
C D of various services which are provided by the hotel staff.
It mainly included staff’s courtesy, professional ethics, service attitude, service skills, service efficiency, safety and health, and so on.
2) The environmental quality: the hotel environment refers to the natural environment and the humanistic
Fig .3. Picture of the large ring with a small ring in the PDCA cycle
B. The software quality
1) The labor quality: the labor quality is the quality

environment where the hotel is located [7] . The quality of natural environment includes the hotel’s natural scenery percentage about 90%-100%, accounting for the proportion of complaints about 10% [8] .
Hotel service quality
The hardware quality
The quality of facilities
The quality of physical products
The software quality
The labor quality The environmental quality
The hotel’s location
Building structure
Functional layout
The food quality
The quality of guest supplies
The product quality
Staff’s courtesy
Professional ethics
Service attitude
The natural environment
The humanistic environment
Sharing system
Facilities in each department
The quality of service supplies
Service skills
Service efficiency
Safety and health
Fig. 4. Picture of the structure of hotel service quality
Whether inside or outside, the situation of green layout, and whether has the artistic charm. The humanistic environment refers to the relationship during the hotel
By the questionnaire of service quality to the guest, the guest complaint records and inspection records of staff, the managers and the customers is whether friendly, harmonious, understanding and mutual aid or not. various departments to collect the problems of hotel service quality in one hotel which is located in Changchun city in 2011, and to classify into a chart, as shown Table I,
Fig. 5.
IV. THE APPLICATION EXAMPLE
This article selects the main problems in one hotel service quality issues to systematically expound the application of the PDCA cycle.
A. The Plan phase (P)
1) Analyze the situation, identify the main quality problems: using the ABC analysis, we try to identify the main quality problems. The ABC analysis is a method that the problems are divided into three categories. Class
A is a pivotal problem, which is characterized by a small number, but more frequently, the cumulative frequency percentage in the range from 0% to 70%, accounting for
70% of the total number of complaints; Class B is a general problem, which is characterized by the general number and less frequently, the cumulative frequency percentage in the range from 70% to 90%, accounting for
20%-25% of the total number of complaints; Class C is a minor problem, which is characterized by a large quantities, but less frequently, the cumulative frequency
From the chart shows, the cumulative ratio, about the problems of food quality in this hotel, is 57.8% that between 0%-70%, so it belong to Class A; the cumulative ratio about the problems of department facilities and service attitude are 78.9% and 90.5% that between 70%-
90%, so they belong to Class B; the cumulative ratio about the problems of staff’s courtesy and environment are respectively 97.5% and 100%, classified as Class C in the rang of 90%-100%. Therefore, this hotel must solve the food quality problems immediately.
2) Analysis on the causes of quality problems: from the Pareto diagram shows, the problem of food quality in this hotel is the main quality problem. We can analyze the
T ABLE I THE STATISTICS ON THE PROBLEMS OF HOTEL
SERVICE QUALITY
The Structures of Quality Quantity Ratio/%
Cumulative
Ratio/%
Food quality
Department facilities
Service attitude
Courtesy
Environment
280
102
56
34
12
57.8
21.1
11.6
7.0
2.5
57.8
78.9
90.5
97.5
100.0
Total 484 100.0 100.0

Frequency
500
450
Cumulative ratio （ % ）
100
90
400
350
300
250
80
70
60
50
200
150
40
30
20
100
10
50
Food Service
0
0 quality
Department
Courtesy Environment facilities attitude
Fig. 5. Pareto diagram of the problems of hotel service reasons that affect food quality by the method of cause & effect diagram, in terms of personnel, equipment, raw
Materials
Procurement
no standards
Equipment
Backward equipments Operating mistakes
Unsanitary
No standard recipes
Cooking produced beneath standards
Environment
Chef
Matching and cutting
Poor technology
Methods
Fig. 6. The diagram of cause & effect for food quality
B. The Do phase (D)
The Do phase is the implementation of above action plan of improving the food quality [11] . This hotel has made the procurement specifications, monitoring system, sanitation rules, etc. from Jan. 1 st to 5 th ; it trains the chef’s skills of operating kitchen equipment and the chef’s skills of processing & cutting from Jan. 5 th to 10 th ; from Jan.
10 th to 20 th , it makes the strengthen management for the materials, methods and environment etc., and make the cause & effect analysis diagram with these reasons, as shown in Fig. 6.
From the diagram of cause & effect analysis, we can find out the main reasons of affecting the food quality: the cook’s poor technology; no standard recipes as references for producing the dishes; kitchen equipments are backward relatively; staff’s mistakes during operating; the procurement specification of raw materials is inadequate; the bad environment in the kitchen and so on [9] . inspection and inventory of raw materials; it introduces advanced equipment for kitchen during Jan. 15 th to 30 th ; this hotel makes the standard recipes during Jan. 20 th to
30 th . We should be noted that the Do phase is not isolated.
When the staff is amending the plan, as the same time they are discovering the problems.
C. The Check phase (C)
3) Formulate the improvement measures: in view of
The above reasons of food quality problems, combined with the fourth step of Plan phase, we can develop the action plan for improving the food quality [10] , as shown in Table II.
The Check phase is to check the action plans of improving food quality if on schedules, to confirm one by one, to contrast the collected completion data to the standards’, to see whether they have reached the
T ABLE II
THE ACTION PLAN FOR IMPROVING THE FOOD QUALITY
No.
1
2
3
4
5
Situations Standards Countermeasures Dept.
Person in charge
Processing and cutting with non-standard monotone colors
Backward equipments, staff’s mistakes during operating
Uniform shapes various colors
The operation of equipment is normal, operation is troublefree.
The procurement specification of raw materials is inadequate.
The cooking produced beneath the standard
The bad environment in the kitchen
The raw materials’ edible value, maturity, sanitation, and freshness meet the standards.
Color, smell, taste, shape, cooking time, ingredients, accessories, processing and cost meet the standards.
Location, size, ventilation, lighting, microclimate, daily sanitation meet the standards.
1.Skills training for the chef
2.Carry out the external technical exchanges to the chef
1.Equipment operation training
2.Introduces advanced equipment for kitchen
1.Develop the procurement specifications
2.Strengthen the inspection and inventory management
Training
F&B
Purchasing
F&B
LI xx
ZHAO xx
Engineering
F&B.
Purchasing
WANG xx
LI xx
LIU xx
GAO xx
1.Makes the standard recipes
1.Make the check rules of sanitation
2.Establish the monitoring system
F&B
Inspection
F&B
HU xx
MENG xx
CUI xx
Schedule
Jan. 2012
5 10 15 20 25

T ABLE III
THE CHECKING FORM FOR IMPROVING THE FOOD QUALITY
No.
The content of inspection
The inspector
The result of inspection
1
The food’s processing and cutting
The kitchen helper
Uniform shapes
2
The degree of equipment, the usage of staff
The engineering dept.
Advance equipment, skilled staff
3
Purchase draw materials
The purchasing dept.’s inspector
High edible value, high freshness
4
The whole process of cooking
The head chef
The ratio of raw materials is not accurate.
5
The environment and sanitation
The manager of
F&B, the head chef
Poor situations of ventilation and lighting predetermined target. According to the checking the contrasts, we find out the following problems, as shown in
T able III.
D. The Action phase (A)
The Action phase is a critical stage for solving the food quality issues. According to the checklist, we know that the problems are solved, such as the problem of processing and cutting food, the degree of advance equipment, the staff’s proficiency, the value and freshness of raw materials. These standards will be summarized and written into the specification of food quality.
From the table, we can know these problems that the color of the dishes are monotonous, the chef of using materials are not inaccurate, and the situations of ventilation and lighting in kitchen are still poor, etc..
These problems will be listed as the leftover problems and shift to the next PDCA cycle, to continue to be resolved, in order to achieve the continuous improvement of food quality.
V. CONCLUSION
This paper reviews the PDCA cycle theory and the structure of hotel service quality management, and illustrates the application of the PDCA cycle with examples.
At present, the PDCA cycle has been used more and more in the enterprise management, which allows manager’s thinking, methods, working procedures to be principled, systematic, graphic and scientific, is an effective method to enhance the service quality and continuous improvement. But in the course of using, it also exist certain problems, because it is used in accordance with predetermined framework, that maybe lead to some manager’s inertial thinking, lack of inspiration and innovation method [12] . Therefore, in the process of using, mangers should foster its strengths and avoid the weaknesses, use the new ideas and ways to find out the solutions of quality problems, so that the quality will be to improve continuously.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge that the 2012 3rd International Asia Conference on industrial engineering and management innovation provides a broad communication platform for experts and scholars in the field of industrial engineering and management innovation.
Secondly, I must acknowledge and extend my heartfelt gratitude to Professor Hong-quan Yao, for her vital encouragement and patient guidance, generous assistance and invaluable advice, all of which have been of inestimable worth to the completion of my paper.
Finally, my special thanks go to my classmate Chunyan Wang and colleagues Wei Meng for guidance in
English translation.
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