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Florida Power Light:

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Administración de Operaciones

Florida Power Light:
Ejercicio de la mejora de la calidad.

Integrantes:
Pierre Astudillo
María Elena Espinoza
Angélica Fonseca

Julio del 2013

1. Antecedentes
A principios de los años ochentas la crisis económica agobiaba a la mayoría de industrias norteamericanas. La dependencia por el petróleo hacia que los precios de los productos y servicios se disparen. Esto causaba malestar e inconformidad entre los miles de usuarios y clientes. Entre estas compañías se encontraba Florida Power Light, una importante empresa proveedora de energía eléctrica ubicada en Florida.
Esta situación hizo considerar a los accionistas sobre qué camino debía tomar la empresa. Por un lado, podían disminuir la dependencia del petróleo con inversiones a largo plazo en activos fijos. Pero por otro lado, esto hacia que los precios del servicio eléctrico que ofrecían aumenten a un ritmo más acelerado que la inflación de esa época.
Como consecuencia de esta encrucijada, los directivos decidieron aplicar un plan de mejora de la calidad. Este plan tenía como objetivo disminuir la burocracia e ineficacia de sus procesos. Este plan pasó por algunas etapas y fue evaluado por asesores japoneses. Con el tiempo, este plan convirtió a Florida Power Light en una compañía modelo de cómo debe aplicarse un verdadero Plan de Mejora de la Calidad PMC.

2. Historia de FPL

Fundada en 1925 en Juno beach, Florida Power Light provee energía eléctrica a mas de 4 millones de clientes en el estado de Miami. Con el tiempo, llego a ser la compañía eléctrica más grande de todo Miami. Su creación se dio por la fusión de algunas empresas proveedoras de energía eléctrica.
Con más de 14.000 empleados, esta empresa llego a reportar utilidades netas significativamente altas. Esto llevo a la empresa a querer diversificar sus operaciones en servicios técnicos, financieros y de bienes raíces.
Para cumplir con esta meta, en 1984 se creó el Grupo FPL el cual adquirió activos en 20 estados de Norteamérica. La implementación de su plan de mejora de calidad los hizo merecedores del premio Deming en 1989, convirtiendo a FPL en la primera compañía fuera de Japón en ganar ese premio. 3. Análisis del Entorno

* El apogeo de la crisis del petróleo incremento los precios afectando a las compañías grandes. Esto creó inestabilidad y el quiebre de algunas de ellas.

* A pesar de los retrasos ocasionados por la naturaleza (huracán David) y los generados por el hombre con las nuevas regulaciones gubernamentales promulgadas después del accidente de Three Mile Island, la segunda unidad de la planta fue constuida y aprobada. Entró en funcionamiento en un plazo de 6 años en comparación con el plazo de entrega estándar del sector de 9 a 12 años.

* Además este grupo de Trabajo de FPL se basa en un modelo japonés que tuvo éxito en el entorno asiático. Cabe destacar que el entorno de FPL era diferente tanto en cultura, mercado objetivo y en las necesidades del cliente.

* Los procesos actuales no estaban debidamente documentados tal es así que la recolección de datos para los técnicos que iban a solucionar los cortes de energías estaban mal registrados en el formulario y no era confiable. Esta falta de documentación en los procesos puede generar problemas importantes al momento de hacer mediciones sobre los cambios que se van a generar al partir del PMC versus la situación actual que se vivía.

* Reducían el número de productos defectuosos en lugar de mejorar la calidad.

4. Identificación del problema

Los problemas que hemos identificado en el proceso de PMC son:

* Esta cultura también tenía una mentalidad pesimista o conformista, ya que pensaban que no era posible solucionar un problema sino controlarlo. Toda la cultura debería cambiar con el programa de la mejora de la calidad. El plan de implementación por lo general es el problema de que un PMC falle.

* Los clientes se sentían insatisfechos y ahora tenían que pagar precios más altos por un mal servicio. Esto motivo a FPL a desplegar un PMC. Sin embargo, este PMC estaba concentrado en la resolución de los problemas más no en el mejoramiento continuo de los procesos.

* No existía una comunicación horizontal antes del PMC. Los departamentos debían estar en constante comunicación para tratar los problemas. Esto es parte importante de la mejora de la calidad. Podría ser que la comunicación horizontal no era parte de su cultura organizacional.

* No existía un procedimiento para la recolección de los datos de manera documentada. Por lo cual, los datos que actualmente están en la base de datos no son fiables para el análisis. Esto genera retrasos para el análisis ya que se requiere más tiempo para la verificación.

* No documentaron todos los procedimientos inmersos en el PMC. Esto causaba que los empleados no estén informados sobre los avances de este plan. Como resultado, al momento de querer implantarlo en la compañía (como trabajo diario) causaba problemas.

* No existía un buen liderazgo por parte de la persona que dirigía el grupo de trabajo de PMC.

5. Implementación de mejoras de la situación actual

Las mejoras que se pueden aplicar en el PMC son:

* Generar un cambio radical en la cultura organizacional para socializar el PMC para su posterior implementación en el trabajo diario. Esto da apoyo a la gestión del proceso.

* Antes de aplicar cualquier técnica para resolver problemas de Calidad se debe previamente analizar y adaptar la técnica acorde a las circunstancias del entorno en que se desarrolla el problema para que no produzca frustración por parte de los ejecutores de la técnica y definir el proceso de implantación.

* El PMC no debe ser enfocado a los problemas sino a mejorar continuamente todos los procesos de la empresa con el objetivo de satisfacer las necesidades de cliente.

* Realizar mediciones de los resultados en cada proceso para contrastar con la situación actual. Que las mediciones que se vayan a hacer sean periódicas tanto de satisfacción a los clientes como las acciones correctivas que se desplieguen en las desviaciones del proceso.

* Documentar los pasos en cada proceso del PMC para retroalimentación, revisión, difusión a todos los empleados de la compañía y su implementación.

* Involucramiento de los empleados en el PMC que genere la apertura a comunicar opiniones hacia la alta gerencia. Es decir, dar libertad al trabajador para que de sugerencias y opiniones con el fin de crear sinergias en el proceso de mejoramiento continuo.

6. Conclusiones
Algo positivo que se rescata de la actuación de FPL, fue que buscó la implementación de un Plan de Mejora de la Calidad. Tomó esta acción porque lo motivo la crisis del petróleo pero no hizo un análisis de la técnica que implemento que muchas veces causo frustración a su equipo de trabajo. Además no comunico a todos sus empleados sobre los objetivos de este plan. En pocas palabras, no planifico el proceso de implantación de este plan lo que ocasiona problemas en su ejecución e implementación con los empleados.
Además podemos destacar que FPL pensaba que el PMC es un programa que duraba 2 o 3 años ya que no entendían el concepto de cultura de calidad (proceso continuo que no tiene duración). Esto se pudo dar como consecuencia de no haber definido correctamente el objetivo del plan.

7. Recomendaciones
Todas las empresas deben tener un programa de mejoramiento continuo para poder enfrentar los problemas que se suscitan en los diferentes procesos. Además, es imperante ayudarse con otros programas o filosofías como son LEAN de producción que ayuda también a mejorar el proceso y eliminar los que no generan valor.
Es además necesario crear un profundo cambio cultural que es parte fundamental del proceso de mejora continua. Si la compañía carece de cultura al momento de querer implementar un PMC, va a hacer muy complicado crear una cultura de calidad por las barreras existentes que se van a presentar y esto puede generar fracasos en la implementación.
La única manera de instaurar un verdadero mejoramiento de la calidad es a través de una amplia educación de todos los empleados y de un liderazgo constantes de todos los niveles de la administración.
Lo que hace la diferencia al momento de mejorar la calidad es el proceso de implantación y no el enfoque.

Programa de mejoramiento de calidad
Era un grupo de personas que se encargaba de identifiacar los problemas que existían en la empresa, al problema le hacían el análisis, como impactaba y como mejoraban. El problema era que se manjaban con una técnica japonesa que era un plan de mejora continua.
Ellos tenían asesorías con otro idioma. Ajustar la técnica no se podía ya que no comprendían lo que les querían decir. Ellos tenían proceso que no estaba documentados, ejemplo los cortes de energía. Fromularios no confiables para hacer un plan continuo debes hacer auditoria de procesos lo cual no existía ya que se debe medir el antes y el después, no exitis aya que la información que se recolectaba no era confiable.
No se documentaba los avances del plan, solo crearon un grupo de tabajo, y no involucraron en la compañía de que estaban reliazando el plan. Seria muy difícil implantar una cultura de calidad.
Ellos solo creían en el control, no en la solución

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