MODERNIZA Quality Program

A quality improvement Management System which tourism companies can use to incentivize their workers and improve their profitability – based on a modern method of leading and managing a tourism company, so they can satisfy their customer’s expectations.

Focus

MODERNIZA is mainly concerned with improving and resolving four basic elements of companies’ operations:

      Management System: Implementing systems to give companies a clear direction and broad understanding of their customers’ expectations; promoting proper planning and defining clear objectives for everyone working for the company.

      Processes: Applying a proper methodology to resolve operational problems, a clear understanding of the company’s processes, favoring integration and avoiding waste.

      Human Development: Creating the right conditions for staff to realize their potential and make significant contributions, helping the company to reach and maintain its competitiveness.

      Information and Diagnostic System: Developing a system to become aware of the business environment and internal state of affairs, by building up indicators which work as a guide and align different measuring systems for each department that are integrated in an information system which the business owner can use to make good decisions in a timely fashion and set out the business’s policies and directives.

Structure

There are 4 structural elements to MODERNIZA:

1.   Human Quality.

2.   Customer Satisfaction.

3.   Management of Routine. Processes

4.   Improvement Management. Projects

The 4 aforementioned elements are implemented through the following 12 techniques:

Benefits

Companies obtain quantifiable benefits when applying the Moderniza program, in three essential areas:

      Improved service quality and attentiveness to satisfy clients.

      Improved sales and reduce costs to satisfy owners.

      Humanized working environment, increasing participation and therefore increasing workers’ job satisfaction.

Operational Mechanics

The Moderniza Program lasts from three to four months, during which time companies manage to resolve many of the problems affecting micro, small and medium-sized tourism enterprises.

[Diagnostic – Follow Up Visit 1- Follow Up Visit 2 – Evaluation]

The following services are available through the MODERNIZA Program:

      6 plenary sessions lasting 8 hours, involving the participation owners/CEOs and the Quality Control Directors, in a group comprising all companies from a given destination.

      Management system implementation manuals, guides and programs, predesigned form group, etc.

      4 evaluation visits to each company by a specialized system consultant.

      Evaluation for Certificates to be awarded.

      Awarding of certificates to qualifying companies.

      Promotion of companies who have been awarded the "M" Certificate.

MODERNIZA sets out in its methodology that companies who successfully implement the program and reach at least 80 points out of a possible total of 120, shall receive the "M" Certificate of a "Modern Company", awarded by the Ministry of Tourism.

This recognition endorses the implementation of best practice and a distinction of a model tourism company.

Who implements the Moderniza System?

The Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) has trained experts in MODERNIZA To ensure the MODERNIZA Quality System is successfully implemented in tourism companies.

Only "M" Consultants are empowered to implement MODERNIZA for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Mexico, and they are duly registered with SECTUR.

Hiring an "M" Consultant registered with SECTUR is a guarantee for receiving a professional specialist, with skills, knowledge and wide experience in Quality control. This guarantee is due to the requirements for their registration, as consultants must meet specific requirements that endorse their professional training in the following disciplines: Economics/Management, Tourism, Engineering and Chemistry/Medicinal biology, as well as their work experience in Management Systems, ISO 9000, Total Quality, Continuous Improvement etc.

There are currently 249 "M" Consultants registered in 31 states in Mexico.

For more information about requirements, information related to consultant training, as well as the current list of 249 Consultants, click on:

"M" Consultants

Moderniza Companies

Moderniza companies have successfully finished the Moderniza Quality Program, incentivizing their workers and increasing their profitability and competitiveness, based on a modern method of leading and managing a tourism company and which improves the quality of its services and resources.

The Moderniza methodology sets out that companies shall be awarded the "M" Certificate after successfully implementing the program and scoring at least 80 out of a possible 120 points. This is the only certificate of excellence awarded by the Ministry of Tourism to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, endorsing their use of best practice and a distinction of a model tourism enterprise.

The Moderniza Program lasts from three to four months, during which period the companies manage to resolve many of the problems affecting micro, small and medium-sized tourism enterprises.

In December 2006, Study to Measure the Impact of the Moderniza Quality Program generated important information, showing that the Program has benefitted companies in countless ways:

The following Percentage Increases:

      42% increase in Customer Satisfaction.

      32% increase in Productivity.

      25% increase in Sales.

Highest percentage gains:

      79% in Integration of work teams

      78% in Business Control

      73% in Improved Business Image

      67% in Improved Operational Processes.

The same study revealed that 80% of the non-"M" companies did not have tools with which to measure the benefits obtained for shareholders and customers with their processes and their staff.

For the directory of "M" companies, please click

"M" Companies

2002-2007 Moderniza Results

In the 2002-2007 period, the Ministry of Tourism in coordination with the Ministry of the Economy and the Ministry of Work and Social Security, the State Tourism Departments and "M" Consultants had come together in 209 groups, benefitting over 3,000 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises throughout the country through the Moderniza Quality Program.

The global results of the program indicate that 2,690 companies of the 3,360 which participated across Mexico obtained the "M" Certificate which classifies them as Modern Tourism Companies. In other words, over 80% achieved the certificate of excellence.

The breakdown by size of company shows a significant percentage of micro-sized companies, representing 58% of the total. This is an important figure, since these participants certainly needed to make more of an effort given their relative lack of employees, indicating that those participants had a particularly strong belief in the benefits offered by the program.

Participation in MODERNIZA by size of company

Participation in MODERNIZA by type of company

The results of the participants by type of company show that 43% were restaurants, 31% were hotels, 14% were travel agencies, 5% were ecotourism companies and the remainder was made of 7% of other types of company, notably tour transport companies, spas and amusement parks.

The program has also been well received by the more than 3,000 businessmen and women who have benefitted from Moderniza, with 90% rating it as "excellent" and 10% rating it as "good".

Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information about this Program and/or if you have any doubts or need any clarification.

Tourism Modernization Department (Dirección de Modernización Turística)

meayala@sectur.gob.mx

Tourism Modernization Office (Subdirección de Modernización Turística)

dmcastro@sectur.gob.mx

Tels: (0155) 3003-1600  ext. 4425, 4431 and 4434

Fax:  (0155) 3003-1600 ext. 4428