Horseshoe Hammond Casino

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";} Best of luck   Can the Toyota Production System, traditionally used by manufacturers to turn out products more efficiently, be applied to a casino operation? Rick Mazer explains to Gary Toushek how itÔÇÖs done.   ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre finding that more and more people who have enjoyed going to Las Vegas in a prosperous economy are staying closer to home these days. WeÔÇÖre getting our fair share of these guests, because they consider our casino to be on par with the Vegas experience. Our casino was designed to offer a version of Vegas to our guests right in the comfort and convenience of their own backyards.ÔÇØ   So says Rick Mazer, Indiana regional president and general manager of Horseshoe Hammond Casino in Hammond, Indiana, which is just across the border from Illinois and 20 minutes from downtown Chicago. The proximity of the casino to Illinois, as well as the amenities it offers, has given Horseshoe a healthy share of the gaming market. In April, Horseshoe Casino achieved the highest monthly revenue ever for an Indiana casinoÔÇömore than $49 millionÔÇöwhile many other Indiana casinos experienced a decrease in revenues.   The casino, located in the Hammond Marina, is a modern riverboat marvel. Although itÔÇÖs a firmly docked and tethered solid structure, itÔÇÖs able to move under its own power, with built-in engines, which adheres to Indiana requirements regarding riverboat casinos. The nearly $500 million new casino was designed and built in modules, brought to the site on several barges, and assembled with great precision and detail.  ÔÇ£When we were building this casino, our construction schedule was aggressively tight, and since the site was so active and safety was always a priority, we couldnÔÇÖt allow employees access to the casino until just a few days before we opened. As with any new building, it takes a certain amount of time for people to get used to the new components and become sufficiently trained in their particular areas. So we all had to learn our way around together, and we also had to analyze the higher customer traffic areas. We decided to implement a continuous improvement program based on the Toyota Production System, also known as lean, which many companies are using to streamline and improve their day-to-day operations for better efficiencies.ÔÇØ   Corporate consultants spent a significant amount of time at the new facility using identified metrics and data to analyze every aspect of the operation. In areas such as Jack BinionÔÇÖs Steak House, typical movements made by employees in the kitchen were studied and suggestions on how work flow could be improved were recommended.  An on-site director and manager of continuous improvement were selected from the propertyÔÇÖs leadership team, and they oversee the implementation and orchestration of efficiency ideas, with input from the consultants. Every week they run a kaizen event (or kaizen blitz, which usually focuses on a particular issue or a specific job function and is run repeatedly, making adjustments until the desired efficiency is achieved) where appropriate. They focus on a different area each week, incrementally, and sometimes go back later and work again on a particularly difficult situation.   According to Mazer, ÔÇ£Kaizen explores where things typically break down, and we learn as we go. It comprises individuals from different areas and fosters a sense of teamwork and fresh approaches as core processes are evaluated. ItÔÇÖs a great business model and has become more ingrained in our culture the deeper weÔÇÖve brought continuous improvement into our daily business lives. IÔÇÖve seen the shift as individuals begin embracing changeÔÇöchange in process as well as change in behavior. This has allowed us to look at our business from a completely different angle. Sometimes the smallest change has made the biggest impact.   ÔÇ£While this program has benefitted us immensely,ÔÇØ Mazer continues, ÔÇ£the greatest reward so far has been the rise in employee engagement levels. Continuous improvement involves our line staff, supervisors and managers, who all participate in and benefit from the garnered efficiencies, in terms of making their jobs easier. WeÔÇÖve trimmed waste out of many individual processes. The employees not only love being part of the overall process, because they end up with a much better working environment, but it also has given them a greater appreciation of each otherÔÇÖs roles. This has led to stronger team cohesiveness. Of course, the company also benefits by becoming more efficient.ÔÇØ   Does the ebb and flow of a casinoÔÇÖs customers and daily activities become predictable? ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre able to forecast the business fairly consistently over time, and variables are factored into the mix. One of the biggest problems we had was our ability to forecast customer flow. Just months after we opened, the economic meltdown got so bad that I couldnÔÇÖt forecast for the next day, let alone a week or a monthÔÇöand IÔÇÖve been in the casino business for 30 years. That was a real challenge. Our customersÔÇÖ habits changed dramatically; they would come in for events, but they would gamble differently. And historically weÔÇÖd never seen that before. Now the economy is showing signs of settling a bit, and weÔÇÖre also getting much better with our forecasting. Now every department has a forecasting model.ÔÇØ With reliable forecasting, as the casino runs promotions, they can predict a turnout, and when major celebrity entertainment is scheduled, they know what to expect in advance within a small margin of error.   The Venue, the state-of-the-art entertainment center at Horseshoe Casino, is quite versatile. Within an hour or two, the Venue can be configured into several formats for presentation, from a concert theater with tiered seating, to a ballroom-like setting with several round dining tables and a stage, all done with sophistication. Acts such as Seal, Alicia Keys, Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots, Bette Midler, Gladys Knight and Natalie Cole have performed on stage at Horseshoe, but versatile ethnic artists from Greece, Vietnam, China and the Middle East have played there as well. Ruslana from the Ukraine will hit the Venue soon, as will Jimmy Sturr, known throughout ChicagoÔÇÖs sizable Polish-American community. The Moody Blues and Rob Thomas are also sure to perform to sold-out crowds. Horseshoe Casino has also become a favorite nightclub for the 25ÔÇô35-year-old population because of spots like the Vintage and Push bars.   The casinoÔÇÖs poker room, with its World Series of Poker tournament affiliation, attracts local and regional players who comment about the caliber and overall feel of the room. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre growing new business and appealing to new markets,ÔÇØ says Mazer, ÔÇ£and we know our growth has exceeded our competitorsÔÇÖ declines. WeÔÇÖre proud of our poker room; weÔÇÖve been told itÔÇÖs the best in the Midwest. Right now, weÔÇÖre preparing for a World Series of Poker satellite tournament.ÔÇØ   Under the guidance of their corporate partners, Mazer and his team have taken an approach largely used in manufacturing and successfully applied it to the service industry. This, along with the products and services they offer, has enabled Horseshoe to take the casino experience to a whole new level. Whether itÔÇÖs the gaming or non-gaming experience that draws customers to Horseshoe Casino, itÔÇÖs a sure bet that this is one destination that canÔÇÖt be missed. *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *