2.4 Controlling
The last function of management, controlling , is monitoring progress toward goal achievement and taking corrective action when progress isn't being made. The basic control process involves setting standards to achieve goals, comparing actual performance to those standards, and then making changes to return performance to those standards. Needing to cut costs (the standard) to restore profitability (the goal), major airlines began paying Pratt & Whitney to power wash the grime from the inside of their jets’ engines two to three times a year at a cost of $3,000 per wash. Why? Cleaner engines reduce fuel consumption by 1.2 percent and can go 18 months longer before having to be rebuilt for regular maintenance—at a high cost. Johnny Holly, who manages engine maintenance and engineering for Southwest Airlines, says “It's more than just a subtle improvement when they wash these engines. A phenomenal amount of fuel can be saved doing this.”21 Indeed, these engine washes will not only pay for themselves, they will save Southwest airlines an additional $5.1 million in fuel costs on an annual basis.