Various process improvement methods had already been tested in the customer service organization. The primary challenge, however, was implementing sustainable change.
Client
The customer service organization of a private sector industrial company.
Target state
The project’s primary goal was to create a model that fosters a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organization. The functionality and benefits of the model were tested by improving the customer service process.
Results
The project resulted in a continuous improvement model including a process tailored for process development and a daily management model.
Isolated initiatives
The process leaning initiatives had remained isolated efforts and the project-based approach had not altered the organization’s operating methods or management model. The staff was frustrated due to the lack of a channel for improvement suggestions and new ideas that would have immediately helped to eliminate unnecessary work related to customer service operations.
The goal for our project was to develop new capabilities and identify opportunities for change to improve the productivity of the case process. The project was carried out in three phases:
- Current state analysis
- Definition of the continuous improvement model
- Development of case processes
Phase 1: Identifying the challenges of continuous improvement based on expert knowledge
The current continuous improvement practices of the company were mapped by interviewing 15 experts from the customer service team and key stakeholders. Based on the expert knowledge, a comprehensive root cause analysis was conducted, and its key findings were summarized into a fishbone diagram for review and discussion within the organization.
The current state analysis revealed the deficiencies in process mapping, available data, process standardization, daily management and process improvement methods. Although the examination was conducted from the perspective of the customer service team, the observations were deemed relevant to the entire organization.
Phase 2: Facilitating continuous improvement
The current state analysis revealed that in addition to process improvement processes, the customer service team needed support in daily operations management. By daily management we refer to a transparent, open, and inclusive leadership culture that utilizes short daily meetings for information sharing, prioritization and performance management. The team was provided with a model that supports resource allocation decisions, monitoring goal achievement, gathering new ideas, and managing development projects as a part of operations.
The project also included recommendations on what creating a culture of continuous improvement at the company level entails.
Phase 3: The continuous improvement method was demonstrated with the help of the case process
To integrate continuous process improvement into the organization’s DNA, it was deemed necessary to select one customer service process (order entry and processing) for closer examination. Data describing the operation of the case process was collected from operational systems. The aim was to understand the variability and deviations related to the customer service process, which also revealed deficiencies in process measurements.
After data-analysis, the process was modeled, analyzed and improved through co-development methods in workshops involving 7 experts of the process. The current state and the target state were modeled using the SIPOC method on Flovio’s modeling tool Cleverom. Approximately 50 issues were recognized in the workshops, leading to the recognition of eight ideas, each with a deployment plan.
The project’s key benefits for the customer
- A comprehensive current state analysis that supported the engagement of the customer service organization in implementing the changes
- A proposal for a continuous improvement model that considers the needs of various levels within the organization
- A daily management model for the customer service organization
- Process development process for both team and company levels
- A roadmap for the implementation of continuous improvement at the company level
- Practical improvement suggestions with project plans for enhancing the productivity and quality of the case process
- The unit acquired a new method for process development that can be utilized in the future
- The project’s steering group considers this an important achievement, as previously process improvements had not been successfully implemented in operational teams in a similar manner.
