Contact Centres: Improving Performance and managing …digitaltransform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Vivin-Acharya.pdf · Contact Centres: Improving Performance and managing

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Contact Centres: Improving Performance and managing costs

Presented by: Vivin AcharyaPublic Sector Forum 26th May 2004

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© Copyright 2002 - Mason Group Ltd

A couple of quotes.. something to remember…remember Gordon Ramsey,having a customer focus….

• “Don’t let your mistakes leave the kitchen”

– They cause unnecessary customer interactions… Measure what matters..

• “Its like a finger pointing to the moon, don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss the heavenly glory” Bruce Lee.

– KPIs sometimes mean nothing…gauging the experience counts

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Key learnings for you from Mr. Ramsey

Whatever part of the Journey you are in, base line the services you provide as a pre cursor for change

You need to clarify how the customer drivers impact on specific processes, Customer experience is king, but expectations need to be managed!

You need Staff and Organisational Development in a new customer focused organisation- empowerment, skills, training and change management- Invest to save!

Evaluate the existing processes- to provide insights into where processes can be segregated, prioritise these as there are many!

Don’t be embarrassed to go for quick wins, from small acorns…

Establish current service levels! You have something to evaluate for return on investment purposes and can then justify your actions..

Ditch complex KPI portfolios – use the ones that matter!

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Key Issues: Public Access and Interaction Management

• Improve customer focus & be inclusive• Fulfil or resolve enquiries at first point of contact• Realise Cultural Change throughout the organisation• Provide easy access services and information for the

whole community that is– Rapid– Accurate– Consistent

• Empower front office staff via knowledge transfer• Continuous improvement of service levels year-on-

year on baseline• Improve customer satisfaction put citizens and

customers first• Assure investment in quality systems and processes

end-to-end• Empowering staff and users with knowledge and

resources• Having the right partner to support you throughout.

Key drivers for Public Sector Interaction Management Programmes:

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Managing costs-where do we start

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Lets start at Set Up Costs

30%

25%22%

10%8% 5%

Software and system integration

Telephone switch

Process mapping and projectmanagement

Accommodation fit out

Hardware

Staff recruitment and training

Don’t spend Prematurely here

Leverage legacy to the hiltInvest here, However review theValue of detail BPR

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Running Costs

60%

6%6%

13%

11% 4%

Staff

Software maintenanceand support

Office expenses

Accommodation

Recharges fromsupport functions

Asset Rental

Clearly staff costs are a point of focus, this doesn’t mean job losses necessarily

Use professionalContract negotiation here Invest to save:

•Empower &Train•Develop•Retain•Optimise

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Performance Optimisation

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Where do we start…Baseline and Benchmark

ComparativeComparativeBenchmarkingBenchmarking

OperationalOperationalBenchmarkingBenchmarking

Performance Performance ImprovementImprovement

ComparativeComparativeBenchmarkingBenchmarking

OperationalOperationalBenchmarkingBenchmarking

Performance Performance ImprovementImprovement

Oxford CC Footprint (Registration)

0

0.5

1

1.5

2Lower Manager / Agent Ratio

High Level Of Training

More Products Per Agent

Larger Number Of Paid Leave Days

Higher Than Average Salary

Extensive Opening Hours

Lots Of Standard Technology Used

Lots Of Advanced Technology UsedLower Agent Turnover

Shorter Call Duration

Better % Calls Ans In Time Target

Better Actual % Calls Ans In Time

Better % Calls Abandoned Target

Better Actual % Calls Abandoned

Lower Admin / Agent Ratio

Lower Agent Absenteeism

Industry Ave

Registration

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Framework for Optimisation

Overall Performance Optimisation

Efficiency(in use of resource)

Effectiveness(outcomes)

Reduce Workload

Maximise Productivity

Maximise Organisational

Capacity

AccurateResource Planning

& Management

GreaterCustomer

Focus

People Levers Process Levers Technology Levers

Strategic Management Enablers



There are four main mechanisms for contact centre optimisation…easy?

Service andEfficiency

ImprovementStrategies

Reduce TotalW orkload

Shift W ork outof Peaks

Increase Abilityto Deal W ith

W ork

Better AllocateResources to

Match Demand

W ork

Time of Day

Demand

Capacity

ExcessDemand

ExcessCapacity

Demand

Capacity

Demand

Capacity

Demand

Capacity

Demand

Capacity

ModifyDemand

ModifyCapacity

Call Avoidance

Peak lopping

SmarterResource Management

AHT reduction



Just look how complex it might be…..

MaximiseOperationalEfficiency

R e d u c eWorkload

C all A vo idance

ReduceMisroutedCalls(calls forotherbusinessunits)

ReduceTransfers

ReduceRepeatChase-up Calls

SubstituteCommodityCalls Via SelfService

Contract withCustomer tosetExpectations

OptimiseOne andDone Rate

ActiveMonitoring ofService Levelsfor Work inProgress

O p t i m i s eC a ll D ura t io n

Minimise"Preamble"Customer IDand Reasonfor Call

AutomateHighVolumeCoreFunctions

MinimiseWrap andAfter CallWork

Access toCustomerDetails

ContactHistory &CurrentStatus

FormalCallStructures

Talk andTypeSkills

AutomatedFulfilmentand NextActions"Workflow"

Minimisethe NeedforAgentSupport

OngoingCoachingandDevelopment

On-lineHelp

AutomateTransfers

Multi-SkilledAgents

M a x i m i s eR e s o u r c eU t i l i s a t i o n

I n c r e a s eA c c u r a c y o fForecasting andS c h e d u l i n g

DevelopSpecialistExpertiseand Tools

MeasureForecastingAccuracy

MaximiseShiftEfficiency

Introduce"SwingGroups"for Periodsof HighDemand

EnsureAgents areQueueConscious

TraininginWorkloadDynamics

Provisionof RealTime MI

OutboundRestrictions

M a x i m i s eO rganisa t io na lC a p a c i t y

MaximiseEconomiesof Scale

Multi-SiteQueuing -Virtual CC

DevelopOngoingPerformanceOptimisationFramework

Optimisenon-ProductiveTime

DevelopBestPracticeRoleModels

"How doI do?"

Status ofWork inProgress

InformationRetrieval

IncreaseCoaching bySupervisorsandCoaches



Staff Optimisation-effective resource management

• Eastern

Shift_One (3)

Shift_Two (1)

Shift_Three (2)

Shift_Four (2)

Shift_Five (3)

Shift_Six (1)

Shift_Six (1)

•1100 •1600 •2100 •0200 •0700

• Staff Optimisation provides detailed models for the number of contact handlers needed to staff a contact centre at a given service level.

• Optimising break patterns

• Optimises shift overlaps and agent utilisation

• Provide multiple organisational scenarios, to display the relative merits and risks of each.

Shift Name Break Name From To No.AgentsShift_One 07:00 17:00 5

Lunch 11:00 2Lunch 12:00 2Lunch 13:00 1

Shift_Three 11:00 21:00 2Lunch 16:00 2

Shift_Four 17:00 03:00 3Lunch 22:00 2Lunch 23:00 1

Shift_Five 21:00 07:00 3Lunch 01:00 2Lunch 02:00 1



Many contacts are inappropriate or due to service failure…• Core sales opportunity calls account for only 47%

of all calls

• 28% of calls were not meant for the call centres

• 12% of calls were‘chase-ups’

FTB12%

Home Imp. Loan6%

Home Movers14%

Non Dept Query28%

Switcher4%

Tele Service Enquiry2% Branch Call Enquiry

1%

FPS- Life Cover1%

Existing Cust. Rate Change3%

FPS- Pensions1%

FPS- Savings & Investment3%

Complaint1%

Chase Up 12%

Re- Schedual Appointment1%

Re- Mortgages11%



How are calls structured- look for un productive time

Ready17%

ReasonKnown5%

AppSelectn7%

CallBody33%

Hold6%

Transfer2%

WrapUp18%

HangUp0%

Unavailable9%

CustKnown2%

Greet1%

• 44% time is not spent on calls

• only 41% of time is spentspeaking with customers

• 7% of time thesystem is updating

30 min per dayfor a 7 hr shift= 6 calls

• 18% inWrap

• 8% inHold & Transfer



Why are customers put on ‘hold’?

Admin4%

Back Office Consultation

3%

Data Retrieval24%

Expert Consultation8%

FPA (another team)19%

FPA (in team)7%

MA (another team)6%

MA (in team)3%

Other17%

Supervisor Consultation

7%

System Delay2%

• 50% of hold time is spent consulting with other agents or supervisors

• The majority of hold occurrences required agents to leave their desks

• Average time spent on hold at any one time was 75 sec



AHT management- complexity analysis Registration Reason for Call by number of Calls

1%1%1%1%1%1%1%1%1%1%1%

2%2%2%2%

2%2%2%

3%3%3%

23%Appt to Register a Birth15%Make Appt for Marriage15%App to Register a Death

10%General Marriage Enquiry6%General Birth Enquiry

Make Appt for Notice of MarriageMake Appt for NOM/Marriage

General Death Reg Enquiry•Identify FAQs and take a view on complexity of calls ( 80 /20 rule.

•Helps establish demarcation &

•Training needs

Check App Time/venue/Dates for MarriageCancel Death Reg Appt

Birth Reg adviceCopy of Birth Certificate

Check Process for MarriageAppt to Correct an Death Entry

Appt to add/amend NameMarriage Discussion AppsInfo on add/amend Names

Foreign Country Marriage RegistrationCopy of Death certificate

Checking of Coroners PaperworkCheck Availability Marriage

Change Marriage AppsChange an Marriage Apps

Change an Death AppsChange an Birth AppointmentCancellation of Marriage Apps

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Conclusions and Case study



• A lot has happened in Four years.. Volumes and staff levels have doubled for example

• Baselining and a non partisan review gets to the bottom of their service issues. This was far reaching –people, processes and technology.

• The DVLA didn’t know what they didn’t know… Baselining provides insights..

• Timescales demonstrate that change takes time• Staffing:

– Who should provide the service? Do existing staff have the right skill sets? If not DVLA has made it so.

– Change management – get the enthusiasm and skills correct

• Helped them answer questions such as what is the level customer demand for:

– Specific services– Media channels– Opening hours– IVR usage

Discovery enables Design and Deployment of change.

A Case in Point



Some things we could be getting on with right now

• An analysis of the “As is” processes in order to establish the potential for improvements and benefits from both a citizen and organisational perspective

• Documentation of the “To be” processes and associated benefits

• Validate the operational model that underpins the Business Process Models

• Validate the technical model that underpin the Business Process Models- Don’t go an buy technology without a case for it.

• Validate (and where necessary define and describe the Key Performance Indicator(s) associated with the Business Processes, depending on your maturity level

• Transfer of Business Process Modelling skills to operations staff – offer career development in areas such as Business Improvement and Business Change Management



Conclusions and some actions• Customer focus requires a balance between People, Process

and Technology – Optimisation is the key

• Prioritise the (say) top three issues, and focus on them to drive benefits, reduce cost or release latency

• Integrated service level management is not managed well today and will remain a challenge in the short to medium term.

• Efficiency and Effectiveness can be dramatically improved through review of the contact life cycle and streamlining process end-to-end- you don’t need to have a contact centre to do this! Start with Effectiveness!

• Develop a channel management strategy based on the unique needs of your Citizens Demographic. It enables choice and provides opportunity for savings – e.g. self-help.

• The best service propositions and products are meaningless without Employee satisfaction, retention and productivity being a focus for the business as it supports the delivery of the value proposition

Documents

Contact Centres: Improving Performance and managing …digitaltransform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Vivin-Acharya.pdf · Contact Centres: Improving Performance and managing