The situation
In 2016 a large health organisation began a digital transformation to improve its online presence and service delivery. Its main Customer Services Centre worked as a traditional contact centre, with little digital presence.
The team was small and experienced, many with 20 to 30 years in the organisation and deep subject knowledge, but little training in operations management. Their skills, tools and data did not let them plan for the growth the organisation wanted.
The approach
Over an 18-month programme we:
- Coached and mentored staff and managers in the core disciplines of operational excellence.
- Supported the selection and upgrade of IT for the new digital channels: online chat, Twitter and Facebook.
- Built project management capability for the team’s move to new premises.
- Mentored the team in scenario planning for the expanded service.
- Planned and supported the public launch of a new information service, then kept coaching the team as volumes grew.
The measured result
- Over 30% of capacity released by removing work that added no value.
- Effective capacity more than doubled, with a reconfigured supply chain and extra resources, for a marginal rise in overall cost.
- Activity grew by 200%.
- A new public information service launched, by phone, Twitter, email and live chat.
- Better quality of service, staff satisfaction and customer experience. New services, such as the QUIT smoking campaign, followed in 2019.
What the client said
We developed the new information service in response to an identified public need for better information about where to go and what to do when it comes to accessing health services.
Member of the client’s Communications Office