Work Order Sub-Case Creation Cycle Time

Background-Problem:
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Sigma =
1.13
Goal:


Creating additional sub cases takes too long, over 5 hours. Technicians
need to perform too many steps to request a new sub case from
Administrators and Call Center Analysts resulting in a constant loss of
productivity.
Sub Cases are used by engineers to record the technical work they
perform on their customer sites and used to invoice. The ObjectOriented database time stamps each request for service level agreement
(SLA) calculations. When delays occur in sub case creation, metrics are
reported longer than actual work performed, resulting in contractual
penalties.
Reduce cycle time required to create an additional sub case <= 2
minutes and target of <= 1 minute
Sigma =
6
Approach: DMAIC
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Customer surveys and internal interviews identified the voice of the
customer (VOC), then a Quality Functional Deployment (QFD) was used
to prioritize critical to quality (CTQ) requirements.
Measurement system analysis (MSA) was used to test the accuracy of
the data collection with only a 0.08% error detected.
Value Stream Maps of all processes participated in by customers, call
center analyst and engineers were created (volume, cycle time, Value
Add Analysis included for each individual process step).
Process X factors (time of day, method used, request type, location, and
analyst) were investigated using ANOVA & HOV tests proving that web
generated sub case requests were time trapped by analysts that were
busy with other calls.
Key field analysis on each field identified the key field drivers could be
automated with information contained within the Master case.
Poke-Yoke eliminated missing field data entries, while 100% automation
of sub cases (2 weeks of development) reduced the center mean from
16,389 and a spread of 43,829 seconds to an improved mean of 55 and
spread of 14 seconds. All helpdesk tasks eliminated.

Results:

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Direct Savings: (Reduced phone and
labor needed to create additional sub
cases) $71.8K, penalties reduced by $200k
Indirect Productivity Savings: $426.6K
Total Project Savings = $699K
Call Center
Digitization
Optimize Call Center
Sub Case Creation
Process Start: Engineer requests
a new sub case by:
a. Picks up phone to call the Call
Center
b. Open e-mail to onsite Admin
c. Logs onto web to change status
to reschedule needed
Sub Case
Cycle Time
Process Stop:
Sub Case created (case appears in
engineers work flow screen)
Process
Requirement:
Cycle time of additional Sub Case
creation <= 2 minutes.
Defect
Definition:
Cycle time of additional Sub Case
creation > 2 minutes.
Unit Definition:
One additional Sub Case request.
Unit of
Measure:
Data Type:
Seconds
Continuous (Variable)
Background

An aircraft engines manufacturing & service company outsourced their call center and desk side computer
support to a managed service provider. The customer required use of their object-oriented database in
tracking all work flow for user problems. Desk side engineers would first receive a master case from the
Call Center Analyst who recorded the customer problem and location logistics. The engineer would visit the
end user but would often have to make a second trip if a part or reschedule was needed. The engineer
would record the time used and work performed on the first trip and then request an additional sub case
be created in order to record the work and time used on the second trip needed. E-mail, phone, or web
form were all means for engineers to use to make the request to the call center for the additional sub
case. The cycle time requirement was specified at <= 2 minutes.
INPUTS / SUPPLIERS
PROCESS
CUSTOMERS
1. Aircraft engine end users
2. IT Support Management
3. Technical engineers
4. Call center analysts
5. Shareholders
OUTPUTS
1. New Sub Case
The yellow process
steps above are the
major area of focus
as it is under our
ability to control
improvements.
Start
1.
Technician
requests
additional Sub
Case
1a.
Picks up
phone to call
the Call
Center
OUTPUT / CUSTOMERS
INPUTS
1b.
Open e-mail to
onsite Admin
2.
Call Center
Analyst or
onsite Admin
manually
creates new
sub case
1c.
Logs onto
web to
change status
to reschedule
needed.
3.
Additional Sub
Case appears
on engineer
screen
Stop
1. E-mail account
2. Network logon/password
3. Internet connection
4. Database account access
5. Work flow master case
SUPPLIERS
1. Field Technicians
2. Call Center analysts
3. Database Web Site
4. Administrators
5. Work flow database
Define – Problem Statement

The aircraft engines company management team would review monthly metrics of the cycle
time used by the manage service vendors support staff in response to the end users desk
side support calls placed during the previous month. The manage service vendor was subject
to a $50k penalty each quarter if 2 out of the 3 months were below the contractually
specified Service Level Agreement (SLA) of <= 8 hour resolution.

A team meeting was called by the customer & vendor to investigate the problem with missed
SLA’s and to apply the DMAIC methodology to ensure the process remained under control.
The reports from the system data indicated that all missed calls involved the processes
involving support cases that contained multiple sub cases.

Using surveys & interviews a customer requirement of <= 2 minutes (120 seconds) was
established as the cycle time upper specification limit for the creation of a sub case request.
Histogram of sub case quantities per case:
Percent %
Sub Case Qty
Created
 16.6%
1
 23%
2
 23%
3
 20%
>= 4
82.6% of all master
cases created required
an additional sub case,
those with 2 or more
(63%) resulted in 80%
of all missed SLA’s
X Factors Tested
Measure
• Technician
Call Center Analyst/ Admin
Date (Week & Day)
• Reason for additional sub case
# of Additional Sub Cases
Time of day
• Method (E-Mail, Phone, Web)
Department
Location

A data collection measurement plan was developed to capture random tickets daily over
one month.

A Gage R&R (Repeatable & Reproducible) study was conducted to measure the system
used so as to ensure accuracy of the data collected. An additional form was created to
capture the additional factors not recorded in the tracking database and operational
definitions for each field and field value were established & agreed upon.

The error detected in the Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) was 0.08%, which was
lower than the 10% of acceptable error allowed for the analysis of this transactional
process.

The data collectors were trained and monitored daily during a 30 minute team call where
we reviewed the cases collected that day. Root cases were discussed and added to a cause
& effect analysis (fishbone), detailed process maps were designed first and then each step
measured using stop watches & 15 trials to understand where the time traps in the process
were hiding. Work-In-Progress (WIP) was also collected (this included, qty of e-mails,
phone calls missed or holds, and web requests queues). Breaks, lunch time and length, hrs
worked and the quantity of analysts working per hour in the call center also captured.
Lastly, each step was evaluated by the team (including customers) as Customer Value Add
(CVA) or Non-Value-Add (NVA), where CVA was defined as:
1. Customer willing to pay for
2. Correct first time
3. Physically changes
Analyze
Long-Term Sigma = 1.13
DMPO = 645,946
Recorded in seconds
Cause & Effect
1. Admin E-mail is infrequently monitored.
2. Web Status “reschedule” trigger is overlooked by call center analysts.
3. Call center analysts trigger for Web Status “reschedule” has low queue priority.
4. Administrators or call center analysts forgets to press submit button.
Pareto for Subcase
Method: 76% of defects
occur using e-mail to
administrators.
5. Administrators or call center analysts is out of work.
Root Cause / Sources of Variation
1. Onsite administrators tasked with sub case creation due to call center phone cycle time/delays.
2. Web site designed without the engineers being able to generate their own sub case request.
3. Call center analyst sub case creation cycle time SLA metrics have not been established/monitored.
4. Manual process step prone to human error.
5. Controls not in place for resource leveling to pick up tasks for subcase creation during shift changes.
Improve
How was the solution determined?

Brainstorming with Subject Matter Experts (SME) for identification of technology improvements that would be
needed to remove the manual reworked process steps
Was a Pugh matrix or other tool used?

Both the Pugh Matrix (Criteria-Based Matrix) and brainstorming with multi-functional team pointed to web site
real time coding improvement opportunities
Cost Benefit Analysis?
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Average loaded employee rate (salary + benefits) used to compare pre & post cycle times for productivity
savings
Team Effectiveness Tools?
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Stakeholder analysis for change supporters and resistors with influence strategy plan applied
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Changing systems and structures analysis in order to understand the vertical, horizontal, internal & external
change impacts
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Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA) user to capture & mitigate risks
Pilot Plan Results?
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Created two field teams (USA and Canada) to test web coding changes for improvements in cycle time

Changed weekly database optimization to daily setting calculation method vs. estimate

Improved Sequel Query Language (SQL) coding to reduce the calculations performed and return faster results
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Established a change management process to include libratory and field cycle time testing

Baseline mean of 4.55 hours per case reduced to < 3 second of system generation cycle time
Variation by Operators
entering varying case
comments
Control
Visual web page sub case creation training
guide for engineers added to the call center
web e-mail attachment for technicians (not
using the web method) and requesting an
additional sub case.

Quarterly review of sub case creation cycle time
by web page manager that includes lab & field
data to ensure savings continues.

Program managers will be notified nationally,
during and the operational manager and quality
review staff meetings, with distribution of
engineer training guide.

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Aircraft engines account improvements were
immediately translated to entire business with
transparent improvement to process changes.
All manual labor & non-value added steps,
previously used to type info from engineers
(taken from the original master case), then
retyped by call center analysts now digitally
pulled from the data base and automatically
returned to engineers screens.
Customer satisfaction increases contributed to a
contract renewal rates of 95% worth $200M
90
Indiv idual Value

Web page escalation path created for defect
escalations for sub case related issues.
UCL=82.51
80
70
60
Mean=55.29
50
40
30
LCL=28.07
20
Subgroup
40
Mov ing Range

I and MR Chart for Total Cyclet
30
0
10
20
30
1
UCL=33.44
20
10
0
R=10.23
LCL=0
Individual and Moving Range (I&MR) control chart
selected for continuous data with no subgroups.
Upper Specification Limit (USL) < 120 indicates process
control with mean of 55.29 & range 10 seconds.
Results
Was applying Lean Six Sigma helpful?

Defined the gap in performance and identifying root causes

Solve for root cause and validate solutions
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Sustain improvements and share lessons learned
Financial Data Collection

10 weeks of data collected with web page Log files created
to count each additional sub case created (does not count
the original master sub case assigned to engineers).

Web page sub case creation increased to 100% with the
full training of the engineers and usability testing.

India call center manager has determined that the average
analysts loaded pay rate will be $47/hr as the labor cost
includes capital costs built into the staffing cost structure.

HR determined that the average loaded pay rate for
support engineers in 2002 will be $35/hr.

Average control cycle time for engineers is 55.29 seconds,
Improved from 4.55 hours.

Control cycle time for call center analysts & administrators
is 0 sec. (eliminated all manual steps)

Operations manager validated phone cost savings for
88,000 minutes annually (425 calls each week * 52 weeks
or 25% of all baseline calls for sub case creations – data
used call center managers phone logs) * average 4 minutes
of talk time (exit rate).

Process improved from 1.12 to 6 Sigma

Human error eliminated with 100% automated digitization
of all transactional tasks

Standardized web submittals as single method used with
backup plan for phone should disaster strike
Baseline
1701
52
88452
Calculation Description
QTY
Average Qty Sub Cases Created (Weekly)
Multiplied by 52 w eeks to Annualize
Estimated Annual Average Subcases Created
Improved
1701
52
88452
Cycletime
120
260
260
0.043
0.072
0.072
1597.05
3808.35
4791.15
Average Engineer Labor Cycletime (Seconds)
Average Administrator Labor Cycletime (Seconds)
Average Call Center Analyst Labor Cycletime (Seconds)
Average Engineer Labor Cycletime (Hours)
Average Administrator Labor Cycletime (Hours)
Average Call Center Analyst Labor Cycletime (Hours)
Avg. Administrator Cycletime (Hrs) * Estimated Annual Average Subcases Created
Avg. Engineer Cycletime (Hrs) * Estimated Annual Average Subcases Created
Avg.Call Center Analyst Cycletime (Hrs) * Estimated Annual Average Subcases Created
55.29
0
0
0.015
0.000
0.000
0.00
1358.48
0.00
Average Loaded Pay Rates
$35
$47
Average Loaded Pay Rate (Engineer/Administrator)
Average Loaded Pay Rate (Call Center Analyst)
$35
$47
Cost
$55,896.75
$133,292.25
$200,000.00
$60,000.00
$225,184.05
$674,373.05
Engineer Indirect Labor Savings
Administrator Indirect Labor Savings
Quartly contractual penalties paid in 2002 (baseline) vs. 2003 (Improved)
Call Center Analyst Direct Labor Savings (2 staff reduced)
Call Center Analyst Indirect Labor Savings
Total Annual Labor Cost for Subcase Creations
$47,546.64
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$47,546.64
Phone Cost
22,000 Average Qty of Subcase Creation phone calls Annually (25% or 1700*0.25 = 425 calls w eekly
* 52 Phone
w eeks)Call (Averge 4 minutes)
4
Average Talk Time for One
88,000
Annual qty of talk time minutes for subcase Creations
$0.134
Cost for 1 call (minute)
$11,748.00
Total Direct ITS Phone Savings Cost
0
0
0
$0.116
$0.00
Cost Savings
Total Antenna Subcase Creation Project Indirect Labor Savings (Annual)
Total Antenna Subcase Creation Project Direct Labor Savings (Annual)
Total Web Page Subcase Creation Project
Indirect (Labor ) + Direct Savings (Annually)
$626,826
$71,748
$698,574