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What is Six Sigma?
Six Sigma
is both a management practice as well as a capability measure.
The fundamental definition of Six Sigma capability refers
to a process where "the center of the process is away
from the nearest specification limit by six standard deviations
of the process". The customer of that process determines
the specification limits within which the process has to perform.
Sigma capability of a process is a measure and therefore can
assume any integer value - "doing six sigma" implies
that we move towards this level of sigma capability, not as
a pre-requisite, but more as a target destination on a journey.
Six Sigma as a management practice refers to the business
initiative undertaken at an enterprise to systematically enhance
the capability of its business processes to better meet/exceed
customer specifications, resulting in a tangible business
gain. This simplified definition describes the implication
of "doing Six Sigma".
Why Six Sigma for BPO
and Customer Contact Centers
The IT
enabled Services Industry: Strategic Imperatives ( This line
does not seem complete)
Some of the key reasons why ITeS organizations should implement
Six Sigma include:
- Faster route
to process maturity in a relatively less mature industry:
The ITeS industry in India is still a nascent one and therefore
still in the process of ramping up their capacities and
building delivery capability. However, the 'Key Business
Processes' that they are handling for their customers are
mature and stable. ITeS providers need to bridge this gap,
and need to stay focused on quality and process management
even as they grow at a frantic pace.
- Metrics-based management:
Operating in an environment where multiple 'moments of truth'
occur with the clients every single minute and span of controls
in the management structure are very high, it becomes imperative
for the industry players to have a robust metrics system
for measuring, tracking and managing the business.
- Process control:
ITeS providers need to maintain very tight control over
their processes, for ensuring consistent customer experience.
- A disciplined improvement
path: Continuous process improvement is a key imperative
in order to enhance service and quality at lower costs.
SLA's often demand year on year improvements in process
metrics and cost reductions.
- Customer orientation:
Capturing the Voice of the customer
- both the client whose process you are handling and
the end customer.
What does it mean for
BPO and Contact Centers
Some of the big Ys for this sector are:
- Customer Satisfaction
- Cost
- Employee Satisfaction
Although a lot of factors
influence customer satisfaction, accuracy and on-time service
seem to be the two most important variables. Accuracy, at
a simple level, may be measured as First Time Resolution.
On-time, particularly in non-phone modes, suffers from being
measured from an internal perspective - rather than a customer
perspective.
Accuracy measure is primarily
derived from Transaction Monitoring. It is then further drilled
down of adequacy of training, conformance with analytical
and research approach and use of knowledge database.
On-time has a major influence
of staffing and schedule adherence.
Costs can be drilled down
to productivity (measured as handling time) and utilization.
Each of the above parameters
can be improved by acting upon the huge database generated.
The above illustrates
how the Six Sigma approach can be deployed to drill down a
major business variable into a statistical framework and derive
business benefits.
QAI has seen this approach
create very significant improvements.
QAI
Methodology
Six Sigma as a framework
is apt for practically any business function across industries.
However, QAI has strongly
believes that Six Sigma consulting or training has maximum
impact only if it is imparted without a suitable industry
context.
QAI provides customized
interventions of training, consulting, mentoring for Six Sigma
deployment in BPO and Customer Contact Centers.
Consultants who have a
rich experience in Six Sigma and are well versed with the
operational issues in BPO and Contact Centers provide the
services.
The trainings use operational
case studies from BPO environment to facilitate learning for
e.g. Gauge R&R for calibration in context of Transaction
Monitoring, Design of Experiments for improving 'On time'
etc.
QAI Roadmap for Six
Sigma deployment
The steps involved Six Sigma deployment are as follows.
- Perform a Diagnostic
Assessment
- Synchronization and
Planning
- Establish Business
Process Management System
- Training (Champions,
Black Belt, Green Belt…)
- Project Selection
- Project Support for
first wave of Projects
- Roll out Six Sigma
at a large scale
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