Streamlining Processes to Achieve Objectives

A government department had implemented a number of management strategies, work practice changes and the deployment of successful self service solutions but was still was experiencing increasing call volumes and call centre costs.

The government department provides call centre services for a number of different agencies and emergency services. It is an expanding, increasingly complex organisation, with over twenty offices nationwide handling calls from a culturally diverse population, on an ever-changing variety of topics.

In order to reduce labour costs, the department had implemented significant call automation, workforce management and self service solutions. They expected these measures to reduce person-to-person call volumes. Unfortunately, inbound person-to-person call volumes were still increasing and there was a general concern about spiralling costs to support the call centre function.

SMS was engaged to highlight contributing factors and address any relevant trends.

SMS conducted a comprehensive audit of all operational and communication processes to identify and recommend areas for improvement.

SMS applied rigorous research and information processing methodologies to audit:

• existing interstate communications strategies
• desktop process and infrastructure techniques
• current case management solution implementation
• impact of, and resistance to, relevant client policies
  

Based on findings resulting from detailed research and interpretation of existing data, SMS was able to identify factors contributing to the increased call volumes.

SMS found that, while internal call centre management was in line with global best practice and the department's self serve technologies and methodologies were in keeping with policy requirements, the client's case management practices and communication strategy were disjointed and cumbersome. It also found that its system of client contact involved excessive ‘touch points’, resulting in increased time and call volumes to resolve queries.

To address these findings, SMS delivered a detailed series of recommendations aimed at streamlining customer experiences and co-ordinating a nationwide, cohesive communications program.

The department implemented SMS’s recommendations in their entirety, streamlining promotional activities and client contact processes to result in a significant drop in call volumes.

Recommendations put forward by SMS also prompted the department to re-engineer the way they interacted with clients. A high profile execution of these recommendations included the introduction of a card containing clients’ personal details. This in turn facilitated an identification process and means of case management and payment that were not only smoother, but contained far fewer steps to complete.

Increasing call volume trends were reversed and the government department’s total call volumes were reduced in line with initial projections.