The 2006 Varney Report recommended that taxpayer-funded contact centres “perform to the level of best peer performance in the public sector” by using best practice performance indicators and benchmarking. The problem is knowing how other contact centres perform and operate, and what is defined as ‘best practice’.
Analysys Mason is uniquely positioned to help benchmark your contact centre and help implement the recommendations to achieve best peer performance, having completed similar projects in hundreds of contact centres across both the public and private sectors.
So how do we go about it?
Benchmarking discovery phase
Figure 1: Overview of benchmarking discovery phase [Source: Analysys Mason]
Core to the benchmarking discovery process is a period of intensive contact sampling, where a consultant records the activities that are taking place during calls at different times in the working week to ensure a representative sample. Structured interviews take place with relevant staff; such as the contact centre manager, team leaders, agents, human resources manager, trainer and resourcing manager.
Observations and insights gained from the sampling and interviews are validated and supplemented by structured reviews of:
- customer experience
- organisational learning (human resources)
- financial performance
- business processes.This is completed using a balanced business scorecard model aimed at comparing how a contact centre is performing in four key areas compared to best-in-class contact centre performance:
Figure 2: Four key areas used to measure contact centre performance [Source: Analysys Mason]
Each of the key areas identified in the balanced scorecard model is broken down into a small number of component parts. For example, sustaining and enhancing performance consists of:
- capturing feedback
- customer service measurement
- performance management and HR alignment
- communication process.
Capturing feedback from customers is critical to this process and Analysys Mason can help you compile timely and accurate customer feedback using a variety of cost-effective and efficient channels.
Performing to the ‘level best of peer performance’
All the data and information gathered during the discovery phase is compiled into a report containing the contact sampling analysis, analysis of the functional reviews and a best-in-class assessment compared to other peer organisations.
Figure 3: Typical examples of analysis, conclusions and recommendations [Source: Analysys Mason]
The final part of the report is a summary of our recommendations, in priority order and with a benefits analysis/statement. In conjunction with a high-level implementation plan, this provides an invaluable roadmap for future success. Analysys Mason can of course help manage the implementation of the recommendations, change management and benefits realisation.
Figure 4: Sample implementation roadmap [Source: Analysys Mason]
