Field Operations

FIELD LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE

COUNTRY: Canada

PRIORITY OBJECTIVES:

The project objectives were to:

• improve productivity
• maintain the customer’s superior service experience
• maintain and improve quality
• increase team member engagement
• support and manage growth

PVA’s RESPONSE:

The approach taken was to:

• provide training to all Service Managers through group classroom workshops
• provide one-on-one coaching to all Service Managers
• develop Management Operating Systems (MOS) to ensure effective forecasting, planning, execution / follow up, and reporting
• install a systematic approach to problem eradication
• define Roles and Responsibilities for all Service Managers
• review and modify work methods and techniques that cause operational losses in production, quality or time to execute work
• install Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that represent meaningful measurements in terms of actual work completed
• install a continuous improvement process (CIP)
• install an Audit process to ensure perpetuation of the Management Operating Systems
• identify and install standards by job code that are free of any operational opportunity

PROJECT RESULTS:

Some of the results that our Client achieved were the following:

• increased load factors for technicians
• maintained customer due dates while handling increased volumes
• modified end of day dispatch and created the ability to assign work
• moved majority of shorter length product codes to the end of day assuring Team Members pickup last piece of work
• Service Managers are now setting expectations based on observed standard work times
• Service Managers are now holding Weekly Planning Meetings to better respond to changes
• updated deployment areas to minimize technician travel time
• changed shift start times to better meet customer demand
• shared resources across geographical areas to increase performance and bring in close days
  

PERPETUATION OF RESULTS:

Perpetuation is being realized through Audits, which are occurring in major areas on an on-going basis. The Client is also continuing to eradicate opportunities on a weekly basis through their Continuous Improvement Process (CIP) teams.

VERBALS:

"Measuring Jobs / Day was meaningless, it did not take the work done by our TEAM Members into account. PVA trained us on a better way to measure our TEAM Members." - Service Manager

"It’s been a humbling and eye opening experience. It’s amazing what I’ve seen in the field." - Director Regional Operations

"Prior to this project, I worked as a manager for a year and nobody ever told me what I was required to do. I thought my main duties were to put out fires and deal with the TEAM Members administration. Now, I know that being in the field is my main responsibility." - Service Manager

"I really like it! This gives me the structure that I need!" - Service Manager

"One of my TEAM Members was given an appointment on the other end of the city in 90 minutes. He called in to see if there was anything closer. He did a repair and the appointment instead of just waiting. It was a proud moment for me!" - Service Manager

"In similar circumstances, we wouldn’t have planned for this before and would have reacted to the low volumes." - General Manager