The most (only) effective process improvement procedure has to start with the DMAIC process – Define Measure Analyze Improve Control (pronounced DEE-MAY-ICK). In the Define step you typically use either existing metrics, or metrics that you create to determine if a real problem exists. In the Measure step you then use those metrics to measure the scope of your problem. Next you Analyze your results, then based upon those results develop your plan to Improve the process / task / metric that you have Defined. Finally, in the Control step you must set up metrics to monitor your new improved process to make certain it stays “new and improved” and to highlight the next opportunity for improvement (for process improvement is a continuous one). Note that this is a process that would apply to any metric / task / procedure that you have in the call center, and not one that is specific to just one element. Applying DMAIC to the answer given above by Jay, the Define step might be identified in the problem statement: How can we gather more information around our current calling customers with the goal of identifying improvement opportunities? Note that this (the gathering of the information) is not your process improvement procedure, but rather just one specific problem that you have Defined to which you are going to apply the DMAIC process. The Measure step would be to develop the questions (metrics) to add to your form and start gathering your data, the Analyze step would be to determine which of those metrics are the most important (in terms of both impact and frequency), the Improve step would be to apply your learning from Analyze to your call process and finally your Control step would be to create primary and secondary metrics to track the new and improved call process. In summary, an effective process improvement procedure does not rely upon one single tool, but rather an integrated DMAIC approach that can be applied to the myriad components interacting within a call center. Best Regards -- Rick

Call centers that excel at process improvement will typically tie it in very tightly with the call monitoring process. To start out, try adding a few questions to the bottom of the monitoring form that bring the customer perspective into focus. Some good examples include "What drove this customer to call?", and "What else could we have offered the customer to improve the relationship?". In time, you'll start to see patterns emerge with the answers, and those patterns will provide a starting point for process improvement. One final note - before you start, you want to make sure that your current processes are being followed consistently. If not, changes won't typically take hold.