Page 379 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

Design and Improvement of Service Processes—Process Management 339

5. Poor in-store assistance
6. Excessive service cost
These common problems are often caused by
• Poor service process design
• Poor service provider training
• Poor store layout and labeling
• Poor scheduling
• Poor operation management
• Poor equipment maintenance
• Poor service provider discipline or motivation

10.3.7 Professional Service Process
Professional services are usually provided by a single person or a small
group of experts in a particular field. The service is highly customized and
provided by expensive resources. The duration of the service is long,
extremely variable, and difficult to predict because the customer involvement
during the process is highly variable. Processing may be performed by a
single resource or multiple resources. When the customer arrives, the first
process is of a diagnostic nature. Usually, an expert resource evaluates the
service needed by the customer and determines the type of service,
estimated service time, and cost. This diagnosis then dictates the resources
that will be used to process the order. The duration of the service or the
type of resources required may change during the process of providing
service. This is usually a result of the customer’s review of the work.
After the service is provided, a final review with the customer may be
done to make sure that the service is acceptable. If the results are acceptable,
the customer and the record are matched and the customer leaves the
system.

Examples of Professional Service Processes
Auditing services, tax preparation, legal services, architectural services,
construction services, and tailoring services

Professional Performance Metrics
Number of Errors
The average number of errors or defects in each service is an important
indicator of process quality. Clearly, errors and defects will cost both
customers and service providers, and they should be reduced to a
minimum.