Page 384 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

344 Chapter Ten

The common decision variables for a telephone service process include
• Number of operators
• Capacity of the phone system
• Staff schedule and shifts
• Call routing
• Hours of operation
The common problems in a telephone service processes include

1. Excessive long waiting time
2. Poor customer service quality
3. Poor customer-provider interaction quality
4. Excessive number of errors
5. Excessive abandonment rate
These common problems are often caused by
• Poor call routine design
• Poor capacity management
• Inadequate automation
• Poor service provider training
• Poor scheduling
• Poor equipment maintenance
• Poor service provider discipline or motivation

10.3.9 Project Shop Process
A project shop process could be applicable to both manufacturing and service.
In a project shop, the part or batch of parts is stationary while the resources are
brought to the product for processing. The product is often quite large, such as
a building or ship, a software development project, or a research and
development (R & D) project; and it requires considerable time to complete.
Production quantities are usually low with products often being produced
from start to finish one at a time. Projects typically involve many resources
where the quality of the end product and the time to finish the product are
dependent on the capability of the resources as well as the planning and
scheduling of those resources. Often, multiple overlapping projects must be
coordinated, all requiring the use of common resources. A project process is
not the same as that of a factory process, because a project is a progression
through time rather than the progression of entities through space.

Because of the time and cost of the project, the quality of the end product is
of utmost importance. Delivery time is also a key consideration, and
penalties are sometimes assessed if due dates are not met. The project cost,