Table 4-1: Descriptions of Telecom Co A - Case No. 1
Company Case Description Case Type
Telecom Co A Bureaucratic Delay on Customer Service Over-control Problem
Poor response to customer needs
Inconvenient employee operation
The customer service had long been criticized as inefficient for its lengthy processing time on feedback and handling of network issues reported by customers.
All network information had to wait for confirmation between the hotline center manager and 2nd line personnel and then announced by the hotline center manager on an internal dashboard.
Cause
When its first generation integration system was implemented, the 1st line customer hotline center personnel’s authority was limited to only reporting customer complaints to 2nd line network management personnel.
The lack of empowerment and trust therefore limited their access to information regarding customer network status and the progress of outstanding issues.
Solution
Allow employees to improve the system by themselves (Limited effect)
External expert’s support for extended information integration
A new supporting system implemented by the network management department now allows 2nd line personnel to directly update
network error and handling progress to 1st line personnel. However, limitations still exist due to the extra human effort.
A 2nd generation integration system will be built by an external consultant to further enhance automatic information streaming that allows 1st line personnel to conduct case-by-case services for customers.
In Telecom Co A, customer service had long been criticized as inefficient for its lengthy processing time on feedback and handling network issues reported by customers. When its first generation integration system was implemented, the authority of the 1st line customer hotline center personnel was limited to only reporting customer complaints to 2nd line network management personnel. The lack of trust and empowerment therefore limited their access to information regarding customer network status and the progress of outstanding issues. This information was delayed as a result of the
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necessary confirmation between the hotline center manager and 2nd line personnel; it was then announced by the hotline center manager on an internal dashboard.
As the number of customers had grown dramatically over time and the telecommunications market had become more competitive in recent years, the company began to sense the need for improving the customer service process. A new support system implemented by the network management department now allows 2nd line personnel to directly update network errors and the progress of outstanding issues to 1st line personnel; however, limitations still exist due to the employees’ scant knowledge of the system structure, and extra effort is required to update data for each request. In response to these issues, a second generation integration system will be built by an external consultant; its purpose is to improve information integration and automatic streaming. This will allow 1st line personnel more customer and real-time information to conduct case-by-case services for customers.
Table 4-2: Descriptions of Telecom Co A - Case No. 2
Company Case Description Case Type
Telecom Co A Limited Response to Emerging 4G Service Over-control Problem
As the company started to provide its new 4G service, the network status monitoring index hard-coded into the system was no longer appropriate to monitor its new network configuration.
Network management personnel had been performing the same routine for a long time, and they were unwilling to make changes.
Cause
The flawed employee performance assessment encouraged network management personnel to focus on their routine job and discouraged them from engaging in improvements to the network.
An insufficient workforce in the network management department and limited knowledge of the system also made improvements difficult.
Established a new department to direct improvement tasks;
however, low trust in the professional knowledge of the newly established department from network management personnel still impeded the progress of the task.
A 2nd generation integration system, which was mentioned in the previous cases, will be direct by an external consultant to review and replace the dated system.
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When Telecom Co A started to provide its new 4G service, its hard-coded network status monitoring index was no longer suitable for monitoring its new network configuration; however, network management personnel had been performing the same routine for a long time, and they were therefore unwilling to solve the problem. The reason for this was that the company’s flawed employee performance assessment encouraged network management personnel to focus on their routine job and discouraged them from performing tasks to improve the network. Moreover, an insufficient workforce in the network management department and employees’ limited knowledge of the system also make system improvements difficult.
To improve the system, the company established a new department to direct improvement efforts;
however, the network management personnel’s minimal trust in the new department’s professional knowledge still impeded the progress of the task. Finally, an opportunity to conduct a large-scale system renewal due to the coming 4G service era shed light on the problem. A 2nd generation integration system, which was mentioned in the previous cases, will be direct by an external consultant for the purpose of reviewing and replacing the dated system.
Table 4-3: Descriptions of Telecom Co A - Case No. 3
Company Case Description Case Type
Telecom Co A Poor Management of Device Installation Over-Flexibility Problem
Installation personnel should have but did not update the
information in the system to keep track of the devices installed in each base station, and therefore the power consumption data from the monthly operational expense report did not comply with the data reported by installation personnel.
There is a concern that installation personnel might overstate the number of installed devices to benefit themselves.
Cause
Poor system design Poor operation control
The design of the data input process was too complicated and time consuming, which discouraged installation personnel from
maintaining information in the system.
To keep their work simple, each device installation department kept their own records on excel files instead of maintaining them in the system.
Solution
Simplify process Reeducate employee
Review the problem and adjust the system to simplify the data input process
Enforce data reporting quality by reeducating installation personnel
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In Telecom Co A, after the installation and maintenance of network devices, installation personnel should update the information in the system to keep track of the devices installed in each base station; however, the base station’s power consumption data from the monthly operational expense reports constantly failed to comply with the data reported by installation personnel. From the point of view of the system, the design of the data input process was too complicated and time consuming, which discouraged installation personnel from maintaining the information in the system. With regard to employee operation, to make the work easier, each device installation department kept its own records on excel files instead of maintaining the data in the system.
There was also a concern by a manager that the lack of enforcement would allow installation
personnel to form secret agreements with land owners of base stations; they would then overstate the number of devices installed in a base station to entice the land owners with access to free electrical power that should have been consumed by the overstated devices. The problem was eventually reviewed and the system was adjusted to simply a data input process. Moreover, installation personnel were re-educated to enforce data reporting operations.
4-2. Telecom Co B
Table 4-4: Descriptions of Telecom Co B - Case No. 4
Company Case Description Case Type
Telecom Co B Unpredictable Result of Payment Processing Over-Flexibility Problem
Poor budget and outcome measurement
Risk of not reaching expected business outcome
Each payment was assigned to the acquiring agency with the lowest commission charge at the time of payment. From the user’s point of view, the transaction results were essentially random and out of their understanding and control
Extra adjustments on business service platforms were required to comply with the floating commission rate logic of the payment system
The design of the payment system focused on top management’s need for maximizing company profit, and the design ignored actual operation practices and the needs of end users.
Benefits of the design were not well communicated or adequately explained to end users, and users had to experience a series of troubles before they were able to benefit from the system.
Solution Unsolved (lesson learned)
The system design had already run out of time and budget, and the problem was still unsolved
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Telecom Co B designed a payment processing system that integrated credit card, stored value card, telecom billing, and 3rd party payment into a single payment gateway. Users of the system included internal and external business services such as e-commerce platforms. For the purpose of
maximizing profit, each payment would be assigned to the acquiring agency with the lowest
commission charge at the time payment was processed. From the user’s point of view, the transaction results were practically random and beyond their understanding and control. Moreover, extra
adjustments on business service platforms were required to comply with the floating commission rate logic of the payment system.
“The system is like a black box to users, they don’t trust it since they have no idea or control over how their bucks are handled.” – System Analyst
The design of the payment system focused on top management’s need for maximizing profit but ignored actual operation practices and requirements from users. In addition, the benefits of the design were not well communicated or explained to users; users had to experience a series of difficulties before they were able to benefit from the system. In the end, the system design had run out of time and budget, and the problem was still unsolved.
Table 4-5: Descriptions of Telecom Co B - Case No. 5
Company Case Description Case Type
Telecom Co B Increased Confusion from Users Over-Flexibility Problem
Feeling of confusion among users
Added complexity and investment in system
Key information needed by users was distributed across different reports, and users often had to go through several reports to understand a single fact. Similar information was also revealed in different reports in different views, and users were confused regarding which report would serve as the standard.
The reports provided by the system had to be redesigned with extra investment and effort.
Cause
Information overload
Lack of understanding of user requirements
Users of the system actually did not need that much information, and they did not have time to go through all the reports.
The design of the reports was not well tailored based on user requirements, and thus, the information provided lacked focus.
Solution
Redesign with extra resources
Most of the reports were abandoned, and the remaining ones were redesigned with extra investment to meet user requirements.
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A continuation of the previous case of Telecom Co B, for all transactions that went through the payment processing system, multiple reports were created to reveal different views of transaction results. The intention of the report’s design was to provide as much flexibility for users to review the information as necessary; however, key information was distributed across different reports, and users often had to go through several reports to understand a single fact. Similar information was also revealed in different reports in different views, and users were confused regarding which report served as a standard.
“Imagine it’s like your smartphone. It provide you with so many communication apps such as SMS, WhatsApp, Line, and WeChat. Users actually only need one or two, and they hate the idea that they have to use them all to communicate with different people using different apps.” – System Analyst
The design of the reports was not well-tailored for user requirements, and therefore, the information provided lacked focus. Users of the system actually did not need that much information, and they did not have time to go through all the reports. A great deal of resources had been invested in designing the reports, but over time, most of the reports were abandoned, and the remaining ones were
redesigned with extra effort to meet user requirements.
4-3. Software Co
Table 4-6: Descriptions of Software Co - Case No. 6
Company Case Description Case Type
Software Co Difficulties with inter-regional Process Migration Over-Flexibility Problem
Added complexity and investment in system
From a high level view, the migration should be straightforward because the company uses the same integration system in every business region; however, it was actually difficult to implement because the migrated processes shared many differences with local processes.
Cause
Over-customized processes for respective business regions
The ERP and CRM system of the company had different instances in different business regions, which allowed customization for different regions based on respective business cultures.
Many processes that were supposed to be unified regardless of region still shared a great degree of differences by region.
Solution
Extra investment and effort
The intention from top management to keep the original design of the migrated processes lead to extra effort and investments of time in adjusting the local system to fit the migrated processes.
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Due to the inter-regional integration of Software Co, a part of the business processes from EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) was migrated to APAC (Asia-Pacific). From a high level view, the migration should be straightforward because the company used the same integration system in every business region; however, it was actually difficult to implement because the migrated processes had many differences with local processes.
The ERP and CRM system of the company had different instances in different business regions, which allowed different regions a certain degree of flexibility in customization based on respective business cultures. However, many processes such as product registration, which was supposed to be unified across regions, still exhibited a number of differences by region. The company had to make a decision on which process to comply with. Finally, the intention of top management to keep the original design of the migrated processes lead to extra effort and investment in adjusting the local system to fit the migrated processes.
“This is an unprecedented project in the APAC region, and it could be a lesson learned on the degree of customization that should be allowed in different regions” – Project Manager
Table 4-7: Descriptions of Software Co - Case No. 7
Company Case Description Case Type
Software Co Reduced Software Development Efficiency Over-Control Problem
Inconvenience in local operation
In cases of urgent requests, the authorization process became an obstruction to work efficiency.
In multiple cases, the process had to be delayed for almost a week when approving personnel were absent for days.
Cause
Require multiple levels of approval
All access to the software development environment required multiple levels of approval.
Solution
Flexibility on how a system should be used Allow employees to find their own way
To make urgent cases free from obstruction, a request could instead use email to obtain an agent manager’s verbal approval, and the official process through the system could wait to be fulfilled afterward.
In Software Co, all access to the software development environment required multiple levels of approval. In cases of urgent requests, the process became an obstruction of work efficiency. There were multiple cases in which the process had to be delayed for almost a week when approving personnel were absent for days. To make urgent cases free from obstruction, a request could instead
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be sent by email for an agent manager’s verbal approval, and the official process through the system could wait to be fulfilled afterward.
“This might not be justifiable from the company’s point of view; however, a certain level of alternatives are needed to complete work on time.” – Business Analyst
4-4. Electricity Co
Table 4-8: Descriptions of Electricity Co - Case No. 8
Company Case Description Case Type
Electricity Co Increased Complexity on Internal Invoicing Process Over-Control Problem
Inconvenience in local operation
As a government owned enterprise, its processes were already bureaucratic, and the SAP implementation made the situation even worse. The internal invoicing process had to go through even more steps, requiring even more forms in the system.
Cause
Two standards are enforced at the same time
To comply with government auditing standards and with SAP best practices at the same time, more actions were needed from base-level employees to complete a single invoice.
Solution
External expert’s support for reviewing and adjusting system Remain in control but optimize and automate the process
Request for an Application Maintenance Service from external consultant
Remained in control but combine similar parts of the two standards into fewer steps
Automate the data input of common data in the two standards to reduce the data input effort from base-level employees
After the implementation of SAP in Electricity Co, the company experienced overall business process reengineering to comply with the so called “best practice” of SAP. As a government-owned enterprise, its processes were already bureaucratic, and the SAP implementation made the situation even worse. To comply with the government auditing standard and to comply with SAP’s best practice at the same time, the internal invoicing process had to go through even more steps and add more forms into the system.
To respond to the problem, the company requested Application Maintenance Service from an external consultant to review the problem and then combined similar parts of the two standards into fewer steps. The data input of common data in the two standards was also automatized to reduce the burden of base-level employees.
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Table 4-9: Descriptions of Electricity Co - Case No. 9
Company Case Description Case Type
Electricity Co Inconsistent data Reporting on Orders Over-Flexibility Problem
Feeling of confusion among lower level employees
Inconsistent data reporting
Some auto generated fields in new established order forms were modifiable to fulfill the purpose of reopening or revising certain orders; however, there were cases employees would revise those fields intentionally or unintentionally for unknown reasons that lead to inconsistency in data reporting.
Cause
Poor employee training
Poor system design
Employees did not understand the intention of system design due to insufficient education, which lead to low quality of the data input
The logic for revising the order in the system was not well designed, which confused users from time to time
Solution
Enforce certain rules through the information system and re-educate employees
Because the problem was cash flow related, the company decided to adjust the system to make those fields not revisable and then re-educate employees on the new policy. The order revising and reopening process will now need the approval of the department
Because the problem was cash flow related, the company decided to adjust the system to make those fields not revisable and then re-educate employees on the new policy. The order revising and reopening process will now need the approval of the department