The Ensemble Effect
Ensemble quickly identified the administration phase of the process as the core constraint. We also recommended that the client work with a ‘pilot cell’, run in parallel with the existing process, so that a comparison could be made between the existing situation and the proposed solution.
The key to the entire exercise was to introduce work into the system in a uniform and manageable fashion in order to ensure consistency and increase quality. By synchronising the flow of work through the system, not only would throughput be increased, but the quality of customer experience could also be enhanced.
It was also vital that the amount of reworking be reduced. The advertising design studio often received incorrect listing information and in turn delivered incorrect proofs of directory listings. A quality assurance checkpoint was introduced between the sales operative and the administration phase. This dramatically reduced the amount of reworking necessary, further reducing turnaround time.
While the core problem lay within the administration phase, Ensemble’s system-wide approach also identified key issues outside of administration that needed to be addressed. Ensemble drew attention to the need to develop a new remuneration model for the sales team. Pilot Phase customers were given incentives to purchase their ads earlier in the year, and salespeople were given incentives to ensure they passed a measured amount of quality-assured work into the system every 48 hours.
The results? The client’s productivity increased by 250%, and its new systems approach led to a significant reduction in rework and a boost in customer satisfaction.
