Companies Must Organize Differently to Deliver "Perfect Improvement"

When a typical company decides to undertake a "quality improvement" program, it creates "quality improvement teams" with members from different functional areas. The team members belong to the QITs in addition to their real job...which hasn't changed. Program progress, if any, is made outside of the true business. Often, these programs collapse of their own weight since people's "real" jobs will take priority.

In the "Perfect Service" approach, "Perfect Improvement" is imbedded into everyone's jobs. One of the taglines my team has used is: Perfect Service--The Way We Do Business.

So what is the best way to organize? I believe a three-way attack of satsifaction data is the best method.

--First, the Client Service team is responsible for improving that client's satisfaction. Each time their client's data arrives, the team must look at the results for satisfaction levels. When levels are less than stellar, the team is responsible for "fixing the situation," ie, assuring the issue is investigated, analyzed, and resolved for that client. Even if the problem is wider than just that client, the client team is responsible for insulating their client from future impact, until the overall "problem is solved."

--Second, the Operations Team responsible for each transaction that is measured is responsible for improving the satisfaction with their respective services. Whenever a client survey arrives for their service transaction, the Operations Team needs to understand the details of the result, and combine it with the results of other clients. The Operations Team is then responsible for "solving the problem." By reviewing their transactions across clients, this team is able to prioritize improvement efforts based on impact to overall client satisfaction.

--Third, Key Satisfaction Teams are organized to review and improve satisfaction scores of specific Key Success Factors (KSFs). Similar to the Operations Team, these teams are responsible for reviewing data across clients and transactions for their specific KSF. This team is then able to prioritize improvement efforts based on impact to overall client satisfaction.

This three-way or "cubed" review and analysis of data allows management to invest in those areas that will have the largest return on investment (in terms of satisfaction). Meanwhile, while business management is investing here, Client Service leadership is making sure the client is made happy right away.

Both Client Service teams and Operations teams are attacking the deficient results as part of their job, and evaluated based on their ability to move the satisfaction needle.