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The death of “Hierarchical Support”

Explore the transformation from hierarchical support to a collaborative "Case Closing Culture" for efficient problem-solving and customer satisfaction. Learn practical tips and strategies to dismantle support hierarchy, foster teamwork, and enhance service delivery.

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The death of “Hierarchical Support”

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  1. The death of “Hierarchical Support” Rusty WaltherVice President, Global Support CentersNetwork Appliance, Inc.

  2. Agenda • Introduction • Historical perspective • Why the past isn’t good enough • Building a “Case Closing Culture” • Organizing for collaboration • Ten tips that will help to kill support hierarchy • About geese and buffalo • About cows and rhinos

  3. SynOptics + Wellfleet = Bay Networks 3Com + US Robotics = 3Com (TNG) Bay Networks + No. Telecom = Nortel Networks AboveNet + MetroMedia Fiber Network = MMFN (TNG) ONI Systems + Ciena Comm. = Ciena (TNG) Airespace + Cisco Systems = Cisco Systems The road to obscurity … • 10 years building US Government networks, and then …

  4. The road to obscurity …

  5. Historical perspective • Hierarchical organization • Level 0: Customer Service Reps (Administration) • Level 1: Technical Support (Trouble-Ticketing) • Level 2: Escalation Management (Simulation) • Level 3: Engineering Interface (Bug Management) • Management defined at each level • Numerical career-pathing • Workspace isolation • Sometimes even geographical isolation

  6. Deliver Solution Deliver Solution Deliver Solution Deliver Solution Deliver Solution Historical perspective • Hierarchical workflow • Level 0 • CSR open the case • Level 1 • TSE works the case • Level 2 • EE manages escalated case • Level 3 • SEI manages the bug • Case moves in linear and sequential fashion • Case ownership changes as it moves • Solutions are delivered directly to the customer by whoever solves the case • Metrics measure the individual’s and/or sub-team’s results P R O B L E M CUSTOMER CSR TSE EE Sustaining Engineering

  7. In search of … a better way • Some problems with “Hierarchical Support” • Contributes to a caste system between teams • Prevents distribution of knowledge to lower levels • Provides a discontinuous communication path • Encourages use of the “Kill & Ignore Loop” • Harder for managers to improve processes

  8. Enterprise customers need … • Instant familiarity with their environment • Faster access to higher level resources • Escalation visibility to meet stronger SLA’s • Self-directed prioritization • Proactive information delivery • A true support “ecosystem” • Systems that enable • Processes that expedite • People that execute

  9. The solution is a “Case Closing Culture” • Characteristics of a “Case Closing Culture” • Real-time collaboration • Non-traditional escalation • Systems and processes that drive familiarity • A “meritocracy” that rewards the right behaviors • Cross-level teamwork • Knowledge creation • Consistent communications • Time to resolve • Bug “Brokerage” services • RESULTS

  10. Turn the org chart “upside-down” Virtually everyone maps to a very few tightly defined roles: Customer Service Rep Technical Support Engineer Escalation Engineer Support Engineering Interface (SEI) Technical Global Advisor (Major Accounts) Everyone is either closing cases - or supporting those that are closing cases Rusty reports to the TSE’s … and so does everyone else Tip #1: The upside-down Org Chart TSE TSE TSE TSE TSE TSE EE EE TGA SEI Management

  11. Collocate multi-level teams in workgroup “clusters” Multi-level management Goal for a common result Reward escalation “avoidance” instead of deifying the “dive & catch” Keep the pin in the grenade Institutionalize the “Technical Huddle” MGR TSE TSE EE TSE TSE EE Tip #2: Architect to collaborate

  12. Tip #3: Ask useful questions • Avoid the “TSE Beauty Contest” in your transactional surveys • Measure progress on key initiatives:

  13. Tip #4: Regionalize, then personalize • Cluster into “regional” support teams • Align with Field Sales and Support • Increase the repeat “hit-rate” • Increase customer familiarity • Escalations • Management • Move to “personalized” service when possible • Primary & Secondary TSE’s • Service Account Managers

  14. NO Allowed Tip #5: Streamline your Problem Resolution Process P R O B L E M S O L U T I O N CUSTOMER CASE CSR TSE EE Sustaining Resist the urge to solve everyproblem by creating a newgroup or forcing cases onto aside-street. Engineering

  15. Tip #6: Encourage knowledge creation as arighteous calling • Get everyone involved • Engineering, Marketing, SE’s, FSE’s, etc. • Get creative – make it fun and rewarding • Construct a “self-maintaining” Knowledgebase • New knowledge is immediately available • Existing knowledge can be edited “on the fly” • Use systems to get customer involved • Get help in the right areas • Public vs. Private • Avoid help in the wrong areas • Pre-release editing

  16. Tip #7: Measure what matters

  17. - Job proficiency - New products - Horizon technologies - Prepare for next level Tip #8: Train the “whole” employee Technical Contributor - Process training - Collaboration skills - “Fighting Fair” - Mentoring Service Professional - Time management - Management training - Communications skills - Project management - Presentation skills Team Member

  18. Tip #9: Lead to retain • Institutionalize the “Big Five” to avoid attrition • Can every employee answer “Yes” to these:(1) Do I understand the vision and strategy of the company, my department, and my team?(2) Do I understand how my specific job contributes materially to the accomplishment of that vision and strategy?(3) Do I trust my leaders and do I feel that I’m well-led?(4) Am I correctly and fairly compensated?(5) Am I recognized and publicly acknowledged for my results and contribution • Any employee that can answer “Yes” to all five … … can NEVER be recruited by your competitor.

  19. Tip #10: Use partners wisely – embed them correctly – make them invisible • Partnerships that work … • Logistics • Distributed spares depots • Good margins in same-dayspares programs • Field Service • But ONLY on very basic products • “Smart Hands” is an oxymoron • Volume will drive out-sourcing for Tech Support • Don’t do it until your products stratify • Only outsource the older and more evolved product lines • Craft wildly painful performance SLA’s • Meticulously track quality metrics • Expect your partner to “stink” for at least a year

  20. Tip #10: Use partners wisely – embed them correctly – make them invisible • Outsource advanced technology products • If you can’t do it well, your partner will do it worse • Business Operations • Renewals and Contract Administration • Don’t give away the crown jewels • If you can’t do this well … go run a Convenience Store • Global Integrators • Sales guys love ‘em … Service guys hate ‘em • Don’t EVEN get me started on this one • Training • Do yourself a favor … Keep this in-house

  21. I’ve been watching your company for quite some time. Let’s explore a mutually beneficial business relationship. Your CEO suggested that I giveyou a call to discuss ourservices. Leveraging our services creates a new paradigm that scales well and produces great value-add. Just for fun … a lesson in “Partner-Speak” Cool Phrase Translation I saw this morning that you just closed a new round of funding. If I don’t close a contract soon, it’s back to working the “Drive-Thru”. At least I hope he does when he returns the VoiceMail I left him about 5 minutes ago. Can I have some of your money … PLEASE ???

  22. Self-directed workgroups designed for real-time collaboration • Geese • Leadership is distributed • Tired geese move to the back to draft and rest • Direction-changes invoke a natural lead change • Buffalo • Massively hierarchical • Indians would watch to determine the leader • Quick-strike on the leader paralyzes the herd Borrowed promiscuously from: “The Flight of the Buffalo” By: Ralph C. Stayer

  23. A word about Cows & Rhinos

  24. Characteristics of a Cow … • Slow and predictable • Lives in a well-defined area • Family unit is called a “Herd” • Runs when challenged • Afraid of everything • Never acts alone • Life usually ends as someone’s dinner

  25. Characteristics of a Rhino • Fiercely independent • Can’t stand fences – hates captivity • Comfortable acting and hunting alone • Fears nothing • Attacks when challenged – never on defense • Family unit is called a “Crash” • Life usually ends in glorious battle

  26. Rules to Live By … • Every day you must wake up and decide … • Am I going to be a cow? • Am I going to be a rhino? • If you don’t choose … the default is “COW”

  27. Service Rhinos • LEAD … by empowering distributed decision-making • BUILD … multi-level collaborative workgroups • FIGHT … by everyone creating knowledge for re-use • TEACH … your crash how to work together • ATTACK … any hint of burocracy and self-interest • KILL … sales reps that give away services

  28. The Choice … Is Yours Any Questions ???

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