Case Study: the Field Service Division of Dmi

CASE STUDY: THE FIELD SERVICE DIVISION OF DMI

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Draw the process flow chart for a service call.
Where the queues and delays are in the system and what can be done to eliminate them?

Queuing on stage:
1. Incoming emergency maintenance service calls – queuing for availability of technicians
2. Depending on dispatchers assigned service calls
3. Delay call to dispatcher after service call because difficulty in finding a phone or lack of incentives

Eliminate the queuing:
1. Standard technician skills for the service call within target response time
2. Adequate availability for technicians
3. Equip the technicians with cellular phone and give competitive incentives for every target response time
4. Addition for line numbers to avoid technician wait on hold when phoned the dispatcher

2. How might the process be reengineered? Consider some technologies that might be available to help.

Reengineered processed with Proposal for cellular phones.
Three technologies that might be available to help:
- An expert system for problem diagnosis to be used by techs in the field
- An expert system for assigning and scheduling techs
- A geographic positioning system that could be used to track tech locations at all times

3. Should DMI/FSD consolidate the regional dispatch centers into one location? Yes, DMI should consolidate the regional dispatch centers into one location to supervise the dispatchers and assignment for the technicians.

4. Evaluate DMI’s service guarantee. How could this be improved? Improvement on:
- Available parts for repair
- Target on response time
- Accelerate travel time
- Service quality of the technicians
5. Why does DMI/FSD need to measure field service performance? How should performance be measured?

DMI needs to measure field service performance to maximize performance of the technicians and efficient on time. The performance should be measured by number of service calls completed per day, target response time, service time on each calls.

6. What are the strategic issues for the division and the company?

Strategic issues for the division: make a process map for a service call.
Strategic issued for the company: a process for one standard service and response time

7. How could this organization become more of a learning organization?

With improvement in all area, this organization will become more of a learning organization

8. Prepare an action plan to recommend to DMI/FSD management. Be prepared to present this to the rest of the class

Action plan:

1. A business process for a service call with one standard service and response time
2. Availability on parts for repair, improve inventory management system
3. Standard for using part for repair, to avoid return logistics
4. Target on response time to customer, availability of technicians
5. Improve recruitment to avoid retirements and recruit qualified technicians
6. Improvement on incentive system and appraisal system for technician
7. Improve marketing system
8. Appropriate training for technicians or develop trainee technician program