A GUIDE to SERVICE QUALITY PROGRAMS Selecting a Quality Program for Your Technology Service Organization

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A GUIDE to SERVICE QUALITY PROGRAMS Selecting a Quality Program for Your Technology Service Organization A GUIDE TO SERVICE QUALITY PROGRAMS Selecting a Quality Program for Your Technology Service Organization Companies are increasingly realizing that delivering high quality services can set them apart from the competition, increase profitability and drive customer loyalty. This report provides a guide to understanding and selecting a quality program for your technology service organization. Service Strategies Corporation 16885 West Bernardo Drive San Diego, CA 92127 www.servicestrategies.com Copyright© 2016, Service Strategies Corporation ‐ All Rights Reserved i Author Greg Coleman Vice President, Strategic Programs Service Strategies Corporation [email protected] Copyright © 2016 - Service Strategies Corporation, all rights reserved. No material contained in this report may be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written consent of the publisher. The information contained in this report has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable, but neither its completeness nor accuracy can be guaranteed. Opinions expressed are based on our interpretation of available information and are subject to change without notice. Copyright© 2016, Service Strategies Corporation ‐ All Rights Reserved ii Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Why Adopt a Service Quality Program? ........................................................................................... 1 What to Look For When Selecting a Program? ............................................................................... 3 Benefits of a Service Quality Program .............................................................................................. 4 Overview of Service Quality Programs ..................................................................................................... 5 Six Sigma ............................................................................................................................................. 5 ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) ......................................................................................................... 6 CMMI‐SVC (Capability Maturity Model Integration) ..................................................................... 7 ISO 9001:2008 Standards ................................................................................................................... 7 ISO/IEC 20000 Standards .................................................................................................................. 8 TSIA / J.D. Power and Associates, Certified Technology Service and Support (CTSS) ................. 9 Service Capability & Performance (SCP) Standards ........................................................................ 9 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 10 Quality Programs Comparative Matrix ................................................................................................... 11 References ................................................................................................................................................. 12 Copyright© 2016, Service Strategies Corporation ‐ All Rights Reserved iii A GUIDE TO SERVICE QUALITY PROGRAMS Selecting a Quality Program for Your Technology Service Organization INTRODUCTION Companies are increasingly realizing that delivering high quality services can set them apart from the competition, increase profitability and drive customer loyalty. To help them achieve these goals, and improve the overall quality of their services, companies are employing a variety of formal quality programs in their service operations. While some of these programs are broad‐reaching and cover general business processes, others are focused specifically on technology services. Ranging from best practice guides, to formal certification standards, there are many options available to businesses interested in establishing a disciplined approach to quality. If you are considering adopting a quality program for your service organization, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information, facts, and myths concerning the features, benefits and costs associated with these programs. In this guide, we’ll provide a review of some of the most widely adopted programs, take a broad look at the features and benefits they offer, and help you understand what to look for when selecting a program for your organization. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll review seven different quality programs, including Six Sigma, ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library), Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI‐SVC), ISO Standards ISO 9001:2008 and ISO/IEC 20000, TSIA / J.D. Power & Associates’ Certified Technology Service and Support (CTSS) and the Service Capability & Performance (SCP) Standards. We have also included a Quality Programs Comparative Matrix at the end of this guide to highlight the features of the programs reviewed. The methodologies used, and quality of results attained, can fluctuate widely between these programs. Some focus strictly on certification, some on “assessed” performance and others simply provide a process improvement methodology or library of business practices. Please note that for a variety of reasons, some businesses elect to use multiple quality programs. In some cases different programs may complement each other quite well, and when used together, may result in an even better outcome for an organization. In most instances the programs are not mutually exclusive of one another. The more information you have now, the better equipped you’ll be when choosing a quality program for your organization. Ultimately, you’ll want to select a program that will help you achieve your goals, which for most will include improving the quality of service your organization delivers to customers. Why Adopt a Service Quality Program? There are many reasons why an organization might consider adopting a service quality program. Management may feel the need to create greater process discipline within the organization or have a need to address a specific business problem, such as improving customer satisfaction. Copyright© 2016, Service Strategies Corporation ‐ All Rights Reserved 1 Alternatively, the company may have a requirement to become certified or may simply wish to instill a culture of quality within the service organization. Whatever the reason, adopting a quality program should not be taken lightly. Success requires a strong commitment from within the service organization and from the company as a whole. So let’s further examine some of the reasons why you might choose to adopt a service quality program for your organization. A Standard for World Class Service Organizations that are interested in delivering world‐class levels of service might adopt a quality standard as a roadmap to guide their efforts. For these organizations, the program they choose should provide a framework, along with a clear set of service standards, and a methodology that will drive continuous improvement and lead them towards their goal. The standards should provide guidance on best practices and a means to measure performance, such as through audited validation of adherence to the standards, possibly resulting in certification. Address Specific Business Issues Organizations looking to address one or more specific business issues might adopt a program that defines a methodology for process improvement. Alternatively the organization might adopt a quality standard that provides best practice guidance that may help to solve the issues in question and drive improved performance. Such a standard should cover a wide range of service business practices and provide a focus on key operational areas that align with the challenges the organization is facing. As a result, the service organization can address their immediate concerns and then leverage the standards to address issues that arise in the future. In this scenario, an organization might leverage both an improvement methodology and a quality standard together to get maximum results. Validate Current Practices Those companies that feel they are already delivering top quality service might use a quality standard or certification program as a way to validate their business practices. In many cases, the organization will identify additional opportunities for improvement while going through the validation process that may drive even higher levels of performance and efficiency. The quality standard used for validation should align directly with the service business practices in place to be effective. Certification under the quality standard can provide the measure of success and an opportunity to gain industry recognition for the quality of service being delivered. Drive Consistency in Service Delivery Global or large regional organizations may adopt quality standards to drive consistency throughout their operations. In this case, the quality program needs to provide a framework for measuring the consistency of services delivered across geographies, business units or product lines. Any program selected should define specific business practices, methods and criteria necessary to drive the desired level of consistency. In addition, the program should provide a rigorous audit process capable of measuring consistency and identifying gaps in global practices. Copyright©
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