OPERATION MANAGEMENT

Group Assignment - Case Analysis

Case 7 - Delwarca Software Remote Support Unit

Group 14 - Section B

Chelsea Umesh Moria IPM02164

Devashish Mishra PGP14070

Devireddy Vaishnavi IPM02166

Kanishqa Rai PGP14096

Kanojia Ritika Harishchandra PGP14097

Case Overview
Delwarca is a supply chain management software provider that sells to large, sophisticated
corporate clients. These clients typically choose to assemble their system from various “best of
breed” systems. Delwarca’s software integrates these independently operating systems.
Problems that Delwarca’s support services deal with include unexpected interaction effects with
non-Delwarca software, software-hardware interaction problems or performance concerns; the
usual crashing or freezing of software; processing failures; attacks by malware; and installing
and testing upgrades and patches.
Delwarca delivers its customer service from 4 units
1. Software Development
2. Field Support
3. Critical Support
4. Remote Support

Pre-Rapid ID: Standard Procedure

1. Call taken by the operator - verified customer account, identity and the contact
information
 2. Caller placed on hold till the next available associate. Receives automated updates
every 90 sec
3. Associate verified that the customer called at the right unit (remote support) and tried to
resolve the problem. After the call the associate recorded the call information on
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and then got available for the next call.
When problem was not resolved:
1. After the associate the customer was either put on hold for the next available Senior
associate or called back by a senior associate to resolve the issue.
When the customer requested a particular senior associate by name:
1. Operator directed the call to the senior associate. About 22% of the callers requested
this.
Rapid ID: Standard Procedure
1. Operator took the call like in pre-rapid ID
2. Call was transferred to one of the 2 highly experienced Associates (Director Associate)
who, by understanding the nature of the job, transferred the call to either Associate or
Senior Associate.
When an associate could not resolve the problem:
1. Call will be transferred to Senior Associate
When a caller request a particular Senior Associate:
1. Operator will directly transfer the call to Senior Associate, eliminating the role of Director
Associate.
Results of Rapid ID:
1. Reduced Associate headcount available for regular calls by 1 FTE (Full-time equivalent)
2. Customer were more dissatisfied with their time in the system
3. Senior Associates were highly frustrated by the amount of work they had to do and
abuse they have to take from the angry callers
4. Had to board 2 part-time Director Associate and 1 more Senior Associate
5. Increase in customers asking to go directly to Senior Associates
Reasons:
a. Follow-on conversations with the Senior Associates on a complicated problem
b. Senior Associates asked caller to call back with the status report
c. Employees from other units, mainly Field Support and Critical Support
d. Staff believed that developing customer relations will lead to their personal career
development.
6. Following is the pattern in which the calls were answered after the calls were transferred
by the operator:
SA = Senior Associate
DA = Director Associate

FROM DA to DA to SA Associate to Directly to Total calls to

Associate SA SA SA

Percentage 54% 18% 19% 28% 65%

of Callers
Additionally, different people in both groups (Associates and SA) took different time in resolving
the issues.

Jack McKinnon - Manager of Delwarca’s Remote Support Unit

In 2011, he changed the way incoming calls were handled at support units by reducing the time
taken to respond to calls because the delay in response was eroding the customer base of
Delwarca. The new implementations also decreased the cost for Delwarca.