Lean Part 3: Control over the Queue
The 3rd Lean manufacturing concept you can apply to call management is “Kanban”, which translates to “Control.” Kanban concerns the signals in place to order relevant supplies in response to real-time demand for end products. Basically, having what you need when you need it to meet customers’ needs.
Probably more than any other Lean practice, Kanban makes the case for caller self-service. Having the call management capacity you need when you need it no matter the call load is a very Lean concept. Today’s caller-friendly self-service solutions make this easy to accomplish. Give callers with routine destination, information, or transaction requests a fast and simple natural language speech interface. This frees agents and operators to remain available for more complex calls which require specialized assistance. In meeting the needs of both groups, you know have control over the queue. No more scrambling to add staff. No more fretting over hold times and agent availability.
And at the end of your Lean improvement processes, Kanban is what will impact your bottom line. Newfound control via caller self-service delivers greater efficiency. Efficiency translates into cost reduction. Do more with fewer (or existing) resources. Delay adding additional capacity, staff, or licenses. Put off moving to larger contact center spaces. The list of potential cost reductions knows no limits.
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