Power of Metrics
Overview
NWEA’s support team had no metrics for performance other than customer satisfaction. This caused the department to continually seek funds year-over-year without any quantitative data to support the request. The goal of this project was to create key performance measures to help contain costs and create predictability of future needs against support demands.
The Approach
The support team was highly resistant to change as it had operated under its current framework for over a decade. We also did not know the best solution to solve our problem. To accomplish the mindset shift and narrow down our options we chose Lean Six Sigma to help us Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.
Biggest Challenge
With a project of this scale and the shift in daily behaviors, our challenges began with changing the mindset and habits of the support team staff. To accomplish this task we deployed change management practices, specifically looking at the Kübler Ross Change Curve and where each staff member fell within the curve. The biggest hurdle was the bargaining and depression phases where most of the long-term support staff became stuck in their prior habits. To help move them along additional coaching with leadership and their peers was implemented. That said, not all of the support staff agreed with the direction we were going and decided to leave the role.
Outcomes
During the Control phase, we tracked various metrics for a year to validate the efficacy of the solution we deployed. Overall, the project was a significant success not only for the performance of the team but as a cultural shift in the support team towards a continuous improvement environment.
Initiative Lead: Austin Christian
Project Leads: Rock Sharma, Austin Christian
LSS Coach: Amanda Zimmerman
Project Members: Elliot Aughenbaugh, Linda Meiwes, Thomas Wells, Jeremy Cohen, Caleb Phillips