How can you foster collaboration across service operations functions?

Apply the funnel model of final out come. I am a depot sales manager in charge of the entire chain of the activities that aims to deliver depot profitability at customer door. Here there is sales team supply chain depot operations. We all have to achieve one key objective, Profitability after delivery of customer order. To achieve this 1. The sales team has to ensure we have revenue and customers consistently placing their orders and cross selling and upselling 2. The team at the depot is incharge of Inbound of goods and in good condition to ensure minimal loss through damages or theft. 3.the delivery team and the customer service team ensures that deliveries are done in full and on time and that after sales services are rendered.

More often than not, the people who do the heavy lifting do not understand the vision of the organization and how their work influences the realisation of that vision. What is important is for leaders in the organisation to constantly share that vision, communicate it in a language that the people will understand, and demonstrate how the work the people do in the organisation contributes to achieving that vision.

A shared CX vision is certainly the place to start. Translating that vision into action, however, is where a number of organisations stumble. There are some steps that need to take place before one establishes KPIs and scorecards. Step 1: Unpack the vision into clear CX objectives or desired outcomes expressed as outcomes the customer should be experiencing. Step 2: Identify what business practices (processes, policies, systems, measures etc) need to be in place to achieve each CX objective/outcome. Step 3: Managers of each operational area and support function then evaluate the extent to which they have the relevant business practices in place (there are brilliant management tools that facilitate this and track progress). More below.

To foster collaboration across service operations, start with clear shared goals. Promote open communication and implement cross-training to build empathy and a unified team. Utilize technology to ease collaboration and ensure leaders prioritize unity and teamwork. Celebrating joint achievements motivates continued collaborative efforts, leading to increased efficiency and innovation.

Realmente lograr una visión común entre todos los procesos requiere en primera instancia un verdadero enfoque en el liderazgo. El líder debe lograr que las miradas desde cada uno de los procesos estén siempre dirigidas hacia el objetivo central "lograr la satisfacción del cliente" la visión común debe prevalecer entre todos los colaboradores los cuales mediante cada una de sus acciones propician el logro de ese objetivo. Una de la vías puede verse en los briefing donde el debe partir de la satisfacción de los servicios, dónde se ganó y que falló. Cada colaborador debe proporcionar su propia visión y solución e involucrar a los demás. El líder debe siempre hacer ver qué este es el proceso fundamental.

Be careful with this cliche. Silos are not a bad thing, they are where knowledge accumulates. Rather than break down the silos improve the communication across silos so work has less friction moving upstream and downstream.

As long as the silos connect to a shared vision or mission, than the silos are not silos at all but the pillars which support the overall success of an organization. While it’s always beneficial to make sure that departments communicate to each about decisions, ideas, or goals that may impact one another, ultimately I believe that the silo is removed when each service line or department are aligned around a central mission.

It is the silos thinking that requires a significant change. Physically and conceptually, these silos can exist but they must never stand in the way of collaboration and delivery of service. What prevents them from creating a better experience for customers is people failing to appreciate the power in collaboration and understanding the value it unleashes for the customers and the entity.

In many organizations, departments often operate in isolation, with limited communication and cooperation between them. Breaking down these silos is not necessary but it's crucial that these don't stand in the way of fostering collaboration and ensuring that service operations function work together effectively to enhance customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Trust is a complex phenomenon. Simply put it can be boiled down to two crucial pillars in business: Competence and Character. What character is exhibited by the people in that other division? And are they competent? Character: we need assurance of their integrity (more than honesty) and their good intentions concerning us. Competence: we need to see they have the relevant skills, knowledge, tools and capabilities to fulfil their function well. Results are crucial. Does their track record support our trust that we will get that which is promised? Team building, rewards, 360 reviews etc are good but above all, to build trust, ensure strong emphasis on building character and competence. See Stephen MR Covey's work on trust for more.

I think the key is creating opportunities for informal sharing and relationship building across functions in addition to structured coordination. This leads to synergies and innovation.

Effective measurement and timely celebration of desired outcomes cannot be over-emphasised. Measurement is more effective when it is clearly linked to the CX vision and CX objectives/outcomes under that vision (as I stated earlier). Each CX objective should have a number of metrics or indicators that will be different depending on the operational area. e.g. Marketing's measure of quality will be different to that of the Call Centre and that of the Admin team. Each team celebrates one another's successes. Every month, Execs see an overall score for CX and for each CX objective across all divisions and overall for the company. There are great tools for this. The CX culture rises and falls on how Execs respond to these scores.

I mentioned three steps required after setting the CX vision. There's a fourth step that ties it together and speaks to the issue of measurement noted above. Step 4: Each operational area is likely to find some gaps in their business practices where they could be better or do more to ensure their contribution to the CX objectives. Set deadlines and responsible parties to close the gaps and provide evidence of closure. A good tool will monitor these and remind relevant people accordingly. If a company uses a management tool to track and monitor all four steps on an ongoing basis, progress becomes transparent. Ultimately, executive reports show how well each division and the whole company is delivering on their CX objectives and vision.

In my experience, fostering collaboration across service operations functions is crucial for a seamless customer experience. AI and insights from LinkedIn help identify common goals, break down silos, and promote cross-functional teamwork. Encouraging a culture of collaboration and setting shared KPIs can lead to a more efficient and customer-focused operation.