How PSA's Rapid QA Betters CSAT in Activity-Based Projects
There are two commonly held beliefs about quality. The first is that you need extra effort and cost to ensure quality. The second is that producing quality output takes longer.
In this edition of PSA Insights, I shall show that the above aren't inevitable. I am sure that after reading this piece, you will agree and see that the same principles apply to other projects too.
A real life example helps to understand how to improve customer satisfaction without sacrificing productivity.
A research unit (RU) of a large financial MNC operates as a GCC in India. The RU produces high quality research reports on the securities market for their customers who use them to make investment decisions. The RU employs a large number of research analysts who are subject matter experts. The research analysts are engaged in researching the securities and broader markets.
Naturally, a lot is at stake.
A research analyst (RA) updates his research output in a timesheet system. The RA produced 5 reports on Monday and 10 on Tuesday. The RA enters the start & end times for each report in the timesheet system.
How is quality ensured?
The RU either has a peer-review system in which a RA's work is assessed by another RA or the RU has a dedicated QA group whose members review RA's work against a checklist and give feedback.
Obviously, it is impossible to check 100s of reports. Therefore a sampling method is followed. The sample size may be 20% or 30%.
The traditional method
By the time the RA's reports are available to the QA team, samples are chosen, reviewed, and feedback is given, there is a considerable time lag. Days or weeks may elapse before the RA learns about the feedback. By this time, the RA may have forgotten about those specific reports. Therefore, the feedback is of little value for improving quality. Now, the feedback is merely a record of the past.
An important lesson
The important lesson here is that feedback about quality of work must be quick so that the receiver of feedback is able to understand it in its full context. Feedback is actionable.
Effects of delayed quality feedback in traditional methods
Since delayed quality feedback isn't easily actionable, it is often seen as a burden, or worse, as a mere assessment tool. Neither of these is desirable.
How Rapid QA in PSA provides actionable feedback.
An advanced PSA provides methods to integrate delivery and QA workflows.
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A) Set up
The RU sets up categories or complexities of research reports. Checklists and sample sizes are set up in the PSA for various categories.
B) Operations
Since PSA integrates all functions, the QA team or peer reviewers can see research reports on their dashboards as soon as the RAs enter them in the timesheet system. The reviewers select reports based on the applicable sample rules and use related checklists and update their findings. The findings are available to respective RA's immediately.
The benefits of PSA's Rapid QA
Since RA's get quick feedback about their recent output they can make necessary improvements. Knowing that the QA system is not merely an afterthought and it is their tool to improve their work motivates them .
As RA's improve their work using a short and quick QA feedback loop, their CSAT scores go up.?
The commonest cause of productivity loss is rework. Since RAs can process quality feedback when the subject is fresh in their minds, they avoid repeating their mistakes.
As the quality of RA's work goes up organically, their productivity also improves.
Conclusion
PSA's rapid QA shortens and quickens the feedback of activity projects. The rapid QA ensures that feedback is contextually relevant and actionable.
In a previous edition of PSA Insights, I discussed how an advanced PSA has in-built QA metrics and how the instantly visible metrics help in achieving delivery excellence.?
Activity-based projects are no exception. In fact, such short-cycle projects deserve a really fast QA system.
Kytes is the PSA that provides you an in-built rapid QA to help you achieve better CSAT scores.
Please contact us at [email protected] for more information and a demo.