Management Consulting in Practice: Award-Winning International Case Studies by Fiona Czerniawska & Paul May & Management Consultancies Association

Author:Fiona Czerniawska & Paul May & Management Consultancies Association [Czerniawska, Fiona & May, Paul & Association, Management Consultancies]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Business consultants, Consulting, Case studies, Management, Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780749442811
Publisher: Kogan Page Publishers
Published: 2004-11-01T07:00:00+00:00

training 70 Sun Global ResolutionSM (SGR) leaders - high-calibre

Sun engineers trained to train their fellow engineers;

training 2,400 backline and country engineers;

facilitating the SGR troubleshooting method on serious customer problems;

launching new procedures for customer problem management;

managing implementation of the SGR troubleshooting method in more than 30 countries.

Visible value

From the start of the project, newly trained engineers solved numerous outstanding customer problems. SGR troubleshooting process leaders also helped to resolve serious customer issues, with considerable success. Peter Brentnall, for example, had only just emerged from his process leader training when he was asked to help a major customer who was very unhappy with a persistent system problem. The problem was one of the most complex and demanding problems Sun had ever seen, but Brentnall guided the support team to resolution so successfully that the customer has become a willing reference for Sun's support services.

Engineers were now solving problems more effectively and cleanly. When action was needed, it was happening sooner, and more incisively. Fewer engineers were getting stuck on problems, and major incidents were being managed more smoothly.

John Ryan, Sun's director responsible for the backline in EMEA and Asia Pacific regions, also trained as an SGR programme leader to coach and facilitate his colleagues. He says:

The amazing part of this project has been the ‘fringe benefits'. The SGR troubleshooting process now forms the basis of our technical problem resolution process, but the spin-offs have been considerable. Customers are delighted when we do on-site SGR process facilitations because we show rational process and help them participate in finding root cause to their own problems. Engineers communicate better using the structures embedded in the process. There is less conflict in the system because everyone knows what is needed. Managers are using techniques such as decision analysis to make better choices. Everything considered, the SGR troubleshooting process is tremendous value for money and we are well on the way to rational thinking becoming part of our corporate DNA.