Process Transformation for Fiber Expansion

Case: Integrating processes between suppliers and sub-contractors

The Client:

Optic-Fiber Supplier

A Swedish telco company with a yearly turnover of tens of billion Swedish SEK.

The Challenge:

Bringing All Parties Together

The company had big issues with customer satisfaction when expanding their fiber access to residential areas. Additionally, there were plans to multiply the delivery rate in order to gain strategic market shares, but they lacked the means to do it.

At the time, the delivery precision was barely at 15 %, i.e. the company was not able to deliver on time. Meanwhile, parts of the delivery flow – consisting of 1,500 people at 10 different sub-contractors – did not get along. The communication between the companies was lacking and deviation handling was non-existent. The situation was pressed, not only for the management, but for all involved staff and sub-contractors.

The Success:

Improved Delivery Capacity and Employee Satisfaction

  • The company was able to deliver at a 36 times higher delivery rate, with substantially improved customer satisfaction. The work was nominated, and went as far as to the finals, for the Svenska Leanpriset 2014 (Swedish Lean Awards).
  • A strong feeling of affinity was developed throughout the whole flow, with involvement and an open atmosphere that welcomed bringing up deviations immediately.
  • Real time deviation handling, all the way from the 100 teams to the top management. This helped achieve set goals through correctly allocating resources from the right organizational level to the adequate place in a swift manner.
  • A changed leadership between both within parts of, as well as between the parts of the organization, and a drive and ability to continue the improvement work.

How we did it

SAM was assigned to the project, having already improved another flow within the organization with great results. Customer insight analysis was combined with a substantial investigation of work performances, cultural analysis and flow mapping. Together this data was transformed to an extensive visual flow description. During three months, SAM supported problem solving routines in the process together with the client staff. Conclusions were drawn in terms of how the flow and other methods should work and how a daily structure for deviation handling should be realized.

By making a tailor-made Principlay® simulation of the flow, leaders and key persons were involved in order to achieve a shared understanding and a common view of the delivery process’ problems and solutions. Parallel to this, questions regarding varying expectations within the organization was handled and a common, cross-functional mind-set was put in place, using principles at its core.

All employees were trained systematically in both mind-set and methods, all with the aid of leaders and key persons. The overall installation flow was monitored by an improvement group on management level that included the sub-contractors. Management was given insights to the current performance through a special team called the Customer Viewpoint Improvement Group where issues were discussed and knowledge deepened.