Guidelines for Service Improvement in an IT Consultancy Firm
Talabi, Juwon (2022)
Talabi, Juwon
2022
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022113025141
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022113025141
Tiivistelmä
This study was conducted to develop guidelines for service improvement in a small IT consultancy firm that was experiencing drastic decline in level of customer satisfaction with its services. Clear guidelines for service improvement were expected to help the case company in enhancing the quality of services deliver to its clients.
This study was conducted through applied action research which consist of a cycle of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The research design adopted in this study began with current state analysis, conceptual framework, proposal building, and ended with the validation of the proposal. During the current state analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted, with the case company’s service employees and clients, to find the root cause of the problem with the services.
The findings revealed inadequate guidelines for services development, lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities, and weak client’s engagement in the case company’s delivery process. Hence, existing knowledge and best practices on value creation, assigning role and responsibilities, service design, process design, process improvement and formalization were explored from literature in finding suitable tools for improving the service development and delivery process in the case company. Subsequently, workshop was held with the stakeholders in building the initial proposal for the improvement. Finally, the proposal was validated through testing and further improvement made.
This study proposes a four-part improvement guideline which consist of a process map, service design checklists for enhancing clients’ participation in the development process, RACI matrix for clarifying service personnel’s roles and responsibilities, and process formalization documents. The implementation of the proposed guidelines in the case company is expected to commence in first quarter of 2023.
This study was conducted through applied action research which consist of a cycle of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The research design adopted in this study began with current state analysis, conceptual framework, proposal building, and ended with the validation of the proposal. During the current state analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted, with the case company’s service employees and clients, to find the root cause of the problem with the services.
The findings revealed inadequate guidelines for services development, lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities, and weak client’s engagement in the case company’s delivery process. Hence, existing knowledge and best practices on value creation, assigning role and responsibilities, service design, process design, process improvement and formalization were explored from literature in finding suitable tools for improving the service development and delivery process in the case company. Subsequently, workshop was held with the stakeholders in building the initial proposal for the improvement. Finally, the proposal was validated through testing and further improvement made.
This study proposes a four-part improvement guideline which consist of a process map, service design checklists for enhancing clients’ participation in the development process, RACI matrix for clarifying service personnel’s roles and responsibilities, and process formalization documents. The implementation of the proposed guidelines in the case company is expected to commence in first quarter of 2023.