Process improvement to reduce customer complaints
The following outlines a change management case study from Northern Air Cargo (NAC) and their work with Professional Growth Systems focusing on their receiving system.
Situation
Northern Air Cargo is an air freight company based in Anchorage, Alaska. The company was concerned about losing business because it was receiving complaints from customers -- especially its largest and best -- that the receiving process took too long.
Critical issue
The freight receiving process was taking as much as 30 minutes for truck drivers and others to get their cargo unloaded and checked in at NAC, whereas competitors were completing the same process in much less time with little customer hassle.
Needs
Northern Air Cargo needed:
- An evaluation of its current freight check-in process
- An optimal process defined
- A plan for implementing it
PGS provided
PGS worked with team members from all phases of the receiving process. The current process was completely analyzed, customer feedback gathered and out-points in the current system identified. The team brainstormed a range of solutions and ideas, before designing a full spectrum solution for improving the freight delivery process. The solution integrates and supports all organization points of view, from front line to executive management. A critical piece of the whole change management project was the implementation plan, which facilitated putting the new process in place with little disruption to customers and wide acceptance and participation of staff.
“Instead of PGS coming in and saying, ‘Here are the industry best practices; this is what we’ve done in the past and this is what works,’ PGS came in and got the employees involved. They managed to convince the staff that they can actually make the process improvement. Once you get the employees buyoff, it’s much easier. For, if they’re not convinced it will work, it won’t work.”
— Dave Squier
Vice President, Cargo Services
Northern Air Cargo
Results
The average time for processing cargo is now about 10 minutes (down from as much as 30 minutes) and there are no more complaints from customers.
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