UK Power Networks
Case Study
Central to our approach is understanding who is having the problem and how they will benefit from the solution.
Who is having the Problem?
Customer Services Leads Internal Maintenance Inspectors
What do we assume about them?
Focused on benefits to their end users (whether internal/external) Not process focused thinkers (operational - not true in all cases)
Who will benefit from the solution?
It will make their lives easier (shorter process times/less manual effort), but moreover will allow them to provide a better level of service to customers (faster, more tailored) & will ensure clear audit for decisions that have been made
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Before rushing to find a solution, pause and reflect on how much you really know about the problem.
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Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.”
What is the problem about?
Reducing manual effort in power tool testing
Is there an actual/real problem?
Yes - several key staff members are lynchpins to this process, it takes roughly two weeks to complete every 3-6 months & transparency into the process is difficult to ascertain
Understanding where and when the problem occurs can give us insights into the causes and triggers.
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Find proof to test how real this problem is.
Where does it occur? What is the context?
Issues occur during the testing events (multitude of offline paperwork) & subsequently (uploading information to SAP). There is also an extension to this process regarding 3rd party suppliers which adds further complication
What is the proof of the problem happening in a certain context or space?
Feedback from engineers who are impacted, but primarily from inspectors/maintenance teams
Having gathered your insights together, test with the problem owner how important this problem is. Where does it sit in their priorities? Is it really worth solving?
Why is it worth solving? Why care about it?
Primarily for them, due to the effort they spend thinking about, preparing for, executing and following up subsequent to the testing events
What pain point would a solution help get rid of?
Primarily the post-test processing, a solution will remove the need for a user to actually know and enter SAP
What is the most important value for the user?
Time & organisation regained by system assistance
Why is it worth our client's investment? How does it meet their business goals/KPIs?
The process isn't going away, if anything will become more complex over time. Removing humans from the process and ensuring the process can run with new people if necessary is paramount to the business