by Brianna Crandall — June 30, 2014—Global facility services provider ISS has released a new white paper that offers guidance for outsourced services organizations as well as in-house service providers on differentiating/improving their service management practices and reputation to excel in today’s workplace culture.
According to ISS, if all companies effectively compete on service, the key differentiator then lies in the service management model and the ability to execute it. ISS’ newly published Service Management 3.0 – The Next Generation of Service white paper outlines how the traditional models and themes are no longer sufficient, and that future focus should be on the service delivery system and the power of the human touch.
Leadership and culture play a greater role in effective service organizations today than ever before, says ISS. By clearly stating the vision, mission and values of the organization, service employees have a common goal to steer towards. Value-based leadership is an effective way to make values and vision become meaningful and relevant when communicated and supported by first-line management and frontline employees.
The white paper by Peter Ankerstjerne (ISS) and Morten Kamp Andersen (proacteur) focuses on the importance of delivering excellent service, and how many companies struggle to deliver even just a basic service of a decent quality. The authors conclude that the companies who do deliver excellent service are superior in the areas of people, processes, leadership and culture.
Companies must be careful when designing their service delivery system, caution the authors. The report shows how a great service management model is built on a thorough understanding of what is creating value to the customer and how to engage frontline employees in the delivery process.
The four key elements in such a system are:
- Service Culture
- Employee Engagement
- Service Quality
- Customer Experience
These four areas contain a diverse and complex set of processes. It is a key message however, that none of the four focus areas are more important than the others, according to the report. In fact, a balanced approach proves to be the key to success.
Strong people processes should be at the core of any service organization, note the authors. The successful execution of the service delivery model requires the right people, with the right competencies, all motivated and engaged to work towards a unified set of goals. Getting engaged employees requires a focus on the right human resources (HR) processes. But it also requires that employees have a higher purpose in their work other than simply what is dictated by the job profile. Attitude, behavior, commitment and ultimately quality are outcomes of having sound and robust people practices, and leadership is the enabler, concludes the report.
