Case Studies

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Cisco Systems centralisation of European call centres

The problem

Cisco System’s European incoming calls were received through individual receptionists in 30 countries. There was no database, or connection between the offices, this meant that if somebody called into Amsterdam and wanted to speak to the reception in London, the receptionist was unable to transfer the call or even supply the correct phone number.

The solution

Cisco wanted to:

Streamline their processes in order that all front line calls were answered in the same manner
Implement a knowledge database for the call centre to be able to look up information
A way of gathering new or missing information and update central database
Improve cost margins by leveraging resources for holiday and lunch coverage
Finding a lower cost and lower risk resource location in Europe

We helped by

Managing the end-to-end supplier selection process over two months with a structured process
Creating and managing a global project plan meeting all key deadlines, with stakeholder buy in
Building stakeholder team and communication plan, including managing political situations as they arose
Assisting in final negotiations with new supplier
Project managing the move from local offices to new location
Working with human resources to reduce the impact to existing teams
Implementation with new supplier including, setting up clear roles and responsibilities, key performance indicators (KPI’s) and quarterly management reporting

The key to our success

Getting buy in from key stakeholders by using a structured supplier selection process, and involving them in the vision and selection process.

The result

With our help, Cisco Europe had a fully operational centralised call centre in Belfast within just seven months.

Cisco Systems scalability of accounts receivable management

The problem

Cisco's revenues were growing exponentially, $4 billion to $40 billion within 15 years.

They needed to

Ensure the ongoing management of accounts receivable, which had doubled in size
Maintain aggressive collection targets and improve days it took to get paid
Control costs as revenue increased
Ensure that the right skills were in place to keep pace with the additional complexity and responsibility
Ensure that the tools and processes to manage lower dollar accounts receivable were scalable

The solution

To outsource the lower dollar accounts and focus on a fast track development program for the existing team.

We helped by

Selecting a well-know and experienced outsource company within Holland as a stepping stone to moving to a lower cost location
Creating a new scalable organization
Outlining the skills needed for the future success of the team
Identifying how to build those skills, including:
delivering training courses
encouraging learning from others in the team
facilitating on-the-job exposure and 1:1 coaching

The result

Managed shareholder cash flow expectations from operations, share price rose from $7 to $100
Met aggressive collection targets and stretch targets 30 months consecutively
Best in class days to get paid of 32 days globally
Reduced days to get paid by 12 days on sales of $6 billion - Cisco's cash flow increased quarterly by $4 billion
Highly motivated team, 80% made it to the next grade level, zero attrition
Scalable processes left in place for future growth

The key to our success

We developed a unique visual tracking system to monitor the skill level of the individual and linked to a easy to follow development programme. Their development was reviewed in regular 1:1 sessions. This allowed their progress to be easily discussed and closely linked into the performance review and promotion cycle.

In such a fast moving environment, it is essential for Cisco to develop the skills of their team. This project became highly motivational as the team now had clear goals, they were learning new skills and their input was acknowledged and rewarded.