Otis Line Case

Which aspects of the OTIS organization would be affected by OTISLINE, if implemented?

The OTISLINE system improved the quality of service and affected almost all of NAO’s business functions including Information Services, customer service, service mechanic dispatching & control and service marketing & engineering.

Information Services

• SMS: The service management system included all maintenance activity and this data improved certain other applications like service price estimations etc.
• Sub second response: This reduced the time taken to handle customer service requests.

Customer Service

• Dispatcher’s Efficiency – Dispatchers were trained to handle customer calls in an efficient and effective manner maintaining courteousness and sensitivity. Measurement of time duration of calls and dispatchers’ performance helped the management determine whether to employ additional staff in order to maintain a high level of responsiveness.
• Situation specific escalations: Information on callback reports would be readily available to management which can be used to escalate to proper hierarchy levels.

Dispatching and Control of Service Mechanics

Performance measurement improved: As the numbers of callback reports were filed consistently by service mechanics, this criterion became unbiased across field offices.

With OTISLINE, the quality and timeliness of information available to district, region and NAO management increased significantly. All customers called OTISLINE and all data was stored in a central computer obviating the need for manual storage of files.

Marketing

• New Equipment Sales – OTISLINE was used by ‘New Equipment Sales’ representatives for negotiation, estimation and disposition of elevator sales prospects.
• Service – OTISLINE addressed the following elements of Services provided

• Responsiveness: This gave a strategic advantage to OTIS as it can now guarantee, the ‘service time’ involved, to customers which requires immediate attention like hospitals etc. by providing a designated line which will be handled by the dispatcher immediately.
• Increased Reliability for current and future elevators: Data used to find trend in recurring problems for resource allocation and identify trends.
• Quick Recognition of Affected building: Dispatcher fills in the detail of building which would be useful in recognizing the building, in subsequent calls for maintenance.
• Innovation – NAO was the first to offer a professionally staffed customer service centre
• Improved communication: It contributed towards improved communication between customer and manufacturer. Also the sales and services could submit the report to management more effectively
• Teamwork and Customer Satisfaction levels both improved courtesy OTISLINE implementation.

Some of the organizational level changes due to implementation of OTISLINE are:

• Centralization of the organization
• Functionality of jobs changed; 4-6 weeks of training was given to new employees to enhance efficiency and effectiveness
• Migration to computer platforms; also redundancy of certain service personnel
• ‘Tracking callback’ included in OTISLINE for Field office managers.
• Teamwork: Dispatcher was an important part of team and its success.