At FukaFuka Building Materials Co., Ltd., the Sales Division primarily focuses on handling requests for building material quotations as part of its daily operations.
The sales team, consisting of 10 members, is tasked with promptly responding to quotation requests from a diverse range of clients, from major construction companies to local building contractors, on a daily basis.
*This process improvement story is a work of fiction. It has no connection to any real persons or organizations.
1. Issue: Workload concentrated on veteran employees
Estimation tasks are assigned on a rotating basis, but the difficulty level varies significantly depending on the request.
When product model numbers are provided, new employees can respond quickly as no special technical skills are required. Conversely, requests without product model numbers demand specialized proposals and a deep understanding of the products. These are difficult for new employees to handle, necessitating the assistance of experienced veteran employees.
Although these latter requests account for only about 30% of the total, they compel veteran employees to be involved in all quotation requests, even while managing their other responsibilities. This results in an excessive workload concentrating on veteran employees, making it difficult to respond swiftly to quotation requests.
2. Solution: Assigning Responsibilities Based on Request Content
To address this, the process owner redesigned the estimation task assignment, abolishing the current rotation system. Assignments are now automatically allocated based on whether a product model number is provided.
Specifically, the following rules are applied in response to customer requests:
- If a product model number is provided → Assigned to new employees.
- If no product model number is provided → Assigned to veteran employees.
This means new employees will handle all requests where a product model number is present, while veteran employees will only be responsible for requests without a product model number that require specialized proposals or deep product understanding.
Before
View details of the workflow diagram
0. In-person / Web Request
Quotation requests are submitted either in person or via the web.
1. Enter Quotation Price
A sales team member, assigned on a rotational basis, inputs the quotation price.
2. Quotation Approval
The Sales Manager reviews the quotation price and either approves it or sends it back for revision.
3. Quotation Submission Completion Report
Upon receiving quotation approval and submitting the quotation, a completion report is filed.
After
View details of the workflow diagram
0. In-person / Web Request
Quotation requests are submitted either in person or via the web.
1a. Enter Quotation Price (Product Model Number Provided)
A new sales team member inputs the quotation price.
1b. Enter Quotation Price (No Product Model Number Provided)
A veteran sales team member inputs the quotation price.
2. Quotation Approval
The Sales Manager reviews the quotation price and either approves it or sends it back for revision.
2X. Handle Rework
If a quotation is sent back in step 2, the individual who originally entered the quotation price in step 1 (1a or 1b) makes the necessary corrections.
3. Quotation Submission Completion Report
Upon receiving quotation approval and submitting the quotation, a completion report is filed.
3. Effects
Realization of quick response
The speed of response is improved by having new employees handle simple requests while veteran employees focus on more complex requests.
Reduction of burden on veteran employees
By dividing the workload appropriately, the excessive workload on veteran employees is reduced.
Improved efficiency of the entire team
Clarification of responsibilities improves the work efficiency of the entire team and increases productivity.
4. Application to other operations
This methodology clarifies work distribution and improves efficiency, and can be horizontally applied to the following industries and businesses.
- Customer support/call center
- IT support/help desk
- Manufacturing/quality control