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Eliminate unclear instructions for seamless content creation

* This process improvement story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people, organizations, or events is purely coincidental.

1. Issue: Confused by Unclear Request Instructions

DonDon Web is a 50-person web production company. Our marketing department handles daily updates for web content including web pages, ad creatives, and promotional materials.

We frequently receive abstract or vague instructions from internal stakeholders for web update requests, such as “make the design better” or “make the text easier to understand” This often leaves editors struggling to correctly interpret the requests, causing significant delays in their work.

Under our current workflow, editors have no direct way to ask for clarification on unclear requests. They’re forced to proceed through trial and error, which often leads to unintended revisions and an overall drop in productivity.

2. Solution: Ensuring Clear Instructions by Returning Requests

The process owner has added a workflow that allows editors to send requests back for clarification. Specifically, if an editor finds unclear points or potential misunderstandings in a request, they can now return the request and ask for revisions.

This ensures editors receive proper instructions before proceeding with their work.

Before

View details of the workflow diagram

0. Request

The requester initiates the process by submitting an editing request.

1. Edit

The editor begins the editing work.

1a. Edit (Proactive)

The editor initiates editing work independently.

1b. Edit (Request-Driven)

The editor performs editing work based on a request from the requester.

2. Review

The reviewer checks the content created by the editor for any issues. If corrections are needed, they request re-editing from the editor.

1x. Re-edit

The editor makes further edits based on feedback received from the reviewer.

After

View details of the workflow diagram

0. Request

The requester initiates the process by submitting an editing request.

0x. Re-request

The requester addresses the feedback from a returned request.

1. Edit

The editor begins the editing work.

1a. Edit (Proactive)

The editor initiates editing work independently.

1b. Edit (Request-Driven)

The editor performs editing work based on a request from the requester.

2. Review

The reviewer checks the content created by the editor for any issues. If corrections are needed, they request re-editing from the editor.

1x. Re-edit

The editor makes further edits based on feedback received from the reviewer.

Discard Case

The process ends if re-requesting the work is no longer necessary.

3. Benefits

Streamlining Operations

Ambiguous requests can be corrected in advance, reducing confusion and miscommunication among editors.

Clearer intentions reduce the need to redo work, enabling more efficient updates.

Improving Work Efficiency

Editors can start tasks with proper instructions, reducing the amount of trial and error spent on the job.

Fewer request revisions mean editors have more time to focus on their core tasks.

Strengthening Team Collaboration

Fewer misunderstandings in instructions lead to higher quality content creation.

* This process improvement story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people, organizations, or events is purely coincidental.

4. Other Business Applications

Design Revisions

If feedback from a client is ambiguous, designers can now directly request clarification. This enables smoother revision processes while preventing misinterpretations.

System Development

When task specifications are unclear, developers can utilize the return function to clarify requirements. This ultimately reduces the need to rework during development and leads to smoother project progress.

1. Issue: Staff knowledge is not being accumulated.

SakuSaku Mail is a BPO company that responds quickly to email inquiries on behalf of client companies.

The current inquiry handling process restricts input to assigned representatives and supervisors, limiting knowledge sharing from similar cases and insights from other departments. This lack of broader staff involvement results in delayed decision-making for complex issues and reduced response efficiency.

2. Solution: Share inquiry content in the internal chat

The Process-owner decided to incorporate the ability to post to the internal chat tool “Collab Chat” into the current process.

Specifically, a step will be added to the workflow that will automatically post the content of the email inquiry, its urgency, a brief summary, and a draft response to the company-wide chat.

Knowledgeable staff members can offer advice through chat comments, making it easier for inquiry representatives to gain new perspectives and receive advice based on past experiences from other staff members.

Before :

View Details

• Process starts upon email arrival
• 50-character summary by AI agent
  • Email content is summarized
• Urgency assessment by AI agent
• Draft reply by AI agent
• Branching
  • If urgency is level A, a notification email is sent to the Supervisor
• 1.Create reply message
  • Send reply email
  • Request review from Supervisor (SV)
• Draft reply by AI agent
• Send email

After :

View Details

• Process starts upon email arrival
• 50-character summary by AI agent
  • Email content is summarized
• Urgency assessment by AI agent
• Draft reply by AI agent
• Post to CollabChat
• Branching
  • If urgency is level A, a notification email is sent to the Supervisor
• 1.Create reply message
  • Send reply email
  • Request review from Supervisor (SV)
• Draft reply by AI agent
• Send email

Compare Before/After

3. Effects

1. Consolidation of collective knowledge via chat
   • Sharing information throughout the company has made it easier to gather knowledge from diverse perspectives.
2. Promoting communication among staff
   • This led to more active exchange of opinions and advice among staff members, which in turn led to more active daily communication.
3. Improved speed and quality of response
   • Complex inquiries can now be handled quickly and appropriately, improving client satisfaction.

4. Operations that can be expanded laterally

1. Handling inquiries from other channels
   • This approach can be applied to handling inquiries through multiple channels, such as phone, chatbots, and social media, enabling fast responses based on collective knowledge.
2. Internal FAQ and knowledge management
   • By accumulating the knowledge gathered among staff members and utilizing it in creating FAQs and manuals, we can promote standardization and efficiency in responding to inquiries.
3. Complaint and trouble handling
   • Even in cases where complaints or disputes are complex and difficult to judge, this system can be used to consolidate diverse opinions and past cases and make quick and appropriate decisions.

1. Issue: Delays in response due to inquiry confirmation work

SakuSaku Mail is a BPO company that provides initial responses to email inquiries received by client companies. With approximately 30 staff members, they handle a huge number of emails every day.

Prioritizing urgent inquiries is crucial, but currently, determining email urgency requires opening and manually checking each one. This time-consuming process delays responses to critical cases because selecting which emails to address first is inefficient.

2. Solution: AI-generated summaries in the subject line

A generative AI tool was implemented by the Process-owner to automatically summarize customer inquiries and use these summaries as the case names.

Upon receiving an email, AI generates a concise summary (under 50 characters), which is then automatically used as the case name.

Before

View Workflow Diagram Details

Inquiry Reception

When an inquiry email is received from a client company, the process begins.

1. Create Response

Staff create a reply to the inquiry email.

Send Response

A reply email is sent to the client company.

After

View Workflow Diagram Details

Inquiry Reception

When an inquiry email is received from a client company, the process begins.

50-Character Summary

Using generative AI, the content of the inquiry email is summarized into 50 characters.

Subject Line Update

The summary of the inquiry email is set as the task title.

1. Create Response

Staff create a reply to the inquiry email.

Send Response

A reply email is sent to the client company.

3. Effects

Reduces the time required to confirm inquiry details

AI summarization significantly reduces the effort and time required to review content.

Accelerates emergency response

The summary display makes it easier to determine and respond to high-priority issues.

Reduces the burden on staff

By reducing the workload of checking inquiry details, the work load will be lightened.

4. Other business applications

Summary of internal reports and minutes

Quickly understand the main points of long reports and meeting minutes by summarizing them.

Organizing chats and messages

Summarize your daily chats and messages and share important information concisely.

Summarize customer interaction history

You can summarize past interactions briefly and smoothly transfer the content the next time you respond.

*This process improvement story is fictional. It is not related to any real individuals or organizations.

1. Issue: Reduced Business Speed Due to Uniform Approval Process

2. Solution: Splitting Approval Processes Based on Presence of a Model Number

Before

View details of the workflow diagram

0. Quotation Request Received (In-person / Web)

Quotation requests are received either in-person or via the web.

1a. Enter Quotation Price (with Product Model Number)

A sales team member (junior employee) enters the quotation price.

1b. Enter Quotation Price (without Product Model Number)

A sales team member (senior employee) enters the quotation price.

2. Quotation Approval

The Sales Manager reviews the quotation price and either approves or sends it back for revision.

2X. Revision Handling

If the quotation is sent back in step 2, the employee who initially entered the quotation price in step 1 makes the necessary revisions.

3. Quotation Submission Completion Report

Once the quotation is approved and submitted, a completion report is filed.

After

View details of the workflow diagram

0. Quotation Request Received (In-person / Web)

Quotation requests are received either in-person or via the web.

1a. Enter Quotation Price (with Product Model Number)

A sales team member (junior employee) enters the quotation price.

2a. Quotation Approval (with Product Model Number)

The Sales Manager reviews the quotation price for requests with product model numbers and either approves it or sends it back for revision.

2Xa. Revision Handling (with Product Model Number)

If the quotation is sent back in step 2a, the employee who initially entered the quotation price in step 1a makes the necessary revisions.

3a. Quotation Submission Completion Report (with Product Model Number)

Once the quotation is approved and submitted, a completion report is filed.

1b. Enter Quotation Price (without Product Model Number)

A senior sales team member enters the quotation price.

2b. Quotation Approval (without Product Model Number)

The Sales Manager reviews and either approves or sends back the quotation.

2Xb. Revision Handling (without Product Model Number)

If sent back, the person who entered the price in 1b makes revisions.

3b. Quotation Submission Completion Report (without Product Model Number)

After approval and submission, a completion report is filed.

3. Benefits

4. Other Business Applications

• Streamlining Customer Inquiry Handling
  • By categorizing inquiries into those requiring standard responses and those needing specialized judgment, and then assigning different personnel to each, you can achieve both rapid answers and appropriate resolutions.
• Automating and Dividing Order Processing
  • Separating the process for routine orders from those requiring special consideration allows for increased order processing speed while simultaneously preventing errors.

Don’t Let Notifications Get Lost! Ensure Critical Information is Delivered with Notification Prefixes in Email Subject Lines.

*This process improvement story is fictional and not related to any real individuals or organizations.

1. Issue: Overlooking Rejected Quotes

2. Solution: Enhance Identification by Adding Notification Prefixes to Subject Lines

The process owner implemented a system that automatically adds a “[Rejected]” prefix to the subject line of rejection notification emails. This allows recipients to immediately determine the outcome simply by viewing the email’s subject line, effectively preventing the misidentification of approved versus rejected statuses.

Before

View details of the workflow diagram

1. Quotation Creation

The responsible staff member manually inputs the quotation details.

x1. Quotation Revision

The quotation content is revised and resubmitted. If the quotation is to be discarded, “[Failed]” is automatically prefixed to its status, and the process ends.

2. Manager Review

The manager reviews the quotation content and returns it for correction if there are any deficiencies.

3. Officer Approval

The Officer in charge approves or rejects high-value quotations. The result is then communicated via email.

Approval Notification

An email is sent to notify that the quotation has been approved.

Rejection Notification

An email is sent to notify that the quotation has been rejected.

After

View details of the workflow diagram

1. Quotation Creation

The responsible staff member manually inputs the quotation details.

x1. Quotation Revision

The quotation content is revised and resubmitted. If the quotation is to be discarded, “[Failed]” is automatically prefixed to its status, and the process ends.

2. Manager Review

The manager reviews the quotation content and returns it for correction if there are any deficiencies.

3. Officer Approval

The Officer in charge approves or rejects high-value quotations. The result is then communicated via email.

Approval Notification

An email is sent to notify that the quotation has been approved.

Rejection Notification

An email is sent to notify that the quotation has been rejected. This email’s subject line will automatically include “[Rejected]”.

3. Benefits

*This process improvement story is fictional and not related to any real individuals or organizations.

4. Other Business Applications

Application and Approval Workflows

Prevent delays caused by misinterpretation by adding prefixes to approval and rejection notifications for expense reports and leave requests.

Customer Support

Avoid overlooked or missed responses by adding prefixes to email subject lines indicating the status of support tickets.

Project Progress Management

Prevent oversight of project progress by automatically adding prefixes to notification subject lines for task completion or deferrals.