Wholesale’s Customer and Business Solutions team supports our customers in achieving excellent automation rates. Program Quality Specialist Sue McDonnell tells us how the team’s quality management systems and processes have helped achieve these improvements for our customers.
“Automation levels for Wholesale customers have increased from just over 70 per cent in November 2006 to around 87 per cent in October 2009,” explains Sue.
“Early on, we recognised that to deliver a consistent and high-quality customer experience – including increasing automation rates - we needed to invest in robust quality management systems and processes.
“Three years ago, we developed a quality management system that complies with the guidelines of the AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008 standard, an internationally recognised body.”
Quality management
As Sue explains, Wholesale’s quality management system comprises a number of elements, including internal audits of every process twice a year, ongoing risk monitoring and mitigation, and annual external, independent audits.
“We also set ourselves strict metrics so we can measure how well we are performing,” she says.
“For example, all emails sent to the Online Support team must be answered within two hours, and we aim to achieve total compliance with data security system access requirements.
“Also, each month we utilise quality certified processes and practices to support and manage customer-specific automation activity so we can assist customers and our own staff in achieving the full efficiencies of our online applications.”
The proof
Since the inception of its quality management system, Wholesale has introduced more than 150 new processes to standardise the delivery of its products and services.
“Of the more than 360 internal audits conducted on these processes over the past three years, 96 per cent of the processes audited have complied with the ISO standard requirements,” says Sue.
“The development of our quality management system has also contributed to the outstanding automation results our Telstra Wholesale customers achieve.
“For example, the 16 per cent increase we have achieved between November 2006 and October 2009 represents an average of around 23,500 additional automated requests each month.
“Also, we have developed our data security functions into a suite of processes which have achieved 100 per cent compliance in both the internal and external audits.”
The team
The team brings extensive experience and a range of skills to their roles, including customer service, billing, IT, training and team management.
All members of the team have completed training in internal auditing, completing the VBM535 Management Systems Auditing course which is part of the Certificate IV in Quality Management and Assurance.
More information
Visit our website at: http://telstrawholesale.com/operationalsupport/index.htm or email: lolo.custservice@telstrawholesale.com or Customer.Engagement@teamtelstra.com
