Companies that have adopted a Six Sigma approach to management understand the importance of understanding how internal process and operational performance influences customer, financial, and other key organizational results.

Burke’s tools and techniques for linking customer and process/operational data fall into two categories:

• Tools of alignment
• Tools for action planning and implementation

An analysis performed for the after-market support division of a high tech client organization, illustrated in the exhibit below, shows the relationship between an internal measure of “time to deliver replacement parts” and customer satisfaction with “total time to resolve system problem.” This analysis illustrates how understanding the impact of operational performance on customer satisfaction furnishes the basis for alignment of internal and customer metrics, and ultimately, improved management of key “upstream” activities.

To achieve a reasonable ROI from any customer loyalty program it is not enough to just listen to customers and analyze the data. It is equally important to define action paths and implement change as well. Over the past several years our clients have consistently mentioned these steps as the most challenging – clearly, measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty is significantly easier than managing it.

In response to this need Burke has developed TRACTION™ as part of our approach to customer loyalty management. This service allows our clients to make clear progress toward customer-centered change, and ensures that action is taken to raise customer loyalty and, consequently, profitability. The TRACTION protocol is successful because it brings together two essential competencies:

Knowledge of the Business – Employees at many levels will play key roles in uncovering problems and developing solutions.

Expertise in Customer-Focused Change – Burke brings decades of experience in helping some of the top companies in the world take action on the basis of customer and market data.

This collaborative approach ensures buy-in throughout the organization and establishes a structure around which customer focus can become a stronger part of the organizational culture. The TRACTION process usually takes 4-6 weeks and includes the following components:

Assess Readiness – Burke conducts in-depth interviews and focus groups with employees to identify obstacles to “change,” develop additional context around critical customer issues and capture first-pass improvement recommendations.

Create Focus – Burke takes steps to ensure acceptance and understanding of the research tools and initial results. All materials are packaged and presented in a manner that appeals to senior managers and that non-researchers can easily interpret and use.

Plan for Action – Burke works closely with a cross-functional steering committee to link critical issues from the “voice of the customer” back to specific processes and activities. We help you create internal Action Teams who map processes, identify root causes of problems, and develop recommendations. Burke facilitates each step of the action planning phase with a variety of tools that have a proven track record of success with other clients. This enables managers to develop specific, tactical improvement plans to address the issues that are most critical to your customers.