| case studies

CASE 1 | MAXIMIZING RETURNS THROUGH RELIABLE DATA AND SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION

Company Profile | The client has a retail network of 300+ stores across China, with a sales force of 1,300 people

Situation | The client needed to provide employees with a data and system management program that produced accurate and reliable information to employees. The system would enable them to create better communication and decision making. They also needed a system that provided different levels of access to reports from various sources from different environments and technologies, depending on the employee’s role in the organization. Employees were drowning in unverified data. They would request or create additional reports to meet their needs. This caused more organizational challenges and confusion because team members often attended meetings with unverified and inconsistent data.

Approach | We determined that the client needed a data governance solution that enabled employees to quickly locate, update and understand available data. This helped the team to make smart decisions about how data can and should be used to generate and sustain leads. Our goals included bringing transparency to the team, presenting actionable information to help corporate executives, business managers, and other end users make more informed business decisions.

  • Assessment of: data qualities, data classification assessment, data model with flowchart and performance of existing ERP/CRM systems
  • Kept the ERP in place, hired an IT system Director to tailor-manage changes on data classifications and system architecture
  • Initiated data scrubbing and de-duplicating
  • Implemented a sound data governance program, data compliance, data management
  • Collection of BI needs from each department
  • Tailored BI dashboard with automated monitoring and alerting
  • Built a training program, teaching  end users how to generate reports, analyze data and communicate their analysis with their peers

Results | With improved data quality and access to reliable data, team members had a better grasp of their business. We created trust in the data. We shortened the time it took to gather information for reports and meetings. Communication between departments improved tremendously. Sharing accurate and verified information reduced conflicts. It created a collaborative spirit among the management and their teams. Employees also felt empowered to build solutions and make better business decisions. Through optimizing system and data processing, the client can now prepare better business solutions for their clientele. The process enabled them to prepare sound, reliable budgets as well as monitor sales and markdowns. This change created a direct positive impact on the company’s end inventory level and bottom line results. Accurate data also helped them strategize better and get more leads.

CASE 2 | BETTER TEAM MANAGEMENT THROUGH INCREASED STAFF RETENTION AND ENGAGEMENT

Company Profile | The client has a retail network of 300+ stores across China, with a sales force of 1,300 people

Situation | The organization was going through drastic restructuring. Middle management was unequipped to manage the sale team. The HR team was not taking advantage of available technology solutions to reach recruitment goals.  This resulted in  massive turnover  – over 30%.

Approach | Our objective was to quickly engage the sales team and stop the bleeding. Simultaneously, we created and implemented solutions to recruit a large number of salespeople across the country. Back in 2013, we knew the power of WeChat as a social platform*.  While WeChat Enterprise was not yet created yet (launched in 1Q 2016), we decided to make the best use of WeChat platform capabilities.

  • Set-up of the media communication with 6 WeChat groups of 50 store managers
  • Creation of the role of Internal Communication Coordinator to ensure regular, timely and relevant flow of information throughout the organization
  • Designed training content, employee induction, and sales techniques
  • Launched e-learning using WeChat as a platform
  • Set-up of a digital platform for recruitment using QR codes in stores. Potential candidates register their cv and answer profiling questions via their phone, information is downloaded into the client database.

Results | The integration of ICT allows team and organization to interact in the digital world. In the case of our client’s organization, it created bridges between people. Employees started tapping into their networks and helped connect and attract the right talent for the positions. It also created higher engagement rates among employees and the turnover rate went down from 30% to 20% within 3 months. The recruitment process lead-time went from 2 weeks to 4 days. User satisfaction also rose from 62% to 71% over a 9 months period.

* Date of release 2011, in 2013 monthly Active users was 271 M, 2017 MAU is 900 M
CASE 3 | HOW DESIGNING STANDARDIZED OPERATING PROCEDURES CAN INCREASE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Company Profile | The client operates 50 stores across Asia, has a sales forces of 300 staff speaking 4 different languages

Situation | The client had no written operational procedure manual. Retail stores employees were only relying on oral communication. They were spending an incredible amount of time on asking about daily operational tasks instead of focusing on serving customers. Store managers would also create their own procedures and rules to solve issues. Because of this, customer experience would vary from store to store. The inconstancy was damaging to the trust in the brand.

Approach | Our aim was to help the team put their focus where it should be: on their customers. The creation of an SOP manual helped managers run stores consistently.

  • Creation of two work groups with employees from various levels who shared the same willingness to shake the status-quo and bringing efficiency to their organization. We also included two recently joined staff to get a fresh perspective as they could spot irrationality in the procedure. We also nominated a coordinator
  • Definition of tasks: Group 1’s mission was to gather details of the various practices used across all stores. Then, evaluate them and, based on their knowledge, draft the best practice for the future
  • Group 1 designed the structure of the SOP manual and defined the main areas to be covered
  • Group 2’s mission was to proofread drafts, provide feedback, challenge the clarity and feasibility of the procedures
  • After several drafts, the manual was completed and translated into 4 Asian languages
  • Members of the groups presented the SOP manual to all store staff, and prepared FAQs
  • The SOP manual was only accessible on intranet, the coordinator was responsible of informing retail teams of updates

Results | The SOP manual enabled the sales team to focus on their primary function: serving clients. Customer surveys taken 7 months after the launch of the SOP manual, showed customer satisfaction rates increasing from 73% to 85%. Another significant impact was that group members developed new skills and felt empowered by their contribution.  The company SOP manual became the common language of the team. It also reduced work tension, sparked a collaborative attitude among team members and improved overall communication. The manual designed by their peers created a sense of cohesion and reinforced a sense of belonging. They finally received the guidance they needed from within the team.