Re-engineering the semiconductors business process to focus on Total Service Quality development through people in the Customer Responsiveness Center : executive summary

Abstract

The research work illustrates the setup of a new and unique cross-functional unit called "The Customer Responsiveness Center" or "the CRC". The objective of this center is to improve total service quality management through individual employees and teamwork. The ultimate objectives are employee satisfaction and customer loyalty. Forming the CRC in this way is an innovative approach for a traditionally technology focused organization where the fundamental objective is Total Customer Satisfaction. Before, not much work has been done in the organization to understand total service quality, to explore the power of people, and to demonstrate results from real teamwork. The author accepts this challenge. The Customer Responsiveness Center is a vehicle for promoting Total Service Quality and people involvement. It is crucial to making the company's Total Customer Satisfaction objective possible. The concept that employee satisfaction precedes customer satisfaction is expanded through this literature research. This is a different belief from the common saying: The customer always comes first. There is no doubt in the author's mind that when employees come first, they will develop happy customers. The author proves his belief correct with his own Total Service Quality Management (TSQM) model in the CRC. The Quality and Speed Team (QuST) process initiated by the author creates a positive environment for the CRC team to promote total service quality concepts. "QuST" is an innovative culture development process focusing on Total Quality, Speed of Execution and Teamwork. "QuST" is also a unique process derived from the Total Quality Management concept. The CRC team also attempts to break the traditional business cycle barriers to re-engineer for better results. This includes: making possible the shipment of China manufactured semiconductors to Taiwan; reducing the total logistics and distribution cycle time; and closing down the customer service department in Hong Kong (headquarters) for better synergy and productivity. While promoting the total service quality concept, the CRC team enhanced employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. The team has started the total service quality drive for the Asia Pacific semiconductor products group in Motorola. However, these are the areas that also need additional attention and require further study. Times have changed. We no longer live in a manufacturing environment. Total service quality is critical to all service providers. Customers today demand a total-service- quality package and consider that the service quality component is as critical as if not more important than the physical product. We are literally customer-driven. We are moving into the 21st century. Organizations that fail to master the skill of total service quality management will face difficult times. The CRC TSQM is a change model that can be applied to other industries to benchmark and to master the skills and resources that give an organization competitive advantage in the 21st century