Challenges of creating a service team in company X
Tiittanen, Päivi (2020)
2020
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020052714555
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020052714555
Tiivistelmä
The thesis is based on an actual company, hereafter called “Company X”. It is based on the timeframe in which there were changes taking place in its group-level corporate governance. At the same time, comprehensive development work based on the “working smarter” concept was underway. The work undertaken for this focused on developing and enhancing internal support functions, but also emphasized the company’s ways of working by asking the question, “Do we work in an efficient manner?”
The group level change also started the idea of creating a service function that the assistants of the time could form by bringing them together in one team room. By combining assistant services, the objective was to develop and enhance assistant work by centralizing assistant services, thus ensuring that services would be provided in any given circumstances. In addition, the goal was to not only develop functions and make them more efficient, but also to improve services and guidance given throughout the whole organization. The new support function was named “the service team”.
The objective of the thesis is to focus on challenges that took place during these changes, and to focus on how to avoid similar problematic situations in the future, when planning the implementation of a new function or a new team in Company X. The objective of the service team is to ensure the maximum utilization of assistant resources and to ensure that valuable working time is focused on relevant tasks. Improving efficiency by eliminating overlap, having a stand-in system for team members in case of absence, sharing knowledge and lightening the workload of each individual were also all objectives.
The thesis follows a case study method using the zipper structure. As a part of the thesis a quantitative survey was carried out by using the results of Group X’s global employee survey for the service team’s part. In addition to this, the results of Company X’s internal customer satisfaction survey for support functions and the results of a survey on employee experience were also examined. Going through the research problem, the author applied her personal experience and insights as a participant in these changes from December 2018 to April 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all libraries have been closed since the 16th of March 2020. Therefore, data collecting methods were e-books and links on the Internet.
Throughout the history of Company X, all assistants have worked in their departments as individuals, and there have not been such things as an assistant team, a service team or any other centralized support function. The case company wishes to stay anonymous, therefore the case company is identified as Company X.
This thesis was written from January 2020 to April 2020. It reflects and documents changes that occurred from December 2018 to March 2020. These changes are continuing, although the desired teamwork has not yet been achieved. However, the service team is on its way to achieving a working smarter environment.
The group level change also started the idea of creating a service function that the assistants of the time could form by bringing them together in one team room. By combining assistant services, the objective was to develop and enhance assistant work by centralizing assistant services, thus ensuring that services would be provided in any given circumstances. In addition, the goal was to not only develop functions and make them more efficient, but also to improve services and guidance given throughout the whole organization. The new support function was named “the service team”.
The objective of the thesis is to focus on challenges that took place during these changes, and to focus on how to avoid similar problematic situations in the future, when planning the implementation of a new function or a new team in Company X. The objective of the service team is to ensure the maximum utilization of assistant resources and to ensure that valuable working time is focused on relevant tasks. Improving efficiency by eliminating overlap, having a stand-in system for team members in case of absence, sharing knowledge and lightening the workload of each individual were also all objectives.
The thesis follows a case study method using the zipper structure. As a part of the thesis a quantitative survey was carried out by using the results of Group X’s global employee survey for the service team’s part. In addition to this, the results of Company X’s internal customer satisfaction survey for support functions and the results of a survey on employee experience were also examined. Going through the research problem, the author applied her personal experience and insights as a participant in these changes from December 2018 to April 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all libraries have been closed since the 16th of March 2020. Therefore, data collecting methods were e-books and links on the Internet.
Throughout the history of Company X, all assistants have worked in their departments as individuals, and there have not been such things as an assistant team, a service team or any other centralized support function. The case company wishes to stay anonymous, therefore the case company is identified as Company X.
This thesis was written from January 2020 to April 2020. It reflects and documents changes that occurred from December 2018 to March 2020. These changes are continuing, although the desired teamwork has not yet been achieved. However, the service team is on its way to achieving a working smarter environment.