Client Success
Stories
We Do,
Stories Speak
Client success stories provide insights into how Kepner-Tregoe consulting and training services resulted in measurable improvements in targeted KPIs.
Client success stories are organized by industry, but many are relevant across industries because they illustrate dramatic results based on the application of analytic thinking to the problems, plans and decisions made by individuals and teams in our increasingly digitized and changing business environment.
Growth Must Come From New Products
Challenge
When a gas fittings company analyzed the best opportunities for growth, new product development (NPD) was the clear choice. But the increased importance of NPD would require more consistent success from new products and a clear vision of how to achieve it.
Result
Implementation is underway. A focused portfolio of projects is moving through a well-defined pipeline and work is on track to develop the new products needed for continued growth. Early indicators of NPD future success include: projects that don’t meet established criteria have been cancelled or postponed, project managers have improved their project skills through training and coaching, people working in projects understand their roles and responsibilities.
Customer Support as Competitive Advantage
Challenge
Building on a wealth of experience and a pronounced service culture, Siemens A&D SIM ATIC products support group sought ways to optimize this competitive advantage with improvements in key areas.
Result
All objectives were met as Resolve’s comprehensive, systematic problem management improved both the speed and quality of issue resolution. As the program was rolled out, customer satisfaction grew and remained at an all-time high and backlog declined precipitously, resulting in fewer, critical customer situations and “emergency rescue” activities.
Critical Thinking is a Powerful Key to a New Plant’s Success
Challenge
When the plant was first built, some customers were skeptical of its capabilities. The engineering and managerial work force, while well-grounded in theoretical education, hard work, and a tremendous willingness to learn, came from a top-down oriented society that was reluctant to express ideas or suggestions. A primary challenge for Corning management was to convince this excellent workforce that it was their job to have opinions.
Result
Results have been both subtle and dramatic. Expressing opinions is now viewed as acceptable, even when the boss is in the room. Working on cross-functional teams is no longer a foreign concept. Potential Problem Analysis has helped the new facility install equipment seamlessly. Situation Appraisal helps work stay on course while minimizing conflict and interdepartmental problems. Examples of successful use of process, use of process by senior staff, coaching, and rewards have helped to embed critical thinking skills and encourage their usage. Defect rates at a key customer are 20 times lower than before the factory supplied their parts. Based on their benchmarking, Corning Shanghai rates better than or competitive with all of its competitors and has broken records for ratings against key measures.
When Customer Satisfaction is at the Heart and Soul of a Company
Challenge
Cisco sales, customer standards, and expectations continued to rise after the collapse of the dot com bubble. “When markets are down, you need to focus attention on people,” says Frank Van Steenwinkel, director of technical support. “Training is key. So while other companies cut down on staff, we believe training is a strategic component to raising the bar to differentiate us from our competitors.” Most of the complex issues handled by TAC have never been observed before and many must be handled with urgency since each minute of network downtime is expensive. He sought a program that could meet these challenges and provide a significant performance boost.
Result
KT Resolve’s critical thinking-based approach helped TAC engineers rapidly resolve unique, complex problems. Customer service backlogs fell from 80 to 20 per month, reducing stress and increasing job satisfaction. Average solution time plummeted 58% helping EMEA TAC to record the highest increase in post-sales support satisfaction among Cisco TACs worldwide. Average customer service case backlogs fell from 80 to 20 per month.
KT for Highly Technical Support
Challenge
IBM BSL supports a highly technical client base that is more likely to report more complex problems than those raised in other technical support environments. While there had been some limited KT Resolve training, training needed to be expanded and properly supported. The challenge for IBM BSL was that KT Resolve “should be how we do what we do.” The plan was ambitious: to reach 100% of all support engineers and managers trained with KT Resolve, implement a coaching initiative and have all support teams using KT at full throttle.
Result
Training capabilities were to be expanded by sending a support manager to KT’s Leadership Development Institute in Princeton to become a KT Program Leader. KT Resolve has been fully adopted as the way work is done. Improvements are underway related to the speed and quality of complex problem solving. Customer complaints about bad problem reporting have declined. Early results include a 33% reduction in time taken to provide an actionable solution and reduced time to find cause of complex problems.
Why KT?
Run More Efficiently
KT will help you to clarify and remove recurring and
high-impact issues, supporting smoother and more
cost-efficient business operation.
Confidence Under Pressure
KT's unique critical thinking methods are designed to
support you in situations of maximum stress. When it
really matters that you find the best solution, the KT
toolkit is proven to deliver.
Process Plus Experience
KT consultants have a wealth of experience in
supporting clients use of the KT methods in a wide
variety of industries and situations. We can help you
get the maximum value from deploying the KT
toolkit.
Our Experts Are Always Ready to Help
- North America
- Europe
- Asia
- Japan
We are experts in:
Contact Us
For inquiries, details, or a proposal!