Step 1: Get staff buy-in

Getting your teams buy-in is critical to getting the most from the ACE System:

• Involve your staff from the start of the project to gain their commitment
• Choose people who are open-minded and want to try out new ideas for the pilot projects
• Explain the benefits to them of trying to work with the client and managing their expectations for a better project outcome

Step 2: Plan the process

The system can work differently in every company. How the process is going to work in your company needs to be thought through early on. to get the most effective results:

• Create your own questionnaire by identifying the key 'moments of truth' that are critical to the your projects' success
• Choose a set of projects to pilot the system before you roll it our through the company
• Choose projects where the client is also open to new ideas
• Keep the whole project team 'in the loop' so they all know what is happening

Step 3: Get the clients' buy-in

It is vital to brief your clients well, to get their commitment. So you need to explain:

• The benefits for them in working in this new way
• How the process works
• What you need from them at each step

This also applies to any other external members of the project team who might be involved

Step 4: Plan the project start-up meeting

The aim is to get the whole team together, including the client, to determine how the project is going to work

It is where you ask about the clients' requirements, like the level of communication between you, and their level of input

The way you want these meetings to work needs to be planned. So that you already know:

• The agenda for the meeting
• Who in the whole project team will be attending
• Who in your organisation is responsible for managing the process

Step 5: Get the project team together to determine how the project is going to work

The start-up meeting/workshop will identify:

• Which issues are really important to the client
• What the client expects for each of your 'moments of truth' in the questionnaire (you may even decide to score these at this meeting so you know what you are aiming for)
• Issues that the project team might have in fulfilling these expectations - and a resolution for this
• Hidden agendas
• What each member of the team needs to contribute

The benefits of getting the project team together early are:

• Hidden agendas emerge and can be incorporated - these could have been costly in time and money if they hadn't been understood
• The clients can explain any issues they have from their point of view
• The rest of the project team has the opportunity to explain if they can't meet the client's expectations, suggest what could be possible and agree an alternative with the client

The output of the day is recorded as 'project guidance notes' to act as a reference for everyone

Step 6: Start the project and the scoring process - using the automated KPI-online

The project information is set up on KPI-online and scoring starts:

• The client is sent an automated e-mail with login details
• The client fills in the questionnaire online with scores for expectation and perception of the project team's performance for each 'moment of truth' using the comments box to explain any big gaps
• The nominated project manager and supervisors are notified by e-mail that the questionnaire has been completed
• The client is thanked for filling it in

Step 7: Identify gaps or issues that need to be addressed - using PIN system

Managers and Supervisors can log onto KPI-online to see the completed questionnaires to review the results for:

• each question (moment of truth)
• an analysis by the 5 enablers of the 'Business excellence model'
• an analysis by the 5 dimensions of customer service

For the most effective analysis:

• Look at the most important 'moments of truth'
• Focus on the biggest gaps between expectations and perceptions
• The clients comments can be helpful in trying to understand the problem

The data can also be downloaded into other software packages to drill down further

• So you can cut the analysis in any way you want for example looking at:
  
  
  • Type of project/contract
  • Project manager/salesman
  • Key sub-contractors/suppliers
  • Information that management needs to see, for example for their Balanced Score Card

Step 8: Decide how to resolve issues

Log the important issues that need attention on the PIN system, which is an additional module in the system.

Get the Project team together to discuss the issues raised from the questionnaires to:

• Agree a on how to resolve each issue
• Decide who will be responsible for making sure the agreed action happens
• Decide on a time frame for each action

Step 9: Visit the client to explain what you have planned to resolve any issues

It is crucial that the client sees their issues being addressed or they won't take the time to complete the questionnaires

To 'close the loop' someone must visit the client and go through the issues and how and they will be resolved:

• Explain what you are going to do to resolve each issue
• Explain what you are going to do in future to make sure they don't happen again
• Get the client's buy-in to these solutions

Record the final solution so that there is a record of it.

Step 10: Identify 'Best Practice' issues that should become company standard

Sometimes the same issues happen again and again. The system enables you to identify ways of addressing these and sorting them out for good

• Identify any issues where you have found a solution that you think will benefit the rest of your company
• Decide on a company wide (or division wide) way of integrating these and communicate it to your teams

Step 11: Evaluate, with the team, how the process is working and suggest improvements - using PIN system

Get the teams together from the pilot projects to:

• get their feedback
• look at any issues that may need re-thinking through in the way they are working
• record these
• get the team to suggest their solutions. After all, they are the people who understand these issues best

Step 12: Modify the process where appropriate, set targets and Roll it out

Review how the process worked:

• Modify it where appropriate and decide on any improvements
• Set targets

Roll it out through the company in a controllable way by:

• Making sure all the people who will now be involved go through the complete briefing process - they could be more difficult to convince)
• Having champions who have used the system well to 'mentor' less experienced users
• Using the successes in PR. For example write them up as case studies so that others in your company and clients can see the benefits

Have an 'ACE System' champion, preferably a Director to show the level of importance that you attach to meeting customer's need, to oversee the change.