Six Sigma meets social media

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INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER – VOLUME 48: NUMBER 10

Engine maker Cummins uses tool to improve customer care
As more consumers turn to the web for shopping, research and engagement with companies, social media can be a game changer for customer care.Companies that don’t align their customer care strategies and processes with this new reality can expect lower levels of customer satisfaction. The move makes sense when you consider that Six Sigma can bring together groups from disparate functions across the company to view the process through a customer’s perspective.

Research shows that simply adding social media to customer care programs won’t improve performance. In fact, a company that establishes a social media presence but doesn’t respond to comments can make customers feel ignored.

The Cummins Six Sigma social customer care team already has decided that the same tool should be used across the organization to have a successful customer care process. Six Sigma’s extensive documentation will help make the case for the appropriate tool down the road. They also have started a small-scale pilot in North America. While it involves numerous manual processes, the team is getting a feel for how the tools operate and what works and what doesn’t.

While the program is a work in progress, social media manager Michael Nagel told Forbes that the solid foundation from rigorous Six Sigma methodology will help the company adapt well to changing demands.