Building processes to handle volume spikes and crises

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Building processes to handle volume spikes and
crises

• Cyrus A. Howells
• Support Center Manager
• Allegheny Energy
• June 6, 2002

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Step 1Identify Major Causes of Spikes and
classifications

• Lack of communications to clients and/or the
  Support Center

( Unplanned )

• Technology Outages

( Planned / Unplanned )

• Monday mornings

( Planned )

• Regular processes ( automated systems, etc. )

( Planned )

• Upgrades

( Planned / Unplanned if not communicated )

• Rollouts

( Planned / Unplanned if not communicated )

• Coverage changes, i.e. vac., sick leave

( Planned / Unplanned )
( Planned )

• Normal day cycle

• Power outage

( Unplanned / Possibly Planned )

• Third party issues, i.e. carrier service dropped

( Unplanned )
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Step 1Identify Major Causes of Spikes and
classifications

• Time of year, i.e. spring may be higher because
  you are between the holidays and vacation

( Planned )

• Viruses

( Unplanned )

• Time change

( Planned )

• Holidays

( Planned )

• Facility related, i.e. Generator tests

( Planned )

• Disasters

( Unplanned )

• Weather related

(unplanned although if you cover multiple
geographic areas, you may be able to plan if
other areas are experiencing problems before it
gets to your region )

• Human Error

( Unplanned )
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Step 2 3

• How to Handle Planned Events
• How to Handle Unplanned Events

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Step 2How to Handle Planned Events

• Increase Staff, possibly temporary resources for
  project rollouts
• Develop Contact lists / call out lists for
  resources you need to pull in or within the
  Support Center itself
• Dont deploy on Monday
• Communications to help desk of upcoming events
• Communications to clients of upcoming events
• Training for the help desk for new products or
  upgrades
• Training for clients for new products or upgrades
  
• Use the Phone system to redirect calls to
  responsible groups during rollouts
• Have someone from second level in the Support
  Center as a resource during rollouts or other
  significant events
• Develop checklists and FAQs about new products
  going out

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Step 2How to Handle Planned Events

• Change Management to communicate and seek
  approvals from all technology areas
• Spread out rollouts. This helps spread the
  volume as well as gives you a chance if something
  blows up, to pull the plug, fix the problem and
  continue on
• Broadcast notes
• Develop history of planned events to prepare for
  next time
• ACD Reports to develop data on event
• Develop an Outage Page for clients in technology
  groups

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Step 3How to Handle Unplanned Events

• Develop a history of similar events
• Be able to place an emergency greeting to
  minimize calls
• Instant Messages (IMs ) to communicate to team
• Email to team and to clients
• Outage page for clients
• Post-mortem meetings to decide what happened,
  what the affect was, and what could be done
  differently to avoid in the future
• Redirect calls to other groups who may be
  responsible
• Communicate up so management is aware of the
  event, based on severity
• ACD, some systems will allow agents to be brought
  into the queues automatically as volume increases
• Keep Current Virus Software to avoid an unplanned
  event

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Step 3How to Handle Unplanned Events

• Root cause of the issue to avoid in future
• Utilize Third parties for additional resources or
  assistance
• Develop Procedures for handling an event
• Co-source third party comes in as volume
  increases
• Other Resources to help supplement staff
• Callout lists for resources
• Crisis manager for the issue
• Weather channel
• Regular Updates on situation

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Step 4Action Plan

• Establish a crisis manager whose role would be to
  take the lead on the event, carry out an event
  plan, communications, and any follow up actions
• Establish procedures for placing an emergency
  greeting
• Put in place procedures for using tools to
  communicate ( I.M., email, fax )
• SLA with second level to include their roles in
  event resolution
• List of resources available during an event
• Get the Support Center into the project process,
  at a minimum to approve of projects before they
  become production
• Develop Callout schedules for necessary teams
• SLA with third parties if they will be used
  during a crisis

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Step 4Action Plan

• Establish a Command Center, crisis plan, and
  procedures for kicking it off
• Education plans and Training for clients and
  Support Center for new rollouts or upgrades
• Establish procedures with 2nd level for how
  rollouts take place
• Fire Drills. Dont wait until the crisis to test
  your processes and procedures
• Team Conditioning make sure your team knows
  what and how to handle crises
• Create an Outage Page to communicate planned and
  unplanned outages
• Identify a Communications person or team
• Establish Business liaisons, someone within the
  business to communicate with these issues with,
  they in turn communicate to their areas

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Step 4Action Plan

• Establish a crisis team / SWAT team

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Pittsburgh Chapter of HDI

• Thank you!!!!