Start out by explaining what it is that you do?
I am a manager in a SaaS IT business offering a cloud based software for craft workers called Ordrestyring.dk
In a startup as ours, it is the manager’s role to have a comprehensive overview of the business and at the same time be ready to take new tasks onboard.
Jumping from case to case all through the day is a normal work flow for me and I never know what the next task brings – kind of the opposite mind set of TimeBlock.
My key role is to keep a high standard of customer service, which consist of managing the customer service team and keep a constant information flow between the support – and the developing team.
Why did you choose to implement TimeBlock?
It was necessary for us to implement a planning tool to ensure the high standard of customer service and the demand of developing our product.
We were struggling with not meeting our deadlines, which by the way were deadlines we estimated and planned ourselves.
We had two main obstacles in our service – Software errors and software development. Especially our software development was difficult to plan and many of the jobs were postponed as something more urgent occurred.
In the end, it was our customers who became the losers, as we did not delivered what we promised time after time.
Something needed to be changed!
How long time did it take to implement TimeBlock in your organization?
I think we are still in transition as every team is affected even the ones who do not have TimeBlock as a planning tool.
The major change is NOT to disturb the developing team and wait for them to finish their individual’s TimeBlocks, this is the biggest challenge for everyone – including me.
What benefits do you, your employees and customers get out of the TimeBlock method?
As I addressed earlier WE were missing deadlines and the costumers was the losers.
What we learned is that our customer requested an answer on two questions; the first is if their request is possible and the second is when that function will been implement.
The exact date is not the important part, what is important is a regular update of where in the process the development is.
Likewise, is it necessary for the customer service team to know where in the process or stage the developing teams are when the inform our customers – they need to be able to do that with trustworthy promises and deadlines.
The cringe a customer can make a supporter feel is when they do not know what to tell them or have to apologies for the same feature being delayed again and again.
The benefit of using TimeBlock is that both teams are more transparent and the communication flows better as we have same terms to talk from and an overview of our processes.
We can always go back and look at TimeBlock. It is turning everything around so the customers becomes the winners and it reflects back on us.
Not at least the TimeBlock method has changed my way of being present. I know that if something get postpone I will be notified. I do not need to have a half eye on the developing team and my focus is now on what it should be on – the customer service team and the customers.
— Nete Poulsen, Ordrestyring.dk
