REGENT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES COMPUTER SIMULATION & MODELLING

(SICS 4523) PROJECT PRESENTATION ON A SIMULATION STUDY OF MTN GHANA CALL CENTRE

BY

FUSEINI NAWARU MOHAMMED (0090209) ATTIPOE WILLIAM ELIKEM (0170210) ADJEI RITA NAALAMLEY (0010210) NETTEY ETHELINDA (0750210) LEVEL 300 (EVENING SCHOOL)

LECTURER:

PHILIP ASIBU-YARTEY

DEDICATION

We dedicate this project work to the Almighty God and Mr. Philip Asibu - Yartey, Lecturer, Regent University College of Science and Technology .

PROJECT ABSTRACT
The MTN call centre is an extraordinary aspect of the operations of MTN Ghana. This study examines the long waiting and handling time of the call centre process. The group employed the observation and time study approach for this study to measure the efficiency of the call centre process. The variables selected are the waiting and handling time (processing time) for each sample. The results demonstrate long waiting and handling time of the call centre process. The performance of the MTN call centre sustains the organization's competitive advantage over its competitors. The study concludes that while the MTN call centre process is consumes a lot of time. The call centre process has been inefficient due to the long waiting and handling time use in serving customers during the process. Consequently, this study has designed alternative process that would help reduce the long waiting and handling time of the call centre process .

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENT

PAGE

Title page .i Dedication ...ii Project Abstract ..iii Table of Contents ...iv

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Overview of MTN Ghana....1 1.1 Organizations mission and vision.....1 1.2 Key Performance Measures2 1.3 Known Problem Areas.........3 1.4 Area of Concentration..3 CHAPTER TWO DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM

2.0 Flowchart of the Process4 2.1 Layout.. ..5 2.2 Problem Statement...5 2.3 Objective of Study. 5 CHAPTER THREE DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction 6 3.1 Methods of data collection ....6

iii

CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

4.0 Introduction 7 4.1 Data presentation and analysis of data.7 4.2 Problems/Bottlenecks in the system8 4.3 Alternative process/ design...8 CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Introduction .9 5.1 Summary9 5.2 Conclusion ...9 5.3 Recommendations 10

APPENDIX A APPENDIX B

REPORTS ON INPUT ANALYZER LETTER OF VALIDATION

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LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE Figure 1: Figure 2: Figure 3: PAGE Flowchart of the MTN Call Centre process4 Layout of MTN Call Centre5 Alternative process designed8

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE

PAGE

1. Processing time for each process.7

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION 1.0 OVERVIEW OF MTN GHANA MTN, the leading telecommunication company in the emerging markets of Africa and the Middle East entered the Ghanaian market following the acquisition of Investcom in July 2006. MTN is currently the market leader in the increasingly competitive mobile telecommunication industry in Ghana with over 8 million active subscriber base representing about 55 percent of the market share. MTN offers subscribers a maze of exciting options under Pay Monthly and Pay As You Go Services.

MTNs network coverage is extensive, covering all ten regions in Ghana and remote areas. MTN continues to invest heavily in infrastructure to expand its coverage across Ghana. Since its establishment in 1993, MTN has been alive to its responsibilities in society. The MTN Foundation is a framework for initiatives that will ensure the companys pro-active participation in Corporate Social Responsibility projects wherever it operates. Key focus areas are education, health, economic empowerment, music, arts and culture.

1.1.

ORGANIZATIONS MISSION Building shareholders value by ensuring maximum customer satisfaction through providing latest telecommunication services, at the most economical rates while meeting its social responsibilities as a good corporate citizen and providing growth prospects for its employees.

1.2.

ORGANIZATIONS VISION To be the leading telecommunication service provider in emerging markets.

1.3.

KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES Key performance measures are how an organization defines and measures progress toward its goals. Once the organization has analyzed its mission, identified all its stakeholders, and defined its goals, it needs a way to measure progress toward those goals. One of MTN Ghanas key performance measures is high labour productivity. This involves maintaining high levels of productivity of labour and machine, lower cost and production of high quality service to its customers. It helps MTN Ghana to gain competitive advantage over its competitors.

Another key performance measure of MTN Ghana is effective and efficient management procedures. It involves the exhibition of effectiveness and efficiency in all management procedures. A balance between effectiveness and efficiency is key to the survival of MTN Ghana in todays competitive telecommunication industry.

As competition in Ghanas telecommunication industry becomes more severe, the need has risen for a systematic approach to ensuring the target customers receive the service they expect. Good customer care is also an important key performance measure that MTN Ghana has employed to meet it organizational goals. It consists of understanding and meeting customers needs and expectation. The objective is to gain competitive edge.

1.4. KNOWN PROBLEM AREAS They are challenges and problem that the MTN call centre is facing within the telecommunication industry. These problems are deviation from organizational goals. It includes the following: The long waiting and handling time of the call centre process. Under utilization of the call centre process. Few call centers in the country. Technological problems. Language barrier. High labour turnover

1.5.

AREA OF CONCERNTRATION The area of concentration of this study will be looking at the long waiting and handling time of the call centre process of MTN - Ghana. This area plays a very significant role in customer satisfaction.

3 CHAPTER TWO

DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM

2.0.

FLOWCHART OF MTN CALL CENTRE PROCESS. The flowchart below represents the MTN Call Centre process:

C u s to m e r c a l l s

C all a g e n t a n s w e rs

C a ll is c o n n e c te d t o PABX

C a ll is t ra n s fe rre d to IV R

C u s to m e r s t a te s p ro b l e m

T ru e

p ro b l e m i s s o l v e d

F a ls e

C o m p la in t is s e n t to b a c k o ffi c e fo r re d re s s

B a c k o ffi c e s o l v e s t h e p ro b l e m

T ru e

B a c k o f fi c e c a l l s c u s to m e r fo r c o n fi rm a ti o n E nd

F a ls e

If p ro b l e m i s n o t s o lv e d C o m p la in t is fo rw a rd e d t o In te l l i g e n c e N e tw o rk fo r s o l0 u ti o n

E x it

Figure 1: Flowchart of the MTN Call Centre process

4 2.1. LAYOUT/ FLOOR PLAN OF MTN GHANA CALL CENTRE

A layout is a drawing that shows the MTN call centre as seen from above. Everything in a layout appears flat. The study used layout to show what the MTN call centre looks like.

Below is the layout of MTN Call Centre:

Figure 2: Layout of MTN Call Centre

2.2.

PROBLEM STATEMENT The problem statement of this study is long waiting and handling time during the call centre process. This problem has been caused by both human and technological errors in the system model.

2.3.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The aim of this study is to develop a simulation model that would decrease the long waiting and handling time during the call centre process. 5 CHAPTER THREE

DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY

3.0

INTRODUCTION This chapter would basically deal with the data collection methods employed for the study.

3.1

METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION Time Study and Observation were the methods used for the collection of data. Below are the processes involved in the MTN call centre process: Customer calls Call is connected to the Private Automatic Branch Exchange (PABX). Call is transferred to the Interactive Voice Response (I.V.R.). Agent answers Customer states problem. If problem can be solved by agent, it is solved and ended If not complaint is sent to back office for redress Back office solves the problem and calls customer for confirmation

If back office is unable to solve then they forward the problem to Intelligence Network (I.N.) for solution.

Customer is called and given feedback Then I.N. works on the problem and gives feedback to the customer.

CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 1.0 INTRODUCTION This chapter deals basically with the presentation and analysis of data, which involves the tools used for data analysis. The analysis covered processing time for each call centre process. 4.1 DATA PRESENTATION The data below shows processing time recorded for each process at the MTN call Centre:
Table 1:

PROCESS Call is connected to PABX Call is transferred to IVR Call agent answers Problem is solved and back office calls customer to confirm

PROCESSING TIME (In minutes) 1.5 2 3 3

PERCENTAGE 11.54% 15.39% 23.08% 23.08%

Complaint is forwarded to I.N. for solutions Total processing time

Source: field study, April 2010.

1.5 13

11.54% 100%

4.2

ANALYSIS OF DATA The data were gathered in April 2010. Every observation was treated as an independent variable, thus the total number of processes are 6 in the current model used. The most 7 fascinating statistic is that the highest processing time for a process was 3 minutes which was used by the call agent in answering. Additionally, the lowest processing time for a process was 1.5 minutes for the call to be connected to PABX meaning customers at certain times spent considerably longer time within a process; hence customers are not satisfied with the call centre process and would therefore need an improvement.

4.3 BOTTLENECK/ PROBLEM IN THE SYSTEM The study used Arena 5.0 to run the model logic of the process, the bottleneck in the system is when call agent answers. An average time of 3.1005 at this stage of the call centre process. It results in the increase customers waiting to be served there by prolonging the call centre process. 4.4 ALTERNATIVE PROCESS DESIGN This section of study deals with developing alternative process that would overcome the bottlenecks in the system. Below is an alternative process that has been designed to overcome all the bottlenecks in the system:

Cu s t o m e r Ca l l s

Ca l l i s c o n n e c te d F o r P ro d u c t s a n 0 d Tr ue to P A B X S e rv i c e s P re s s 1 fo r Y e s 2 f o r No

0 0
Fals e

If Ye s c a l l i s t ra n s fe rre d to Ag e n t

A g e n t a n s we rs th e c a ll

0 0

Cu s to m e r s t a te s p ro b l e m

Tr ue

p ro b l e m i s s o l v e d

0
Ca l l i s T ra n s f e rre d t o IV R

0
Fals e

0 to P re s s 0 t o c o n n e c t Tr ue A g e n t o r P re s s S t a r to ex it 0
Fals e

Co m p l a i n t i s s e n t to b a c k o ff i c e f o r re d re s s A g e n t s a n s we rs

B a c k o f fi c e s o l v e s t h e p ro b l e m

En d
Tr ue

0 0
Fals e

Ex i t

Co m p l a i n t i s f o rwa rd e d to I n te l l i g e n c e Ne two rk f o r s o l u ti o n

0
P ro b l e m i s s o l v e d and ended

Figure 3: Alternative process designed by the study

8 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0

INTRODUCTION This chapter entails the summary, conclusion and recommendations outlined by the group.

5.1

SUMMARY This chapter comprised of the overview of the MTN Ghana, organizations mission and vision, key performance measures, known problem area and area of concentration.

The chapter two (2) presents the summary of the entire study. Chapter two (2) is made up of the flowchart of the process MTN, layout of the MTN Call Centre, problem statement and objective of the study.

Chapter three (3) covered the data collection methodology used in the study.

The chapter four (4) dealt with the data presentation, analysis of the data, bottleneck/ problem in the system and alternative process design.

5.2 CONCLUSION From the study, that the alternative model is better than the original model used by MTN Ghana because the Time spent in the total process is reduced from 13.14 minutes to 12.82 minutes. Also, total numbers waiting are reduced from 19.05 to 18.07. This means the alternative process has a shorter processing time than the current process used. 9 5.3. RECOMMENDATIONS We recommend that the alternative process should be implemented by MTN Ghana because it would reduce the long waiting and handling time that customers spend during the call centre process.

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