Service Delivery Overhaul for a Network Operator (Telecoms Operator)
Led a comprehensive service delivery overhaul for a fibre network operator. Achieved 99%+ first-time install success (up from ~88%) and cut average fault repair times from over a week to ~1 day, enabling the company to support rapid growth with top-tier customer satisfaction.
Challenge
A large fibre network operator was experiencing service delivery challenges despite its growing customer base. Installation appointments were frequently running into issues (delays, multiple visits), and fault repair times were longer than industry benchmarks. The operation was complex – involving thousands of new installations per month and a maintenance team handling an extensive fibre network – and the strain was showing in customer satisfaction. The organisation sought to drastically improve its installation success rates and service reliability to support its rapid growth and uphold its reputation. The challenge was to achieve an order-of-magnitude improvement in performance, effectively turning a good operation into an excellent one across both processes and culture.
Approach
Greg was engaged to lead a comprehensive service delivery transformation, focusing on end-to-end improvements:
- Process Integration: After thorough initial diagnostics he designed a blueprint for the function based on outcomes desired by the client: defining structure and roles (departmental heads, regional managers, quality technicians), management processes and regular activities frameworks, key performance indicators and work culture principles and norms.
He broke down silos between the construction side (network build) and the service side (customer connections) establishing a seamless collaboration process focused on successful service delivery. - Ownership and Accountability: Greg set single ownership approach within service delivery management so that each regional manager owned the customer journey from start to finish in their area. Instead of issues bouncing between departments, one accountable leader coordinated any necessary fixes promptly. He rewrote service contracts, so service delivery partners were empowered to resolve installation and complex repair issues on the spot during visit or prior to visit, rather than deferring jobs. That aligned everyone’s incentives toward right-first-time delivery and overall business goals.
To support the new model, Greg advocated for and hired additional quality assurance technicians who managed and delivered 100% installation-quality audit regime. - Targeted Team Expansion: Greg guided the expansion and reform of an internal installation team. That internal team was developed into a “centre of excellence” – their efficiency and cost per install were improved dramatically (from an unprofitable state to well below the cost of external contractors). They set performance and productivity examples and provided flexibility for peak demands.
- Metrics and Rapid Feedback: Greg introduced a real-time dashboard for key metrics: daily install success rate, any install failures and reasons, fault resolution times, and open issue backlog. This data transparency created a healthy competitive atmosphere among regions and immediate accountability. If an install failed, it was flagged and assigned for resolution the same day. Greg instituted a practice of after-action reviews on any significant failure or complaint – extracting lessons and adjusting processes or training accordingly.
- Client Collaboration: Since the network operator’s services were sold via an ISP, Greg also improved the communication and workflows with the client-facing side. He set up direct lines for the ISP to notify the service delivery team of any service issue, and he committed to clear response SLAs. Regular joint meetings ensured the client side was aware of improvement initiatives and could see the progress in reduced customer tickets and faster installations. This partnership approach meant customers ultimately experienced a more unified, efficient service.
Outcome
The transformation yielded tenfold improvements in several core metrics. The rate of customer installs completed on the first appointment jumped to virtually 99% (from around 85-88%), meaning almost every customer was connected as promised without rescheduling. Early-life service issues (problems within the first month of a new connection) became rare – dropping by over 90%, thanks to dedicated ownership and install practices. The average time to restore a service outage shrank dramatically, putting the company among industry leaders for responsiveness. Additionally, the backlog of pending installation fixes (which had been sizable) shrank by about 80%, and remained low, indicating a sustained fix-driven culture instead of a backlog-driven one.
Customers immediately felt the difference – positive feedback and referrals increased, and the ISP partner reported a significant reduction in complaint calls. Internally, the efficiency gains meant the company could handle more connections with the same or fewer resources, effectively lowering operational cost per customer. For example, the revamped internal install team not only saved cost on each job but also pushed contractors to up their game or lose business, creating a win-win on cost and quality. The net effect was a service delivery operation that matched the company’s top-tier network product: fast, reliable, and scalable. The organisation was now well-equipped to support aggressive growth without compromising customer experience.
Takeaways
In a high-growth environment, operational silos and lack of ownership can severely hamper customer experience – but they are fixable. Greg’s intervention shows that by aligning everyone around the end customer, empowering front-line problem solving, and using data for accountability, an organisation can achieve tenfold improvements in performance. For the client, this overhaul was transformative: they could now expand confidently, knowing their service delivery could keep pace with sales. For prospective clients, the message is that world-class service operations are attainable with the right focus, even if starting from a subpar baseline. This is as relevant to a renewable energy provider managing site maintenance as it is to a telecom provider – the principles of integration, accountability, and continuous feedback apply universally to service excellence.
Estimated ROI
Delivered an estimated 30x efficiency return on leadership investment by achieving tenfold improvements in installation success, fault resolution, and cost-to-serve across a national network.
