Decision Sciences Journal
Volume 28, Number 3
Summer 1997
The Role of Automation and Labor in Determining Customer
Satisfaction in a Telephone Repair Service Process
David A. Collier
The Ohio State University, 1775 College Road, Columbus, OH
43210-1399, email: collier.4@osu.edu
Darryl D. Wilson
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1042, email: dwilson@garnet.acns.fsu
.edu
ABSTRACT
Telephone repair process and performance relationships are modeled
using a structural equation approach. The basic structure of the
causal model is a function of process flow. The data analysis and
modeling approach advocated here can be applied to any
manufacturing or service process that has a recurrent process flow
and good internal and external performance data. Our primary
objectives are to define quantitatively (1) how the performance of
repair persons dispatched to the customers' premises is related to
automatic testing and repair, and (2) how internal process
performance is linked to external customer satisfaction. A
secondary objective of this article is to explain briefly some of
the practical problems of modeling process-level performance
relationships. Results indicate that the structural equation models
are statistically significant and have a meaningful interpretation.
Examples of þwhat ifþ scenarios using these structural equation
models are presented to help managers predict customer satisfaction
levels given certain process performance improvements, set
standards of performance, and better understand the
interdependencies between labor and automation resources in this
telephone repair process.
Subject Areas: Performance Measurement, Process Performance,
Service/Quality, and Structural Equation Modeling.
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