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KILLING THE FRONT - OFFICE, MIDDLE - OFFICE, BACK - OFFICE MODEL

  • Writer: amalabdreamz
    amalabdreamz
  • Nov 19, 2018
  • 4 min read

INTRODUCTION

The model of the central office, the central office and the central office has been established as a standard business model during decades of operational evolution. Traditionally, the model divides the customer-oriented work of the support functions and the transactional and large-quantity data tasks.


Dividing work in this way allows companies to divide their responsibilities effectively. As a result of this division of labor, the teams would exist for a single responsibility and, consequently, they would develop individual processes to facilitate their work.

 Although the original separations were logical and sensible when they were first established, they also took advantage of the only currency of labor production: humans. Given the evolution of process transformation and agile process technologies, the processes that have not been adapted have become discontinuous and the transfers become clumsy, illogical and definitely not focused on the client. The model, although it makes sense twenty years ago, is obsolete and limiting.



The time has come to think holistically. By using available technology, this division can be reduced and operations can be simplified.


The traditional model of Front / Middle / Back Office.

The traditional tasks assigned to the 3 commercial functions are shown in the operating model in Figure 1. As you can see, tasks are divided by department in such a way that, for example, customer service does not interact with the generation of reports.



This departmental division was further accentuated with the introduction of BPO, as more and more work was migrated to cheaper locations. The tasks sent abroad were typically repetitive, based on rules and heavy data; This effectively led to practically the entire back-office being moved off the coast! Having departments spread over different countries and / or time zones exacerbates the disconnection in the global business structure.



Transforming the work flow

With technology that allows us to eliminate the tedious and repetitive work of human employees, we can take advantage of those same employees to focus on problem solving, customer service and high-value skills to handle difficult or unusual problems and provide direct assistance to the client .


This is much more beneficial for the company, its customers and most importantly for the employee base. In fact, we have constantly seen employee satisfaction increase and reduce burnout as a result of smart transformation. The horror stories that automation is killing jobs in the same way that outsourcing is simply not true, jobs are becoming increasingly relevant and interesting for service providers and recipients.


Improved technologies will continue to develop and be produced, so it is important to think ahead and improve your business with the future in mind. Keep in mind that while back office roles are seen as an automatable job, the reality is not so black and white.



The approach to assigning work should be less about categorizing tasks in one silo area or the other and more about qualifiers; Qualifiers that evaluate the suitability of a task for intelligent automation. For RPA, the qualifiers for tasks are those that are based on rules and are repetitive, have few exceptions and compatible data types. However, advances in technologies that can process complex data types (such as images and voice) can be combined with RPA to expand the range of possibilities. Clients will have the opportunity to interact with a human workforce and a virtual workforce to get the best of both worlds, as shown in the objective operating model of the future of work below.


Three key benefits of adapting your operating model


The business will use the full potential of its employees.

Remember that the secret of a successful digitized business is the combination of people, processes and technology. The processes are at the heart of any commercial operation. By assigning tasks intelligently to people and technology, you can prevent people from doing boring and repetitive jobs that may be resented. When people receive a job that is more interesting and of greater value, they will be happier and more motivated to work and you will get the best out of them.



A more fluid and stable structure will ensure better control and adaptability.

Having a clear and complete understanding of your business will allow you to evaluate, design and implement changes that provide the maximum benefit. As new technologies arrive and customers' demands change, you can easily adapt to them. Reducing the need for offshore offices to reduce costs means that you can take all processes internally. In this way you can control and influence them without disconnecting.


Less errors and faster response will improve your customer experience

A team of people who are adequately committed and who feel that their work is valuable will serve the clients better; Faster and more accurate processing through automation will reduce customer problems; and a more fluid and connected workflow will allow transparency and clarity. Customers tend to worry less about how their problems are solved and more about having a solution delivered quickly and without problems.


 
 
 

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