Management by Exception

Customer service staff now have complete visibility of issues which have not been confirmed as completed, allowing them to focus their efforts on pro-actively resolving these in a timely manner. 

Prior to the introduction of the new solution the first customer service staff sometimes knew about a delay to resolution was when the house manager called, sometimes weeks later, to query progress forcing them into a very reactive way of working.

In addition, as house managers are automatically informed by email confirming that an issue has been resolved, rare cases when a contractor reports an issue resolved when in fact it isn?t are also quickly picked up. 

Performance Measurement

Service level agreements have also been put in place to ensure maintenance issues running behind schedule are pro-actively followed up. 

Contractor performance is captured and fed back through measuring adherence to the service level agreement as well as a sample of completed jobs surveyed through a telephone interview with house managers. 

Improved Communication

The solution has largely automated the communication process with electronic communication between W&DB and the contractors and automated emails to the house mangers.  This has largely eliminated the calls from house managers enquiring on progress. 

Key Benefits

The key benefits Marstons realised from the solution include: 

• Avoidance of unnecessary revenue leakage due to improved monitoring of maintenance and compliance tasks. 
• Better communication with customers (house managers) who are automatically kept informed of the status of their issues.  This, in turn, reduces the number of calls taken by customer service staff enquiring on progress and the number of re-active calls made by customer service staff to contractors. 
• More positive relationships with third party contractors.  Early identification of contractor performance issues.
  

Solution Components

The solution comprised of SAP CRM IC Web Client, SAP CRM Service and Business Warehouse for reporting purposes. 

Innovative Approach

The approach was based around a rapid Blueprinting and Scoping exercise making extensive use of prototypes to help envision the final solution. 

Development was carried out in a number of cycles to enable early sight of and feedback on the solution as it evolved throughout the realisation phase of the project. 

This ensured maximum buy in to the final solution by the business and avoided unnecessary expenditure on enhancements as understanding by the business of the solution evolved. 

About Marstons PLC

Marstons PLC is the UK's leading independent brewing and pub retailing business and is one of the top 300 quoted companies in the UK. Formed in 1890, W&DB employ over 11,000 people in our breweries, pubs and head office, which is based in the City of Wolverhampton.  The W&DB pub estate totals 2,358 pubs - 1,816 tenancies within The Union Pub Company and 542 directly managed by Pathfinder Pubs.  Drink brands include Banks?s, Marston?s, Mansfield and Jennings.