Slide 1 of 5. To help decide whats best for you, your team, and your customers, ask the following questions: When youre small, youre actively jumping to meet the needs of customers. An optimal FTS configuration could raise the calendar efficiency as high as 71.4%. Tools to support data security and encryption such as VPNs are also important. However, it may be one of the most potent benefits for your business. z(nK9:QS%i$MEaab:a=KpLD;so@ Overall it was found that increasing the number of sites in a daily cycle increased the working speed. As described by Carmel [1], the agile methodology is best suited for FTS. 0000003713 00000 n [11] Siri-on Setamanit, Wayne Wakeland, and David Raffo. 0000006358 00000 n One of the cornerstone principles of FTS is that certain assets are repeatedly shared between the offices at the end of the production circle or a working day so that the second team can continue the production/maintenance. In Agile Conference, 2005. Implementing follow the sun methods in your global organization can be challenging. For example, a baseline work week is 30 hours after taking into account non-task activities. Presenting support model PPT slide template. Now that youve done all the groundwork of defining workload capability, visualizing infrastructure, and hammering out the handoff process, youre ready to get your new model signed off by stakeholders. Some key assumptions in deriving the above principles are listed below: Follow the sun approach involves daily handoff of the work which suggests that there will be some reduction in the project duration. Sure, this could mean 24/7/365. 0000063943 00000 n One shortcoming of this article is that we have only investigated the effect of FTS on speed, not on the product quality because of lack of suitable documented references. With many sites all working on the same project, the daily handoff can become a bottleneckespecially if the other team doesnt understand the problem or if their work introduces a new problem. Presentation Mode allows you to show off the specific parts of your design that stakeholders care about most., There you have it. Do we get enough tickets from each timezone to support a customer service agent. 0000063267 00000 n Collocated multishift locations where labour is cheap and software development happens round the clock in eight hour shifts does not fit in this category. F9,Y%9Q@o:B"w7Fy||:R_q};gxJ2#'S2"8S$I(y'_`}WHw6(iEM:+9%Wl )ThVXNo"iN U=v f4. In Global Software Engineering (ICGSE), 2010 5th IEEE International Conference on, pages 165174. Agile has several characteristics which support FTS adoption [6]. Thank you for subscribing to our email communication. 0000002842 00000 n Are you able to provide 24-hour service at this time? While you wont all be in the same room for these meetings, video conferences are fairly easy to set up and schedule. In theory, FTS can increase time to market by approximately 60%, which seems attractive. As an agency with many Ukraine-based staff members in February 2022, it was the kind of situation none of us wanted to believe would ever happen. time zone difference and hand offs management), communication and culture. A detailed analysis needs to be done in order to understand the advantages to be gained in time. They are summarized in the table below. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(53, 'dfcc1cf6-fca7-455f-9c43-26ff2fba10ed', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Get expert insights straight to your inbox, and become a better customer success manager. Open Scholars Know How to License Their Work for Maximum Impact<br /> 29. Some other day to day tasks enabled by software include logging time spent by developers, issue tracking, real time reporting, code reviews, and documentation. Figure 5: Successful implementation of FTS depends on reliable software tools and utilities. Tools for estimating and planning schedules, allocation of project tasks, sprint management, progress tracking are essential utilities for front line managers. z.,'ECC4@ad4pw7?/.iyfhLV%=>=(TvxZN}!p7oN3~4T i+U[8 fZ)6 +r) Make your own animated videos and animated presentations for free. As well, such expansion can always have a positive impact in terms of brand development and brand promotion. Sign-up and get customer insights, trends, and more in your inbox. Christian Doerr, [15] Christian Visser and Rini van Solingen. Although these regions share the English language, there were cultural differences, for example, one culture has more emphasis on self-sufficiency; therefore they tend not to ask for help when problems come up. And when they are working together within the FTS model, it only doubles the trouble. Nurture and grow your business with customer relationship management software. Network Security in Theory and Practice. And due to these restraints, teams may have a tough time truly collaborating. If all the IT teams within your company use a follow the sun model, the project could be completed in days. HWY1S%lI^t#ByFwOC+aPvrsjL Nataliya Andreychuk is the CEO of Viseven. This way, the problem remains a priority and is worked on until the customer is satisfied. Free and premium plans. However, if you implement a follow the sun customer support model, keep in mind that you'll want to make sure you have the right tools to ensure each site communicates with one another and can take effective notes on cases that need to be handed off. [12] Miguel Jimnez, Mario Piattini, and Aurora Vizcano. IEEE, 2013. It is also known under different names such as 24 hour development or Round the clock development. The follow the sun model is certainly not a new concept - nor is it unique to corporate travel management or the travel industry. 0000065843 00000 n Employees hand off work at the end of each shift to the next site that is beginning a new shift several time zones to the west. Follow the Sun is a customer support method that focuses on providing consistent customer support without regard for geographic location or time restraints. The follow the sun customer support model is designed to address customer needs without regard to geographic location or current time. The effective utilization of code repositories and version control management systems is crucial to the success of the FTS approach. I have a team that is 12 hours ahead so we're not online at the same time. For instance, I could post for the other team to monitor a ticket I have opened. Production sites involved in the software development are many time zones apart. Essentially, it's 24/7 support, no matter where the sun is up, without needing any customer service department to work late shifts. Essentially, it's 24/7 support, no matter where the sun is up, without needing any customer service department to work late shifts. In its early days, this customer service approach only seemed feasible for big companies that had the resources to open and staff multiple offices around the world. Establish goals: Define your goals around your customer's needs in each location you service. But as you grow, you begin to standardize, build out streamlined processes, and build teams. The traditional "follow the sun" model is a type of global workflow in which issues can be handled by and passed between offices in different time zones, increasing responsiveness and reducing delays. See how this model can benefit your IT department. In order to understand and use FTS, some key principles on which FTS is based are mentioned in this section. They also divide their support to cater to two groups of customers: participants (employees at companies) and client administrators (HR teams administering equity and compensation). Free and premium plans, Content management software. 0000004606 00000 n When you keep everyone on the same page, service ticket times go down, security gets stronger, workflows become more seamless, and customers receive a better technical experience. The follow the sun customer support model means that you have customer service representatives available whenever the sun is up -- so as it becomes daytime for different parts of the world as we orbit around the sun, you'll have various customer service sites beginning their day and handing off their issues to another site. As a result, the benefits of FTS tend to be concentrated around isolated phases rather than having an overall impact on the development cycle. The impact of number of sites in a follow the sun setting on the actual and perceived working speed and accuracy: A controlled experiment. By checking this box, I agree to Zendesk contacting me with marketing-related communications about Zendesk products, services, and events. If communication issues are not addressed they will create significant challenges in FTS adoption. Additionally, you won't have to hire any customer service reps to work a night shift -- meaning you'll have happier employees who are working reasonable hours. Another important benefit of the FTS model is the opportunity to learn more about new markets and lay the foundation for the further development of the definite regional market. Document what has been accomplished so each site can avoid repeating work. FTS is a global software development strategy. The focus is on using automated tools which simplify the repetitive tasks. A follow the sun model keeps everyone on the same page, working towards the same project end goal., Lets walk through some best practices for setting up a follow the sun model., While a follow the sun model means teams in multiple locations could be involved, its important to define what the home base is for each project you take on, whether that is your site or another one. To do this from a single office theyd have to aggressively staff up. I understand I may unsubscribe at any time. Join 64,500+ Customer-Facing Professionals, Pop up for FREE CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAP TEMPLATES. The FTS model doesnt seem to be a suitable choice for complete projects, when compared to its applicability for particular phases like - testing where it works very well due to less dependency on hand-off work. The "Follow-the-Sun" support model is a structured model that works best for service desks that work around the clock. We've got a true, "follow the sun" model, allowing access to support engineers [.] Most agile practices emphasize face-to-face communication. The ability of project management tools to integrate with development tools can help reduce the duration of project cycles in FTS. We have also elaborated in depth about the real world examples where FTS was applied. Modes of communication in FTS approach may be asynchronous or synchronous. The main reasons to use this approach are that you'll have faster problem solving, consistent levels of customer service, reasonable work hours, and you'll be able to branch into new markets. Positive messages from current users make selling to new customers much easier, and if you can deliver consistent service around the clock and delight your customers, positive feedback is sure to come your companys way. working only during daylight hours. 0000067119 00000 n For some companies, it means providing anytime, anywhere, 24/7/365 supportthe original definition of the follow-the-sun model. Formal systems such as discussion forums or internal Wiki sites may prove to be useful. Rather than making the customer wait several hours until you can get back to working on a solution, follow the sun allows you to pass on the work to the next site. Your global customers will appreciate that bugs and other issues can be resolved quickly and that they dont have to wait for a team in a different time zone to fix the problem. A customer service platform with mobile access might allow you to stagger your shifts between home and work, and to cover different time zones, without having to hire a remote representative. Lucidchart is the intelligent diagramming application that empowers teams to clarify complexity, align their insights, and build the futurefaster. The initiative was unsuccessful, and the project was ultimately implemented using only the essential principles of global software development. This process could take weeks if only one team in one time zone is working on the project. Its a great way to optimize your support. Businesses can reduce the amount of time it takes to progress from ideation to planning and development when a team is working on the project on a 24-hour schedule. Bugs and production problems are almost a certainty, this means companies need to organise resources and build capability to . For this model to work, all sites must be using the same tools and development methodologies (planning, bug tracking, version control, reporting, and so on). Managing and continuing recruiting and growing regionally helped implement the FTS model for all departments and reinforced the ability to provide top-notch customer service. Following the sun: Case studies in global software development. IBM Systems Journal 45.4 (2006): 773-783. Figure 2: Calendar Efficiency in different Working Modes [1]. Agile methodologies fit well with follow the sun models because all work is completed within set iteration cycles. 5 are applied in practice. One key benefit of a follow the sun model is high uptime. Agile places a lot of emphasis on continuous integration (using automation) encouraging every team to maintain an updated and testable version of the code which can be used by the next production site. Are you using a tool that makes it easy to scale, and to quickly hand off support tickets? Computer, 42(1):66-73, 2009. 0000065082 00000 n 1 gives the relevant facts regarding various working schemes. One of the ways to evaluate the efficiency of FTS is to compare the time taken to execute a project using traditional software development approaches vs FTS. 0000007104 00000 n Journal of Management Information Systems, 27(1):17-38, 2010. A survey of major approaches for accelerating new product development. As illustrated in Fig. What could shorter department turnaround times mean for what youre trying to achieve globally? Research concluded that nine aspects of management are important for improving hand-offs efficiency [16]: improving communication quality, ensure knowledge transfer between team members and production sites, management of hand-offs information, developing teams trust before and along the project, ensure compliance of deadlines, establishing time rules, providing proper technology and tools, delegating responsibility and coordination of task allocation. A systematic literature review of best practices and challenges in follow-the-sun software development. are manually changeable. Unpublished EDS working paper, 2004. I went down the street to the 24-hour grocery store. Figure 1: Follow the Sun approach follows a 24h task hand-off based approach to software development. There exist several case and field studies over the years, which resulted in challenges and best practices of FTS. This is because work happens almost round the clock, compared to just eight hour efforts in traditional software workflow. Follow the sun is also used in software, technology, and other sectors as a customer service model. That being said, we have a few tips for you if you decide to implement this model: Now, before you jump into a follow the sun customer support model, let's determine if it's necessary for your company. By staggering their support personnel start times across these key time zones, they are able to meet the service level-agreements theyve set for their customers. The top three best practices that were found in research are agile methods, the use of technology for knowledge sharing (e.g. Provide tools: Get your system set up with the right tools so your customer service teams can collaborate and communicate easily. This research [15] introduced a routing model, which supports the selection of geographical locations for Follow-the-Sun software development. Zuora also employs a daily handoff model, in which open and pending matters are passed along to the next team when one goes off duty. 8. The FTS model has proven its potential for decreasing time to market, accelerating product development and ensuring consistent client communication. For example, in the United States, some of your employees could start the day at 6:00 a.m. to support the Eastern and Central Time Zones. We have showed earlier that using the concept of calendar efficiency, FTS gives lot of room for decreasing the development time. 0000013868 00000 n They do it by starting a team in Colorado at 8am (MST). Picture this. 0000069194 00000 n You most likely wont need to open multiple offices, especially at first, but perhaps a small remote office or a representative located remotely in a key area or time zone may satisfy your customers needs. This Presentation graphic is eloquent and useful for the IT students, IT researchers, and IT specialists from various fields. Handing off work from site to site balances the workload and makes it easier for you to offer consistent levels of service at all times. The specifics of this model require team managers to have constant control over the workflow because delays may result in the poor coordination of teams. 0000013630 00000 n We showed that there are three main research themes, namely challenges and best practices, location selection and hand-offs management. A global service model in place to keep every team member connected, consistent and making continual progress on projects, tasks, and bug fixes. Follow-the-Sun in Action One of our partners, a large mobile advertising and app monetization company that gets 20,000+ tickets each week, leverages the follow-the-sun model with a total team of 85 associates to support their customers around the world. Follow-the-sun schedule - The follow-the-sun schedule is used by teams that may work internationally in different time zones, and ensures full 24/7 coverage. If your business proceeds with follow the sun, managers should do their best to schedule meetings when its most convenient for both locations, and IT should adopt video conferencing and cloud-based solutions for everyone to work together. And that's where the follow the sun customer support model comes in. IEEE, 2009. When youve got teams working round the clock, your troubleshooting efforts become more efficient. The process of hand offs must be smooth and conflict free. Outline your company's customer journey and experience with these 7 free customer journey map templates. Slide 1 of 2. Theoretically speaking, if n sites are working on this scheme, their development speed could be increased dramatically by systematically organizing the work tasks sequentially on a daily basis and optimizing the coordination costs [1]. Organization Support: Role Communications Manager (CM) Description Coordinates emergency communication strategy across teams: customer success, marketing, legal, etc. Modern day software development is spread more and more across national and international boundaries. Increase response time to solve problems more quickly, and reduce development and production times to get products and services to market faster. For others, keeping all major communication and production processes in a single office or at least legislation may make more sense. ITSM Support Model ITSM is built on the core belief that IT is a concept that needs to be delivered as a service. If youre using a customer service platform with great analytics, youll be able to make data-driven decisions about the right time to expand globally. Lastly, we showed that there was a study which researched hand-offs management. We have discussed how technology tools and infrastructure play an important role in the successful implementation of FTS. 0000013987 00000 n 0000065768 00000 n Cloud support model with customer responsibility. IEEE, 2010. The main goal with implementing a follow the sun support model is that people in one location don't receive preferential support. As a management approach, FTS provides your business with several opportunities that, when fully realized, may benefit your business.
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