Customer evaluations: customer and supplier perspectives [telecommunication switching systems]

The author presents the history and results of a customer evaluation process established with a Bell Operating Company and reviews the impact of this business relationship. Report cards are becoming a popular method for measuring supplier performance and communicating the customer´s view directly to the supplier. An ongoing process of measurement, reporting, root cause analysis, and feedback form the core elements within the report card process. From the identification of measurement parameters to root cause analysis and feedback, a formal communication channel is established between the customer and supplier. The use of a report card grading process facilitates a common platform for reporting and establishes a goal of continuous product and process improvement. Root cause analysis and report cards, when properly used, can become a positive process for overall quality improvement. The process has resulted in a telecommunication switching product with measurable quality improvements