“It is important to hold your business operations up to the light every now and then. Are we doing it right? Are our cost and quality levels where they should be? Accezz International has developed a change management method that involves a targeted assessment of business operations. Improvements are then implemented in collaboration with people on the work floor.
“One of our regional directors wanted to bring in Accezz. At the same time, as board of directors, we were looking into a strategic turnaround involving a reorganisation of our 14 regions. By deploying Accezz in all regions, we discovered how to improve our business operations in each one and achieved an important objective of the reorganisation. We have used the Accezz programme to cut not only costs and devote more hours to our clients but also to unify operational procedures in preparation for the reorganisation.
“Dealing effectively with staff scheduling is not just about spending less money. It is about ensuring more work hours are spent with the client as well. Clients must receive the attention and care to which they are entitled. As a result of the Accezz programme, we now spend more time with our clients, have less non-productive hours and are able to plan more effectively. This allows us to reduce labour costs and improve the quality of care. As labour accounts for 70 per cent of our overall expenses, better planning ensures a huge return. Planning is usually not an item that is high on the management agenda.
“During the analytical phase by Accezz, it became clear that each region could make substantial savings. Within a year, we had already more than recovered our investment in the Accezz programme. The programme has helped us to achieve greater clarity. Of course, we are very pleased with this, but we have not reached the end-point just yet. That’s because our organisation is built on planning. It is fundamental to how we operate. Changes in planning cannot be achieved without affecting the entire culture of the organisation: you can’t re-adjust the foundations by ignoring everything above it! The solution therefore rests on Accezz bringing about behavioural changes that result in a wider cultural shift.
“For example, in terms of behavioural change, clients’ interests are now accorded even greater priority. Staff have developed an increased awareness that time is precious and must be used wisely. This is part of the necessary cultural shift and feeds into their strong sense of commitment and compassion, which remains deeply embedded and is why they love their work so much.”
