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Case Study Analysis

Table of Contents

Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Question 1: Nature of Customer Complaints and How to Address the Problem ................................. 3
Effects on Quality.................................................................................................................................... 3
Root Cause Analysis and Solutions ....................................................................................................... 4
Solutions ................................................................................................................................................... 5
Question 2: Which Problems Should ECL address on a priority basis ................................................. 5
Check Sheet ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Pareto Chart ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Question 3: Is the system testing process under control? ........................................................................ 7
Question 4: Is Network Latency a Significant Reason for underproductivity? .................................. 10
Question 5: Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 13
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 14
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Executive Summary

ECL aims to provide CRM software package to H&K. While the company has achieved notable progress,

they have also encountered some serious issues, such as customers' complaints. This has been during

the testing period. Partially, this shows the output and quality issues. Mainly, the problem is with the

productivity drop down as well as system test execution. This is mainly attributed to the fact that the

software has experienced delays in the deployment process by the software development team as well

as hardware and network lag. Elimination of the root causes or the improvement of the delivery and

testing can be achieved through a detailed investigation of the test cases statistics and response times

for the network. Fundamentally, the management at ECL is confronted with the problem of identifying

what is the main reason for the low productivity and consequently taking effective measures to improve

performance. The proposed solutions include the upgrading of the current equipment, the investment in

a robust network infrastructure as well as the automation of the process of the testing to make sure the

productivity is not affected.

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Introduction

Exceed Communications LLC (ECL) is a technology-based enterprise, which was

launched in 2013 and provides customized solutions to clients based in the Middle East, Africa,

and South Asia. Famous for its solution-oriented approach and technological partnerships with

internationally known brands, ECL has become one of the fastest growing companies in the UAE.

In the first month of 2017, ECL with team size of 36 was working on the H&K project, a pioneer

in Real Estate as well as integrated business management solutions (Sivakumar & Mahadevan,

2024). The project implemented a customized customer relationship management (CRM) software

suite, based on a Time and Material billing model and a V-process method in the software

development lifecycle. It took some time for the project to reach the system testing by the end of

February 2017. However, ECL experienced some critical problems like the low productivity and

the under delivery of the needed software solutions of high quality resulting in the client

dissatisfaction.

Question 1: Nature of Customer Complaints and How to Address the Problem

ECL has received a lot of customer complaints from H&K and these complaints are mainly

concerned with the slow team performance, unnecessary staffing, communication problems,

domain knowledge deficiencies, and the mistakes in the deliverables. These complaints range in

projects' phases indicating that the problems are not an isolated incident but a systemic one. The

constant presence of these dissatisfactions pinpoints severe issues in productivity, quality and

project management.

Effects on Quality

The recurring complaints about slow work performance and overstaffing at a team are a

sign of inefficiency and a likely problem in resource management. Communication problems and
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domain knowledge limitations indicate deficient information flow and insufficient comprehension

of client needs. Errors in the deliverables shows evidence of poor quality control and assurance

system. Therefore, these problems compromise the quality and reliability of the software being

produced, thus rendering clients dissatisfied and endangering the ECL’s reputation.

Figure 1: Root Cause Analysis

Root Cause Analysis and Solutions

A thorough root cause analysis reveals multiple factors contributing to these issues:

• Test Data Identification: Complex SQL code required for identifying relevant test data

slows down the process.

• Deployment Delays: Development team’s delays in deploying software updates impact the

testing schedule.

• Insufficient Hardware: Testing team's computers lack sufficient RAM, causing slowdowns.

• Network Latency: Latency issues when accessing the client’s test environment further

reduce productivity.
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• Manual Testing: Manual testing processes are time-consuming and prone to errors.

Solutions

• Automate Test Data Identification: Implement automated tools for generating test data,

reducing dependency on manual SQL coding.

• Upgrade Hardware: Invest in high-performance computers with adequate RAM for the

testing team to enhance processing speed.

• Improve Network Infrastructure: Work with the client to optimize network settings and

reduce latency issues.

• Introduce Testing Automation: Adopt automated testing tools to streamline the process and

reduce errors, particularly for regression testing.

• Resource Optimization: Reassess staffing requirements and align resources more

effectively to balance workload and avoid overstaffing.

Question 2: Which Problems Should ECL address on a priority basis

Check Sheet

Complaint Category Frequency Percentage Cumulative

Percentage

Team Working Slowly 14 39% 39%

Too Many Errors 9 25% 64%

Excess Staffing 7 19% 83%

Communication Issue 4 11% 94%

Domain Knowledge 2 6% 100%

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Pareto Chart

COMPLATINS-PARETO CHART
16 120%

14
100%
12

cumulative percentage
80%
Total Complaints

10

8 60%

6
40%
4
20%
2

0 0%
Team Working Too Many Errors Excess Staffing Communication Domain Knowledge
Slowly Issue
Axis Title

Frequency Cumulative Percentage

To find out what ECL should focus on urgently, an analysis was performed from the data

provided on the number of complaints from customers, and a Pareto chart was constructed. This

chart indicates the accumulated effect of each complaint type according to their frequency and

chances of being reported. In addition, some complaints have a larger operational effect than others

(Sivakumar & Mahadevan, 2024).

The first and most common problem is "Team Working Slowly" (TWS) that stands for

39% of complaints. This implies that there is a necessity for improvement in the processes that

will be used to simplify workflows and manage resources. Moreover, reviewing and resolving

take-off time postponements and infrastructure problems may be a proper approach to tackle this

challenge.
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The second most dominant complaint is "Too Many Errors" (TME), which is a total of

25% of the total complaints. To deal with this issue, ECL should introduce automatic testing tools,

which will decrease manual errors and hold training sessions to improve the effectiveness and

accuracy of the testing process. Enforcing quality control standards is one of the ways to eliminate

errors during project completion.

However, ES is only 19% of total complaints but still needs to be taken into account. ECL

may need to reconsider its staffing plan and balance the team size with the project requirements.

It may be a good way to optimize the use of the resources and to prevent any inefficiencies due to

overstaffing.

Complaints for "Communication Issues" (CI), which add up to 11% and "Domain

Knowledge" (DK), which is 6% of the total complaints, are less pressing but still deserve attention.

Better communication channels between team and clients and giving domain specific training

sessions may solve CI and improve DK, respectively (Sivakumar & Mahadevan, 2024).

Eventually, through focusing on "Team Working Slowly" and "Too Many Errors" and

dealing with other issues as well, ECL can increase productivity, quality, and customer

satisfaction. By introducing these actions as a result of Pareto analysis, it will be possible for ECL

to eradicate the root causes of these complaints effectively, which, in turn, will result in better

project outcomes and overall performance.

Question 3: Is the system testing process under control?

Sample LCL UCL cbar

81 54.63 108.87 81.75

82 54.63 108.87 81.75

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81 54.63 108.87 81.75

74 54.63 108.87 81.75

75 54.63 108.87 81.75

81 54.63 108.87 81.75

83 54.63 108.87 81.75

86 54.63 108.87 81.75

88 54.63 108.87 81.75

82 54.63 108.87 81.75

86 54.63 108.87 81.75

86 54.63 108.87 81.75

88 54.63 108.87 81.75

73 54.63 108.87 81.75

84 54.63 108.87 81.75

76 54.63 108.87 81.75

74 54.63 108.87 81.75

85 54.63 108.87 81.75

82 54.63 108.87 81.75

88 54.63 108.87 81.75

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Control Chart
120

100

80

60

40

20

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Sample LCL UCL cbar

The information provided (sample values, lower control limit (LCL), upper control limit

(UCL), and a mean (cbar)) can be used to study the stability of the testing process (as seen by

Aslam). The process performance over time can be analyzed by constructing the control charts for

both sample mean and range.

In the control chart of the sample mean, the mean (cbar) is calculated at 81. 75. The LCL

and the UCL are usually estimated using statistical procedures and are taken as ± 3 standard

deviation of the sample. On the other hand, this dataset specifies LCL and UCL values—54. 63

and 108. 87, respectively. The values confirm that the sample mean falls within the range of

established control limits hence the process is stable (Sivakumar & Mahadevan, 2024).

In contrast, for the range control chart, the range is calculated as a difference between the

maximum and minimum values within each sample. The LCL and the UCL for the range chart are

generated through statistical calculations. In this case, the described LCL and UCL values also

show that the range is within the predefined control limits.

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With all the sample mean values and range measurements within the control limits, it is

evident that the system testing process, which was depicted by Aslam, is under control. The

implication here is that the process is uniform and it behaves predictably in accordance with the

performance standards.

On the other hand, although control charts signal process stability, continuous observation

and analysis are imperative. Any notable fluctuations or trends need to be investigated in detail to

guarantee the process is improved and quality standards are maintained. Frequent monitoring

serves the purpose of ensuring the stability of the process and enables the administrators to fix the

problems that might emerge in a timely manner. As a result, the effectiveness and reliability of the

system testing process are enhanced.

Question 4: Is Network Latency a Significant Reason for underproductivity?

Network Latency Issues by Time

240

235

230

225

220

215

210

205
0:00 2:24 4:48 7:12 9:36 12:00 14:24 16:48 19:12

Figure 2: Network Latency Scatter Plot

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Figure 3: Linear regression for Network Latency and effect on Productivity

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According to the PSDA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycle, it is shown in the previous analysis

that there is a weak positive correlation between network latency and productivity, which can be

understood by the regression analysis. The coefficient of determination (R-squared) value of

approximately 0.172 suggests that around 17.2% of the variation in productivity metrics can be

attributed to changes in network latency. Nevertheless, there is no correlation that is statistically

significant as the p-values are not associated with the regression coefficients. (Sivakumar &

Mahadevan, 2024 ).

In the Plan phase, the organization is to consider the effects of the regression analysis and

decide on the possible actions which deal with the network latency problems. This might include

inspecting the existing network infrastructure, identifying the possible problems of latency and

designing the mechanisms to resolve the problems of network performance.

In the Do phase, the company can undertake measures aimed at minimizing network

latency, for example, by upgrading the network hardware, optimizing network configurations, or

applying traffic prioritization techniques. These activities shall be well-organized and conducted

in manner that avoids disturbing already ongoing activities.

In the Research stage, the organization should continuously measure the outcome the

interventions have on network delay and productivity metrics by means of various tools. This could

entail getting more information about network performance and productivity levels after

implementing the interventions.

Lastly, during the ‘Act’ phase, the firm evaluates the interventions employed to determine

whether they were effective in addressing network latency issues and increasing productivity. On
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the basis of this assessment, the organization may decide the interventions to be refined, scaled up

or explore other approaches to address the remaining issues.

By following the PDSA cycle, the organization can systematically plan, execute, and revise

the interventions that will increase network performance and productivity. This iterative strategy

ensures the organization keeps learning and improving, and updates their strategies based on real-

time feedback and situations.

Question 5: Recommendations

According to the Karamath customer complaints analysis and the identified main causes, the

suggestion to Karamath about addressing customer complaints is to focus on interventions that

deal with the most critical issues that are affecting the customers’ satisfaction.

• Firstly, Karamath should concentrate mainly on the problem of the slow team work (39%).

This might include implementing the steps to enhance team efficiency, namely, offering

more trainings or streamlining communication channels or remapping the jobs to better

utilize team members' skills.

• Secondly, efforts should focus on reducing the frequency of software errors development

process which is a second most complaint (25%). This could be done by strengthening

quality control systems and having a rigorous review process and/or investing in automated

testing tools to find and fix errors easier.

• Additionally, Karamath needs to deal with the issue of over-staffing (19%) by management

of resources and by making certain that the project team is adequately sized to be able to

meet the project needs without unnecessary overhead.

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• Furthermore, communication problems (11%) should be addressed by enhancing a culture

of open communication inside the project team and with the client, organizing regular

feedback sessions, and creating clear ways to handle complaints and resolve conflict.

• Lastly, discarding the residual problems associated with domain knowledge (6%) needs

targeted training and development programmes that help the team members improve the

expertise in related fields.

Conclusion

Eventually, the ability to cope with customer complaints is vital for keeping customer

satisfaction and guaranteeing the success of any software development projects. Through

analyzing the essence of complaints, pinpointing the root causes, and ranking the interventions,

Karamath and the ECL team can act in a proactive way and deal with the basic problems that

hinder the project's success. By concentrating on improving team efficiency, quality control

measures, resource allocation, communication channels, and domain knowledge, ECL can

showcase its dedication to providing the best services that clients expect. Through continuous

improvement efforts guided by the PDSA cycle, ECL is not only able to address current customer

problems but also help to build a culture of excellence and innovation that leads to long-term

success in the delivery of software solutions.

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References

Sivakumar, S & Mahadevan B., (2024). Exceed: Improving Productivity and Reliability in

Delivery of Software Solutions. Indian Institute of management Bangalore.