Tuesday 22 May 2007

Corporate Machines


They've just introduced a new 'coaching' system at work. Where we are given statistics on our previous weeks performance and then work out a couple of 'goals' to work on to improve our call handle times. I'm lucky enough to be apart of a pilot group, that'll be extended if it's a success. (Early signs are pretty positive) The aim of this is to obviously find ways to help us improve our call handling times. Stated benefits of this system include:
  • Over the weeks being able to see improvements in our performance & therefore being better at our job.
  • Better motivation to work as we can see that our improvements are helping.
  • Better working conditions as improvements slowly mean that things will get less hectic & so everyone is less stressed and happier.
Non-stated benefits of this new system include:
  • Better employee productivity/ more efficient labour.
  • Lower wage expenses/ better use of wage expenses.
  • Revenue growth due to better overall performance.
Apart from the aesthetic positives listed above, there are no benefits for the individual. I don't get paid any more for doing my job more efficiently. Yet the system works, after only just over 1 week on the new system, I've already shown strong improvements in some areas. Therefore, I'm doing quite a good job at helping an American multi-national corporation boost it's profits.

Yep. I'm a good little cog in the machine of capitalism. Doing my bit to maintain the socio-economic status quo. That is, the divide between rich and poor, and those in between like myself.

2 comments:

PI007 on 22 May 2007 at 5:00 pm said...

Yeah I have heard of those changes happening at IBM, part of the LEAN changes I think. It is a good idea because things can stay stagnant and companies are always looking for continuous improvement.

Christop on 23 May 2007 at 11:06 am said...

That is because capitalism depends on an infinitely increasing ratre of production and profit - and a company achieves that by finding ways of getting the work done for less money, and by continuously producing more and more stuff. It won't always be possibly to keep producing more and more and more though, because we have finite resources to produce stuff from.

 

A Country Nerd in the city. Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved