Consulting at the Laser ISP (LISP) Company: Using Excel(TM) Metrics Capabilities to Solve Semi-structured Management Problems

Journal of Information Systems Education, Winter 2003 by Dean, Douglas L, Lowry, Paul Benjamin

ABSTRACT

Introductory Information System (IS) courses commonly focus too heavily on teaching application features, as opposed to teaching unstructured problem-solving skills. In response to this pedagogical gap, professors at Brigham Young University have developed integrated cases that improve the instruction for their introductory IS course. In this paper, we overview a case that provides a realistic and compelling problem-solving experience for teaching Microsoft Excel(TM) measurement capabilities. This case describes the customer service issues and installation problems faced by an Internet service provider, along with pertinent cost and service data. The case requires the student to play the role of a management consultant who is asked to make business recommendations using Excel(TM). To effectively work with this case, students need exposure to Excel(TM) lookups, date/time capabilities, and countif / sumif functions, as well as other basic Excel(TM) features. To help the instructor implement this case, we have provided teaching notes that overview the history of the case, teaching suggestions, and a highly detailed grading and discussion template.

Keywords: Excel, metrics, management consulting, internet service providers, help desk, Information Systems, customer service

1.CASE SUMMARY

The student works as a management consultant at Laser ISP (LISP), a company that is having problems with its installation and customer service process. Three different installation approaches are being used, for which data is given that the consultant needs to analyze to make improvement recommendations: (1) onsite technician install; (2) do-it-yourself install with No CD; and (3) do-ityourself-install with the installation support tutorial CD.

The consultants (students) are asked to do several tasks: First, they are to finish an incomplete costs table, where each of the different installation types has different cost structures. Second, they are to analyze the customerservice effects of the various installation approaches. Customer service generally occurs on two levels at LISP: phone calls to the LISP help desk from customers having problems, and actual visits by LISP technicians to the home of customers that have problems. Clearly, the fewer customer-service incidents the better, and help desk calls are preferable to home visits because calls take less time and are much less costly. Third, the consultants need to summarize and compare the data to make recommendations on which installation approach is the most effective in terms of cost and customer-service.

2. INTRODUCTION

You are a highly paid management consultant from Big IV Consulting who has been asked to help LASER ISP (LISP), an Internet Service Provider (ISP), improve its installation capabilities and customer service. You have been assigned to consult on this engagement because you have an IS degree and experience using Excel(TM) to solve unstructured managerial problems. Because you have an Information Systems degree, you not only have strong business acumen but also the ability to understand and use technology to solve complex business issues. You have been given a team of staff consultants who have conducted some preliminary analysis and interviews for you, which you will use to complete deliverables that will help LISP's managers solve their pressing issues.

Laser ISP focuses solely on providing Digital S ubscriber Line (DSL) service for residential customers. LISP provides service to residential customers in Silicon Valley. LISP exists within a highly competitive market place and has been under increasing pressure lately because of competition from multiple sources. The majority of local phone companies, long-distance phone companies, satellite providers, and cable companies are trying to enter the broadband Internet service provision market. Thus, there is strong market pressure to keep ISP p rices competitive and to provide excellent customer service. What further complicates LISP's competitive situation is that it does not own any of the phone lines through which it provides DSL service. These phone lines are leased directly from LISP's biggest D SL competitor, B aby Bell, which o wns 70% o f the local phone lines in Silicon Valley. Thus, LISP struggles to compete with Baby B ell on price, so it must compete by providing better customer service including faster installations and superior service when customers experience problems. The next section describes some of the particular issues that LISP has faced in installing and servicing its DSL service.

3. BACKGROUND

The specific division of LISP you have been asked to work with is its Customer Support Division, which is responsible for all DSL installation and post-installation support. Based on your preliminary interviews and analysis with executive management at LISP, your consulting team has prepared a summary of the key problems that are being experienced at LISP. As the lead consultant, you are responsible for analyzing these problems and to make recommendations that help solve LISP's installation and customer support problems.