In an inbound contact centre, the customer’s patience, not a conveyor, sets the pace. Demand arrives stochastically, customers wait inside the value stream, and work in process is often a queue of people waiting for an available agent.
That makes first-contact resolution (FCR) the central definition of value. The customer wants the enquiry resolved correctly, during the first interaction, without repeating information or calling again. A good average handle time can conceal the opposite result: a short call that creates a second call is not an efficient value stream.
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) makes this pattern visible. It connects process steps, information flow, waiting, handoffs, rework and customer outcomes so a contact centre can improve the whole stream rather than optimise one metric in isolation.
1. Define the Contact Centre Value Stream
The scope for this worked example is:
From call arrival in the queue through to confirmed resolution and, where relevant, completion of the follow-up task.
The enquiry family includes billing and account enquiries. The customer’s definition of value is:
“My enquiry resolved correctly on the first contact, by a person who already knows who I am, without me having to call back.”
The centre receives 540 billing and account calls across a 10-hour day, supported by 60 agents.
Demand and takt calculation
- Total available agent time:
60 agents × 10 hours = 600 agent-hours - Demand per agent-hour:
540 calls ÷ 600 agent-hours = 0.9 calls per agent-hour - Equivalent workload interval:
60 minutes ÷ 0.9 = 66.7 agent-minutes per call - System-level takt:
600 available clock minutes ÷ 540 calls = 1.11 minutes per system call
The 0.9 calls per agent-hour figure describes demand intensity. The 1.11-minute system takt describes the average arrival rhythm across the operating day. Neither replaces queueing analysis, because arrivals vary by time of day and agent availability changes continuously.
VSM is best used alongside DMAIC project scoping, customer feedback, workforce data and statistical analysis.
2. Current-State Map: Call Arrival to Resolution
The current state shows a direct resolution path plus a repeat-contact loop.
| Step | Current-state observation | Time or outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1. IVR and self-service routing | Customer selects billing or account route; some options do not match the enquiry | 0.87 min |
| 2. Queue wait | Customer waits for an available agent | 4.1 min average |
| 3. Greeting and authentication | Agent greets, verifies identity and repeats information already entered in IVR | Included in 6.4-min AHT |
| 4. Issue diagnosis | Agent clarifies the enquiry and identifies the required transaction | Included in AHT |
| 5. Knowledge lookup | Agent searches multiple or outdated articles | Included in AHT |
| 6. Billing/CRM access | Agent navigates systems and waits for screens to load | Included in AHT |
| 7. Resolution or transfer | Agent resolves, transfers, or creates a follow-up task | 18% transferred |
| 8. Wrap-up and notes | Disposition, notes and quality documentation are completed | 92 sec |
| 9. Follow-up task | Open work is assigned to back office or a callback queue | Backlog risk |
| 10. Repeat contact | Customer calls again when the issue is unresolved or unclear | 13.2% within 7 days; 24% within 30 days |
The standard path average handle time is 6.4 minutes, of which only 1.9 minutes is value-adding from the customer’s perspective.
A second cut of the data is important: transferred calls average 8.4 minutes, again with only 1.9 minutes of value-added resolution. The overall 6.4-minute average is mathematically consistent with a 5.96-minute non-transfer path and an 8.4-minute transfer path:
(82% × 5.96) + (18% × 8.4) = 6.40 minutes
The current direct-path elapsed resolution time is:
0.87 IVR + 4.10 queue + 6.40 handle + 1.53 wrap-up = 12.90 minutes
The process cycle efficiency is therefore:
PCE = value-added time ÷ total elapsed time × 100
PCE = 1.9 ÷ 12.9 × 100 = 14.7%
This means the customer experiences 12.9 minutes of elapsed time, but only 1.9 minutes directly advances a correct resolution.
The repeat-contact loop adds further cost. At 540 calls per day:
- Repeat contacts within 30 days:
540 × 24% = 129.6 contacts - Estimated repeat-contact cost:
129.6 × $6.40 = $829.44 per day
This is why AHT must be interpreted with FCR, customer effort and repeat-contact data.
3. The Eight DOWNTIME Wastes in the Contact Centre
Defects
Incorrect billing explanations, incomplete notes and partial resolutions create repeat work. The current 24% 30-day repeat rate represents approximately 130 repeat contacts per day, with an estimated incremental cost of $829.44 per day if each repeat generates one additional contact.
Overproduction
Agents create duplicated notes, unnecessary verification steps and wrap-up content that nobody uses. If just 18 seconds of the 92-second wrap-up is avoidable duplication:
540 calls × 0.30 minutes = 162 agent-minutes, or 2.7 hours per day
Waiting
Customers wait in queue for 4.1 minutes on average. Agents also wait for applications to load. At an estimated 18 seconds per call:
540 × 18 seconds = 9,720 seconds = 162 minutes per day
The 7.2% abandon rate represents:
540 × 7.2% = 38.9 customers per day
Non-utilisation of talent
Senior agents may spend time on password resets or routine account verification while junior agents escalate billing decisions because authority boundaries are unclear. If 12% of 60 agents’ daily time is consumed by work below their capability:
60 × 10 hours × 12% = 72 agent-hours per day
Transportation
In a service stream, transportation appears as transfers between departments. The 18% transfer rate creates:
540 × 18% = 97.2 transfers per day
Of those transfers, 41% require re-authentication:
97.2 × 41% = 39.9 re-authentication events per day
Inventory
Unworked follow-up tasks, ageing tickets and callback backlogs are service inventory. For example, a 160-task open queue with an average 1.6-minute handling requirement represents:
160 × 1.6 = 256 minutes, or 4.3 agent-hours of open work
Motion
Agents navigate four or more applications per call. With an estimated 14 screen toggles per contact:
540 × 14 = 7,560 toggles per day
The issue is not the physical movement of a person; it is unnecessary cognitive and digital movement.
Extra processing
Knowledge articles that do not match the system of record force agents to compare sources and document the same outcome in the CRM and quality tool. If this creates 24 seconds of additional work on 30% of calls:
540 × 30% × 0.4 minutes = 64.8 extra agent-minutes per day
4. Future-State Design: Build for First-Contact Resolution
The future state should not merely shorten calls. It should increase the proportion of calls that end in a correct, confirmed resolution.
The principal kaizen bursts are:
- Authority matrix: permit trained agents to complete defined billing adjustments without transfer.
- Knowledge management refresh: create one controlled source of truth with article owners, expiry dates and system-of-record alignment.
- Single authentication: carry verified identity across approved internal transfers.
- Warm transfers: send a screen-pop containing customer identity, enquiry summary, actions completed and the remaining decision.
- System-response SLA: measure application response time as a process input, with an agreed threshold and escalation trigger.
- Skills-based routing: route billing and account enquiries to the right capability at the first attempt.
- Reduced after-call work: use auto-populated disposition codes and structured note templates.
- Voice-of-Customer loop: ask a post-call “Was your enquiry resolved?” question and link results to FCR and repeat-contact data.
- Weekly coaching rhythm: Team Leaders and the Quality & Coaching Lead review FCR, repeat reasons and sampled calls every week.
The current-state map, waste walk, future-state design and kaizen backlog can be run digitally in Ci Flow, a separate product from SigmaFlow. Ci Flow supports value stream mapping, project governance, evidence capture and portfolio visibility in one improvement workspace.
5. Current Versus Future Performance
| Metric | Current | Future | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-contact resolution | 61% | 82% | +21 points |
| Repeat contact, 7 days | 13.2% | 4.0% | -9.2 points |
| Repeat contact, 30 days | 24% | 9% | -15 points |
| Average handle time | 6.4 min | 5.6 min | -0.8 min |
| Transfer rate | 18% | 6% | -12 points |
| Abandon rate | 7.2% | 3.5% | -3.7 points |
| Wrap-up/after-call work | 92 sec | 45 sec | -47 sec |
| Cost per contact | $6.40 | $5.10 | -$1.30 |
| Customer effort score | 4.8/7 | 2.9/7 | -1.9 |
| Occupancy | 87% | 84% | -3 points |
| Elapsed resolution time | 12.9 min | 9.0 min | -3.9 min |
| Process cycle efficiency | 14.7% | 31.1% | +16.4 points |
For the future-state PCE calculation, the value-added portion increases to 2.8 minutes because the agent spends more time completing the actual customer resolution and less time searching, transferring or re-documenting:
Future PCE = 2.8 ÷ 9.0 × 100 = 31.1%
The future elapsed time is:
0.60 IVR + 2.05 queue + 5.60 handle + 0.75 wrap-up = 9.0 minutes
The targeted improvement is therefore not “make agents rush.” It is to remove avoidable work so more of each contact contributes to a complete answer.
6. 30/60/90-Day Kaizen Sequence
Days 1–30: Stabilise the current state
- Contact Centre Manager: approve the scope, baseline definitions and FCR target.
- Workforce Management Lead: publish demand by interval, queue wait and occupancy data.
- Knowledge Manager: identify the top 20 billing and account repeat reasons.
- CRM/System Owner: measure application response time and authentication failures.
- Quality & Coaching Lead: audit 50 calls for incorrect information, repeat explanations and incomplete notes.
- Team Leaders: begin weekly FCR review huddles.
Milestone: validated current-state VSM, Pareto of repeat reasons and agreed data definitions.
Days 31–60: Pilot the future-state mechanisms
- Pilot the authority matrix with one team.
- Refresh the highest-volume knowledge articles.
- Introduce warm-transfer summaries and auto-populated dispositions.
- Test skills-based routing for billing and account enquiries.
- Launch the resolved-yes/no customer survey.
Milestone: demonstrate transfer reduction, wrap-up reduction and FCR improvement in the pilot group without increasing defects.
Days 61–90: Scale and control
- Contact Centre Manager: approve scale-up using pilot evidence.
- CRM/System Owner: deploy identity carryover and screen-pop capability.
- Knowledge Manager: establish article governance and monthly review.
- Quality & Coaching Lead: add FCR and repeat-contact coaching to standard work.
- Workforce Management Lead: recalibrate staffing against the revised demand and occupancy profile.
- Team Leaders: sustain daily visual management and weekly exception reviews.
Milestone: reach or approach 82% FCR, 9% repeat contact, 6% transfers, 45-second wrap-up and 31% PCE, then monitor the measures through a control plan.
7. Develop the Capability to Improve the Stream
A VSM is only as effective as the team’s ability to interpret evidence and deliver change. Lean Six Sigma training helps practitioners distinguish customer value from activity, common-cause variation from special-cause events, and a genuine improvement from a temporary performance spike.
For a structured entry point, explore the CSSC-accredited Lean Six Sigma White Belt. Professionals leading this type of cross-functional project should consider Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training, which covers process mapping, Voice of the Customer, data collection, root-cause analysis, hypothesis testing, piloting solutions and control plans.
You can also strengthen project delivery with practical Lean Six Sigma training materials, including templates and worked examples.
Start your CSSC-accredited Lean Six Sigma certification journey today, then use the method to turn every repeat contact into evidence for a better value stream.
Kaizen. Kai-Care. Kai-Done. Lean Six Sigma.
