The number of sites had only a small impact on the accuracy. Additionally, you won't have to hire any customer service reps to work a night shift -- meaning you'll have happier employees who are working reasonable hours. In this article, based on my personal experience, I will point out some of the tasks the FTS model helps to solve best and what you should know about the FTS model to help your agency reach its goals. The term calendar efficiency helps in understanding the analysis further. Figure 5: Successful implementation of FTS depends on reliable software tools and utilities. Follow the Sun Support - SyncApps, the #1 Integration Cloud [3] Frederick P Brooks Jr. Believe it or not, the Covid-19 pandemic certainly influenced the decision to bring this powerful idea to life with local client support branches and personnel on every continent. Its also a great record to have on hand to show various stakeholders just how much your department can accomplish in any given window of time., Visualizing your cloud infrastructure in a centralized location that is accessible to all global team members will create an accurate and consistent picture of your follow the sun model from day one. PDF How to Provide Global Support Combine all of this with an efficient follow the sun framework, and youll be delivering best-in-class service to all of your users. Some companies go with the more traditional application of follow the sun: which means providing anytime, anywhere, 24/7/365 support. 4KKq#VPd)M(*=X i d`rdadcNaVdnep!!!!|F_f0b You will want to standardize on the technology and tools you use to support your agile methodologies and implement, monitor, revise, and manage your follow the sun model. WDSGlobal case study: In 2004 a study conducted within the company of WDSGlobal reported the following list of what worked in FTS software development (when doing Extreme Programming) [7]: The study reported the following lessons that were learned: The study involved teams from the USA, UK and Singapore. In addition, there is research about location selection and the effect of the number of selected locations. Because of the hand-offs, work is owned by and worked on by one site at a time. Think of the home base as the product owner. 128 0 obj <> endobj xref 128 43 0000000016 00000 n What Is the Follow the Sun Model? | Lucidchart Blog Journal of Management Information Systems, 27(1):17-38, 2010. Customers who aren't in your timezone won't have to wait for you to wake up to receive service. ppt.gc.ca. By staggering their support personnel start times across these key time zones, they are able to meet the service level-agreements theyve set for their customers. 0000069194 00000 n mobile handsets, firmware, e-commerce systems, and innovative supply chain management). In fact, a study conducted by the CMO Council found that arranging technical assistance and 24/7 accessibility were the top two ways that companies could improve product experience for users.. It's a model that provides support for clients at all times of the day or night, every day. Time to market is the amount of time it takes from the moment the product is conceived until the product is available for use or sale. Its a great way to optimize your support. If youre using a customer service platform with great analytics, youll be able to make data-driven decisions about the right time to expand globally. As a result, the benefits of FTS tend to be concentrated around isolated phases rather than having an overall impact on the development cycle. The follow-the-sun model has proven to be successful for our business as team members were relocating and searching for safety while making sure none of the clients felt what they felt. In creating a support structure based on this schedule, they examined the business units they needed to support and each region. 0000013630 00000 n Theres no reason to leap forward with global support if most of your customers are in only one or two regions. Depending on the answer, you might just need a globally-accessible FAQ page or Help Center rather than a team of people always on call. Your plan needs to include specific roles, processes, and training necessary to meet customer expectations. The main criteria to go for FTS is the reduction in the development time or time-to-market. Formal systems such as discussion forums or internal Wiki sites may prove to be useful. In Global Software Engineering, 2009. Well explain how to calculate and reduce turnover in your organization. And that's where the follow the sun customer support model comes in. 0000007912 00000 n IEEE, 2013. The tools you use should emphasize team collaboration and the automation of reporting, scheduling, planning, and progress tracking. 2 traditional software development stresses on minimal job hand-offs, whereas FTS focusses on day-to day job hand-offs [1]. The war in Ukraine also impacted us personally. The most popular online Visio alternative, Lucidchart is utilized in over 180 countries by millions of users, from sales managers mapping out target organizations to IT directors visualizing their network infrastructure. The organization which we are using in our example has offices spread worldwide and the Follow the Sun support model works wonderfully well for it. The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering, Anniversary Edition, 2/E. [2] Murray R Millson, SP Raj, and David Wilemon. What could shorter department turnaround times mean for what youre trying to achieve globally? If you plan well and start slowly to see what works and what doesnt, you can more easily scale your efforts and ramp up services until you meet your goals and satisfy customer expectations. HubSpot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. Others, such as Gupta [5], also make similar observations and propose that FTS is very well suited to support core agile practices. Another important benefit of the FTS model is the opportunity to learn more about new markets and lay the foundation for the further development of the definite regional market. IBM in 1990s was probably one of the first companies to record the implementation of FTS in its software development teams globally [1]. The iteration period lasts for a short time period (between two to four weeks). Additionally, it will help you determine the processes you currently use and if your customer support is robust enough -- do you offer email, phone, and live chat support? Join 64,500+ Customer-Facing Professionals, Pop up for FREE CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAP TEMPLATES. A research carried out by Yap [7], a globally distributed software project team (UK, USA, and Singapore), followed the FTS approach under the Extreme Programming (XP) model (an Agile methodology Zuora also employs a daily handoff model, in which open and pending matters are passed along to the next team when one goes off duty. See how this model can benefit your IT department. For this model to work, all sites must be using the same tools and development methodologies (planning, bug tracking, version control, reporting, and so on). Note that it will only suit some business models. This is because work happens almost round the clock, compared to just eight hour efforts in traditional software workflow. Since the teams may have different tasks, it is important to ensure that each team has a common understanding of goals, methods and company policies. This means that one team takes over the task when the first team is over. Follow-the-sun support with JIRA Service Desk - Valiantys 7. Read world-renowned marketing content to help grow your audience, Read best practices and examples of how to sell smarter, Read expert tips on how to build a customer-first organization, Read tips and tutorials on how to build better websites, Get the latest business and tech news in five minutes or less, Learn everything you need to know about HubSpot and our products, Stay on top of the latest marketing trends and tips, Join us as we brainstorm new business ideas based on current market trends. Zuora uses private comments in Zendesk tickets to help communicate important details to team members picking up issues already in progress. The initiative was unsuccessful, and the project was ultimately implemented using only the essential principles of global software development. Beside this benefit, there are also other advantages as well which can be found on Fig. By its basic definition, "follow-the-sun" means that support literally follows the sunit's a type of global workflow in which issues can be handled by and passed between support locations in different time zones to increase responsiveness and reduce delays. However, if the communication within the system is poor, it may also end up in chaos, production delays and sufficient losses for the company. Where are our customers primarily located? Follow-the-sun schedule - The follow-the-sun schedule is used by teams that may work internationally in different time zones, and ensures full 24/7 coverage. Free and premium plans, Content management software. In California, teams start in waves at 7am, 8am, and 9am (PST). A customer service platform with mobile access might allow you to stagger your shifts between home and work, and to cover different time zones, without having to hire a remote representative. The follow the sun model is a service and support method that is designed to address and satisfy customer needs without regard to geographic location or current time. For some, it may make more sense to have people in the office rather than working from home to expand and grow without opening an office first. 0000003713 00000 n Documenting how many resources are available every month at the start of a new project will help your team determine accurate timelines and avoid team member burnout. The "Follow-the-Sun" support model is a structured model that works best for service desks that work around the clock. Thank you for subscribing to our email communication. However, it may be one of the most potent benefits for your business. This can be done by evaluating when your customers need you most, and carefully considering how to meet them where they are. Essentially, it's 24/7 support, no matter where the sun is up, without needing any customer service department to work late shifts. To manage the workflow efficiently the principles shown in Fig. Support Model - Slide Team Oops! Project collaboration becomes immensely easier when the status of each task (and the progress made on the task) is clearly documented. . PjYIh$ 3lKPt[?7\p rNt[n@rS +@G9z|t- ]P$>(h)tQ c5+${._~;i$ X~,h XOjcL^W? 0000063943 00000 n The purpose of this article was to present a comprehensive study on the FTS model for software development. Agile has several characteristics which support FTS adoption [6]. Follow-the-sun - Wikipedia As a management approach, FTS provides your business with several opportunities that, when fully realized, may benefit your business. Fourth IEEE International Conference It is also known under different names such as 24 hour development or Round the clock development. The effective utilization of code repositories and version control management systems is crucial to the success of the FTS approach. [13] Alex Cameron. 1 gives the relevant facts regarding various working schemes. 42nd Hawaii International Conference on. The most popular online Visio alternative, Lucidchart is utilized in over 180 countries by millions of users, from sales managers mapping out target organizations to IT directors visualizing their network infrastructure. Follow-The-Sun Model: How To Overcome Challenges And Discover - Forbes [4] AGupta, Amar. 'r( bU:nL,/C^=E#$c;kNaw ] ^6JaI-~5%)IScN8D!MZl1?/*8(Y 7 3go>".X@`kDe!K Tools to support data security and encryption such as VPNs are also important. HICSS09. Follow the sun: distributed extreme programming development. While you wont all be in the same room for these meetings, video conferences are fairly easy to set up and schedule. The implementation of FTS, if not practiced correctly, may result in failures and projects going over budget [10]. It may take more time than anticipated to ask questions and receive answers. Follow-the-sun support model is a very common paradigm for enterprise support companies wanting to deliver round the clock critical support for business critical applications. But these steps will add to the increase in cost due to burnout and fatigue [2]. Because it is always daytime somewhere in the world, you need a way to support customers around the globe no matter what time zone they are in and without too much delay. The process of hand offs must be smooth and conflict free. It is interesting to note that there have been very few documented cases of successful FTS application in the software industry. If possible, these meetings could be conducted during the hand-off so that the team can better communicate and share knowledge with each other. She is a leading digital transformation evangelist for the pharma and life sciences industries. They are required to fill in a request form through a portal. Open Scholars support emerging Open Learning alternatives<br />In-Class Support in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania! A follow the sun model can help your organization provide 24/7/365 support to customers across the globe, regardless of time or location. The FTS model has proven its potential for decreasing time to market, accelerating product development and ensuring consistent client communication. 0000063868 00000 n That's why as the assets are transferred to the next team, you need to ensure that detailed workflow documentation and technical tasks do not require further clarification. These are reactive in nature. VX8pt@I:4QLBfbjT,m}66 In addition, team members in the Beijing office start at 7am, 9am, 1pm, and 2pm CST (China Standard Time). In traditional software development, global teams are less dependent on one another and usually do not pass on the work (hand-off). This efficiency further increases with the number of locations and shifts. Follow-the-Sun (FTS) is a strategy in Global Software Development (GSD) focusing on software development twenty-four hours, seven days per week with physically distributed teams. Follow the sun is also used in software, technology, and other sectors as a customer service model. Follow-the-sun paradigm background reading. Although the advantages presented above could take your business to the next level, adopting a follow the sun model comes with its own set of challenges and disadvantages. 0000065768 00000 n Slide 1 of 5. They meet their global support goals with these two teams working together, giving them 18 hours a day of coverage without having to staff up aggressively. Typical challenges such as coordination, communication and culture differences presents a bigger challenge to FTS than GSD, as FTS involves daily hand-offs. That means customers requests and communications are coming in quickly and oftenand these businesses must meet that demand. Another group could start at 8:00 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. to support the Mountain and Pacific Time Zones. Presenting support model PPT slide template. Follow the Sun When you use a follow the sun model, round-the-clock IT support is provided by following the sun from time zone to time zone. Communication through emails and Slack with 16+ hour gaps between responses can lead to deployment missteps, security breaches staying open longer, and IT engineers completing redundant work., With a follow the sun model, on the other hand, daily handoffs of projects and tasks build better communication lines between global offices and their network engineers. The three teams consist of 2 micro-teams (composite persona [17]), with at least one person from each location. trailer <]/Prev 478482>> startxref 0 %%EOF 170 0 obj <>stream [12] Miguel Jimnez, Mario Piattini, and Aurora Vizcano. In this section we give a number of research themes within Follow-the-Sun software development research. But other companies may determine are manually changeable. Slide 1 of 2. Business and operational support model. With follow the sun model, support timings are always during the day which means all your agents will be able to perform much better without requiring to alternate shifts which can affect their productivity Global visibility: Follow the sun is a great way for your company to sell globally right from the start. Each production site works during the day as a subteam and it needs within-site coordination. To do this from a single office theyd have to aggressively staff up. 0000065843 00000 n When you keep everyone on the same page, service ticket times go down, security gets stronger, workflows become more seamless, and customers receive a better technical experience. The FTS approach is based on the principle of handing-off unfinished work to the next location at the end of work day. Determine when your customers need you the most so you can define your goals around their needs. Nataliya Andreychuk is the CEO of Viseven. Project handoffs are done on a daily basis at the end of each shift. As someone who has been working with the top 100 pharma companies, I know that preparation and planning are key. The result was that the project was completed in 5.5 weeks, while it was estimated to be completed in 6 weeks in non-FTS mode, so it reduced time. Make your own animated videos and animated presentations for free. [16] Josiane Kroll, Ita Richardson, Jorge LN Audy, and Jude Fernandez. You can update your preferences or unsubscribe at any time. I went down the street to the 24-hour grocery store. We have discussed how technology tools and infrastructure play an important role in the successful implementation of FTS. Free and premium plans. [10] Eoin Conchir, Helena Holmstrom Olsson, Par J Agerfalk, and Brian Fitzgerald. According to Carmel [1], FTS has challenges such as coordination barriers, cultural differences, and communication difficulties depicted in Fig. 0000001156 00000 n Within the FTS approach, one of the teams always plays a leading role, being responsible for strategic planning, quality assessment and much more. The model you choose, develop, and refine should be the one that works best for you and your customers. Determine which services will be provided, when they will be provided, and what skill set will be needed to provide those services. Technology Tools and Infrastructure to Support FTS. By checking this box, I agree to Zendesk contacting me with marketing-related communications about Zendesk products, services, and events. Pearson Education India, 1995. By submitting my personal information, I consent to Zendesk collecting, processing, and storing my information in accordance with the, By submitting my personal data, I consent to Zendesk collecting, processing, and storing my information in accordance with the, The value of agent education and training during economic slowdowns, What is employee turnover? To this end, the FTS research needs to be done comprehensively, so that companies start adopting it in real-time projects. The follow the sun model is certainly not a new concept - nor is it unique to corporate travel management or the travel industry. Knowledge transfer and sharing of project critical information with concerned parties is essential for smooth operation of the project. What is a Follow the Sun Model? | Global Call Forwarding ). In order to understand and use FTS, some key principles on which FTS is based are mentioned in this section. -- Created using PowToon -- Free sign up at http://www.powtoon.com/ . To visualize, we created the diagram below: Global customer support might not be necessary for every company, but it's important to begin using a global customer service model if you have international customers who are submitting tickets while you're asleep. A subteam can consist of one or more members. ICGSE 2009. The follow the sun model is a service and support method that is designed to address and satisfy customer needs without regard to geographic location or current time. They also divide their support to cater to two groups of customers: participants (employees at companies) and client administrators (HR teams administering equity and compensation). Lucidchart is the intelligent diagramming application that empowers teams to clarify complexity, align their insights, and build the futurefaster. System Sciences (HICSS), 2014 47th Hawaii International Conference on, pages 331339. In Global Software Engineering (ICGSE), 2010 5th IEEE International Conference on, pages 165174. For example, another Zendesk customer, Prezi, has teams in two locationsone in San Francisco and one in Budapest. This Presentation graphic is eloquent and useful for the IT students, IT researchers, and IT specialists from various fields. Software development involving multiple global locations in different time zones is not always FTS if it does not satisfy all the criteria mentioned in the. 0000008134 00000 n Rather than making the customer wait several hours until you can get back to working on a solution, follow the sun allows you to pass on the work to the next site. So how can companies of different sizes utilize that to their advantage? Proceedings, pages 218{224. With this model, none of your locations are neglected or receive better customer service. Understand and optimize your cloud infrastructure today with Lucidscale. In Agile Conference, 2005. This theme is specifically for location selection and the impact of it. In Global Software Engineering Workshops (ICGSEW), 2013 IEEE 8th International Conference on, pages 1823. Picture this. These questions will help you determine if you have enough tickets coming in from each area in the world and if it's a standard practice to offer 24/7 support. With this intuitive, cloud-based solution, everyone can work visually and collaborate in real time while building flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, and more. Figure 1: Follow the Sun approach follows a 24h task hand-off based approach to software development. CX is a top priority for financial services providers, and for good reason. The impact of number of sites in a follow the sun setting on the actual and perceived working speed and accuracy: A controlled experiment. 0000063342 00000 n Several workflows seem to be using the FTS model, but in reality this is not always the case. F9,Y%9Q@o:B"w7Fy||:R_q};gxJ2#'S2"8S$I(y'_`}WHw6(iEM:+9%Wl )ThVXNo"iN U=v f4. [14] Josiane Kroll, Sajid Ibrahim Hashmi, Ita Richardson, and Jorge LN Audy. This is a highly collaborative, communicative approach to customer service, and it's a delicate line to balance. Free and premium plans, Operations software. This means that efficiency in task hand-off is of paramount importance to the success of the FTS approach. At the same time, I can attest that it takes considerable investment, time and human resources. For example, you may need skilled bilingual managers and associates to help with international communications. Some key assumptions in deriving the above principles are listed below: Follow the sun approach involves daily handoff of the work which suggests that there will be some reduction in the project duration. What in the world is the "Follow-the-Sun" support model? Most of the current code repositories are cloud based and accessible across geographies. CNSC released the formal follow-up report to Sun Media, with the un . 0000067119 00000 n Figure 2: Calendar Efficiency in different Working Modes [1]. Rimini Street Managed Services for Salesforce clients benefit from the responsive, client-centric support model that Rimini Street is known for with its Oracle and SAP enterprise software support. We identified three main themes, namely challenges and best practices, location selection and hand-offs management. Figure 4: Agile is a perfect choice of software development methodology for FTS. The second case study involved three distinct projects with development sites in the United States and India, and met with drastic failure. With this intuitive, cloud-based solution, everyone can work visually and collaborate in real time while building flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, and more. In other words, Follow the Sun is a 24/7 customer support approach for local and international clients. 0000006358 00000 n Use Lucidscale to create a higher-level overview of your architecture diagram thats ready to present to stakeholders. What is a follow the sun model? - Zendesk UK The handoffs can be applied to any software development task. With so many architecture models out there for you to base your system designs on, what makes a follow the sun model stand out? working only during daylight hours. This workflow model is specifically designed to help address customers' needs without regard to geolocation or time zone. [20] ZONE, HOW INFOSYS MANAGES TIME. But not every industry really requires that. There is only one site that owns the product at any point in time. "Follow the sun" is a service and support model designed to address customer's needs regardless of geographic location or time-zone. ITSM Support Model ITSM is built on the core belief that IT is a concept that needs to be delivered as a service. [11] Siri-on Setamanit, Wayne Wakeland, and David Raffo. Now, what does this look like in action? ](Ohg2jFy0tz H`?d/r_@IEPCZGr H However, manually building the documentation from scratch could be a daysor even weekslong processan unnecessary burden when youre trying to implement a new model., We can help you visualize your cloud infrastructure in just a few seconds. Slide 1 of 2. If the sun is shining over a region, be it San Francisco, Paris, Hong Kong, or Sydney, business is being conducted there. Linear sequential approaches such as the Waterfall model seem to be inefficient for the FTS approach.