BPM/BPO Processes and Service Delivery
This domain tests the vocabulary of service delivery in a BPM/BPO operation and your ability to compute the common metrics.
Core rules
- BPM is managing a client's business process end to end; BPO is outsourcing a specific process. Both run on documented process maps, SLAs and quality checks.
- SLA: the contractual target agreed with the client, e.g. 95% of emails answered within 24 hours. TAT: time taken to complete one transaction. AHT: average handle time per contact.
- AHT = (talk time + hold time + after-call work) ÷ number of calls.
- FCR = issues resolved on first contact; CSAT = satisfaction rating; quality score = audit compliance; occupancy = productive time ÷ available time; shrinkage = unproductive logged-in time such as breaks, absences and training; attrition = staff leaving.
- Escalation matrix: L1 agent → L2 team leader → L3 process manager. Follow it; do not bypass it.
- Compliance standards: ISO 9001 for quality, PCI-DSS for card data, HIPAA for US health data, plus client NDAs.
Worked example
An agent logs in for 8 hours, has 5.5 productive hours, and handles 60 calls. AHT = 330 min ÷ 60 = 5.5 minutes = 5 min 30 s. Reasoning: AHT uses productive time, because breaks and meetings are shrinkage, not handling time. Using 480 minutes would wrongly give 8 minutes.
Traps
- Confusing TAT (one transaction) with SLA (an aggregate commitment).
- Mixing shrinkage (daily lost time) with attrition (people leaving).
- Treating a low AHT as good quality; fast calls with poor FCR damage CSAT.
- Quoting internal targets as if they were client SLAs.