| |
|
| productivity,
timeliness and service quality |
| |
| 5.1
|
productivity |
| |
Since
most mortgage endowment policies will not mature - and therefore
crystalise any actual losses - in the near future, our
strategy is to prioritise those complaints that do not
involve these policies, while managing the expectations of all
our customers. However, we give early consideration to mortgage
endowment complaints where the underlying mortgage is due to be
repaid shortly or where the policyholder is seriously ill.
Productivity
levels in 2004/05 will be lower than in 2003/04 because: |
| |
|
|
the
remaining "stock" of mortgage endowment cases will become
increasingly difficult as we complete the more straightforward cases; |
|
we
will transfer some existing staff, currently processing mortgage endowment
complaints, to deal with other types of complaint; |
|
high
levels of recruitment will have an impact on the productivity both
of the new staff, while they are being trained, and of those existing
staff who are involved in the training. Our priority when recruiting
will be for staff to work in areas other than mortgage endowments,
since the work in these other areas is more specialised and complex,
and the productivity levels are lower at present than for complaints
involving mortgage endowments.
In
2005/06 we expect the upward trend in productivity to return. There
will be a decline in the economies of scale that help speed productivity
levels for mortgage endowment complaints. However, this will be
more than compensated for by the fact that our newer staff will
by then be fully trained and able to work on a wider range of cases.
|
| |
|
| 5.2 |
headcount |
| |
We
have assumed there will be no additional recruitment in 2004/05. |
| |
|
| 5.3 |
cases
resolved |
| |
With our increased numbers of case handlers, we expect to resolve
and close 88,000 cases in 2004/05, an increase of 10% compared with
the current year. For 2005/06, we expect the number of cases we resolve
to increase to 90,000, with no additional increase in case-handling
staff. |
| |
|
| 5.4 |
timeliness |
| |
We intend to maintain the targets we set in 2003/04, despite the exceptional
increase in the workload (see table 5.6). |
| |
|
| 5.5 |
work-in-progress |
| |
Work-in-progress
will remain at 23 weeks. However, the time it takes before we can
allocate mortgage endowment complaints will increase as staff are
redeployed to deal with other types of cases. We are keen to ensure
that mortgage endowment complaints do not adversely affect service
standards for the rest of our workload.
The recruitment of additional staff in 2003/04 will increase our
capacity for resolving cases. However, volumes of new cases are
likely to remain high, with mortgage endowment cases forming a significant
proportion. The average waiting time before a case (of any type)
can be allocated to an adjudicator will have reduced to 6 weeks
by the end of this year.
In 2005/06, staffing levels will remain steady and we expect our
capacity for resolving cases to significantly exceed the level of
new cases reaching us, reducing the work-in-progress by over 25%.
The average time before we are able to allocate a case to an adjudicator
will have reduced further to 4 weeks by the end of 2005/06.
|
| 5.6 |
summary |
| |
|
actual
2002/03 |
forecast
2003/04 |
budget
2004/05 |
plan
2005/06 |
| opening
work-in-progress |
19,793 |
25,504 |
43,504 |
38,504 |
| new
complaints |
62,170 |
98,000 |
83,000 |
68,000 |
| cases
resolved |
56,459 |
80,000 |
88,000 |
90,000 |
|
closing work-in-progress |
25,504 |
43,504 |
38,504 |
16,504 |
| work-in-hand
(weeks) |
21 |
23 |
23 |
10 |
| productivity |
4.9 |
4.9 |
4.4 |
4.5 |
|
resolved within 3 months |
44% |
44% |
45% |
45% |
| resolved
within 6 months |
76% |
81% |
80% |
80% |
|
resolved within 9 months |
90% |
93% |
90% |
90% |
| resolved
within 12 months |
all
cases reported to the board |
|
| 5.7 |
In our view, these forecasts
represent a sound basis for budget planning and service delivery.
However, as in previous years, we intend to react flexibly to changes
in demand as they arise, and this may involve our needing to recruit
further staff in order to keep our work-in-progress to acceptable
levels. |
|
