Measuring customer satisfaction

A recent addition to its customer- service programs could be an ideal way for Electronic Data Systems Corp. to find out how the Navy thinks the company is doing on the intranet program.

Last year, EDS created an internal tool called the Service Excellence Dashboard to help monitor the company's performance. EDS client executives use the Dashboard to provide updated information about their contracts. This process gives other company executives a current indication of how the company is performing on delivery to more than 9,000 clients worldwide.

The system also includes a Web-based tool that enables clients to provide direct feedback about EDS' performance.

EDS can list all of its federal customers on the Dashboard and monitor on a weekly basis whether the company is living up to its promises, said William Dvoranchik, president of EDS' federal group.

With every aspect of the $6.9 billion Navy Marine Corps Intranet outsourcing contract — which covers voice, video and data services — outlined in a service-level agreement, EDS and its customers could find the tool useful for making sure the company meets its service-level targets. The 37 service-level agreements define expectations ranging from user satisfaction and help-desk response to network downtime.

"All our customers in general are "very satisfied' to "satisfied' with our service delivery," Dvoranchik said.