Work Flow Analysis Workflow of Answering a Telephone in an Office

Workflow is a series of tasks that an organization undertakes to achieve the desired outcome. A workflow analysis assists an organization to automate, streamline and improve efficiency. (McGonigle, & Mastrian, 2012). In other words, a workflow analysis assists in maximizing an effective use of essential resources, and minimize the activities that are not adding values to organizations. In the United States, the operations of healthcare environment are increasing and require a streamlined business process to enhance safety and quality of healthcare delivery. Workflow is a crucial aspect of information technology to achieve intended business outcome. In a healthcare environment, a workflow is a process of interaction through which hospitals deliver efficient healthcare to patients. While there are different types of workflow, a flowchart is an effective tool to address inefficiencies. Answering a telephone in an office is a common event that occurs regularly in a healthcare organization since a healthcare organization is required to answer patient's calls and calls from other stakeholders.

The objective of this study is to analyze the process of answering a telephone in an office.

The flowchart in Appendix 1 reveals the process an organization answers a telephone call using the company salutation. Typically, a clear method of repetitive telephone routing system is carried out to identify waste and redundancy. The flow chart reveals a nurse receptionist answering a call with a salutation and use the company identification.

The Stakeholder

In a contemporary healthcare organization, internet technology is increasingly replacing human interaction. Despite the importance of online technology, many patients still require the telephone services. The stakeholders in charge of answering the office telephone...

After the receptionist receives a call and collects necessary information, the information collected from the customer is passed to the customer service representative for immediate attention. The customer service representative is an intermediary between the customers and the company who assists in answering consumer questions and resolving issues related to healthcare services. In some cases, the customer service reps may seek more clarification from other healthcare professional such as physicians, nurses, physiotherapists or other healthcare professionals. In the chart, the customer service representatives may connect or route the phone to nurses or physicians to answer the phones calls. It will be necessary for the nurses, physicians or other healthcare professionals to answer the phones calls if there is a need to clarify the technical issues that the customer's representatives face challenging.
Type of Technology Used

A virtual switchboard is one of the effective technologies that our organization employs to route a call. Virtual switchboards are the automated system used to connect different incoming calls, and the virtual switchboard is an effective tool to switch calls to different destinations. The IVR (Interactive Voice Response) is one of the call routing systems having an interface with the company databases. The application is used to expedite telephone request, route a call to appropriate stakeholder and enhance the quality of customer service. The IVR system is very effective tools used to automate customer communications distribution and enhance service follow-up. In essence, it…