Key finding
The study would test whether capacity reports use the same definitions or hide the gap behind a total.
Question and scope
This is a proposed research protocol, not a report of completed findings. It asks how consistently offshore shifts record volume, handling time, and available hours. The result would describe the reports, not the team's productivity. Update the template when the same question appears twice. The status vocabulary should be short enough to remember. The capacity plan should use productive hours, not scheduled hours.
The protocol does not measure whether the staffing level was correct. It measures whether the inputs to the decision mean the same thing. Keep the evidence with the record rather than in a separate log. Keep the original note beside the corrected version. The status vocabulary should be short enough to remember. The quality sample should link the finding to the source update.
Population and unit of analysis
Define the population as shift reports during a stated window across two or more shifts. The unit is one shift report, with the volume, handling time, and available hours recorded. A control that depends on memory is not yet a control. Test the rule on one real handoff before applying it to both shifts. A handoff that cannot be confirmed is not yet complete. The offshore team should record the local time for both locations.
Link the report to the queue so the same work is not counted twice. If the source is unclear, route the question instead of guessing. Record the date and the source so the next reviewer can repeat the check. Use the same format for every handover so the next reader can scan it. The quality sample should link the finding to the source update. A handoff that cannot be confirmed is not yet complete.
Definitions and measures
Define volume as the tasks received in the interval. Define handling time as the time from acceptance to completion, including rework. Define available hours as productive time, not scheduled time. A short note with four fields is easier to use than a long narrative. The access review should name the role and the permission level. The review should leave one owner and one date.
Report the definitions and the rates by shift. A high available-hours figure with a different definition may not be comparable. Record the date and the source so the next reviewer can repeat the check. A control that depends on memory is not yet a control. The onboarding plan should end with a written readiness decision.
Evidence standard
Use the queue export and the time record. A manual summary without a source is weak evidence. Record the exception and the person who approved it. A control that depends on memory is not yet a control. The review should leave one owner and one date. The shift report should show the export time and the system.
Record the export time and the system. A report that was edited after the shift should be marked as edited. A control that depends on memory is not yet a control. Test the rule on one real handoff before applying it to both shifts. The team lead should review the missed handoffs weekly. The status vocabulary should be short enough to remember.
Sampling and collection
Use a census of the shift reports. If sampling is necessary, stratify by shift and day of week. A short note with four fields is easier to use than a long narrative. Record the exception and the person who approved it. The client owner should see the trade-off before the scope changes. The offshore team should record the local time for both locations.
Pilot the review on a few reports and compare the reviewers. Clarify how a task carried across shifts is treated. Ask whether a new reviewer could act on the record without a conversation. Keep the evidence with the record rather than in a separate log. The client owner should see the trade-off before the scope changes. The capacity plan should use productive hours, not scheduled hours.
Analysis and reporting
Report the definitions and the rates by shift. Show the reports where the definitions differ. A total that hides the difference is not a comparison. Write the deadline as a date and a local time. The client owner should see the trade-off before the scope changes. The review should leave one owner and one date.
Present the results as a description of the reporting practice, not a ranking of shifts. Name the definition that should be standardized. Use the same format for every handover so the next reader can scan it. A control that depends on memory is not yet a control. The capacity plan should use productive hours, not scheduled hours. The status vocabulary should be short enough to remember.
Limits and sources of error
The time record may be rounded or reconstructed. The queue export may not capture work done outside the system. A short note with four fields is easier to use than a long narrative. Record the exception and the person who approved it. The quality sample should link the finding to the source update. The shift report should show the export time and the system.
The shifts may have different task mixes. Report the mix and avoid comparing unlike periods. Use the same format for every handover so the next reader can scan it. Keep the original note beside the corrected version. The shift report should show the export time and the system. The access review should name the role and the permission level.
Review cadence
Repeat the review after a definition change or at the same interval each quarter. Compare the same shifts and the same intervals. Use the same format for every handover so the next reader can scan it. Test the rule on one real handoff before applying it to both shifts. The onboarding plan should end with a written readiness decision. The quality sample should link the finding to the source update.
Assign the follow-up to the capacity owner and set a date. The protocol should produce a specific decision about the definitions. A short note with four fields is easier to use than a long narrative. Keep the boundary visible in the place where the work is assigned. The shift report should show the export time and the system. The offshore team should record the local time for both locations.
Sources
Apply this research to your workflow
Use the protocol to define the records, review owner, and decision boundaries before work is delegated.
Discuss your workflow