Contact Center
Case Study: USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Data Entry Workstream Contact Center
Client's Challenge
Midway through a high-visibility financial assistance program, the federal client faced a significant operational challenge. A separate contractor responsible for data entry and application processing failed to meet throughput and quality expectations, resulting in a large and growing backlog. With the project timeline in jeopardy and public trust at stake, the client needed an immediate and effective intervention.
Key challenges included:
- Taking over a critical data entry operation mid-project.
- Processing tens of thousands of highly detailed applications and supporting documents under strict quality control.
- Clearing a massive backlog without disrupting new application flow.
- Building, staffing, and training a 400-person team within an aggressive six-week ramp-up period.
Midtown's Solution:
Due to our proven track record on the contact center side of the same program, the client entrusted Midtown to rescue the data entry workstream. We quickly mobilized a large, high-performing team and implemented rigorous processes and tools to stabilize and exceed client expectations.
Phased Recruiting & Rapid Onboarding:
- Recruited, provisioned equipment, and onboarded 400+ data entry agents, QA specialists, Tier-2 SMEs, and supervisors – within six weeks.
- Combined alumni from Midtown’s contact center network with newly sourced candidates.
Curriculum and Knowledgebase Development:
- Midtown training experts augmented client materials with additional documentation, how-to guides, and SOPs.
- Created a separate, centralized knowledgebase to ensure consistent access to up-to-date resources for all team members.
Technology-Enabled Delivery:
- Utilized AppStream to access and input data into the claims management system securely.
- Deployed Slack for communication, live troubleshooting, and access to the knowledgebase, ensuring fast issue resolution and operational cohesion.
Two-Tier Quality Assurance Framework:
- Introduced a dual-step QA model:
- Step 1 – Peer Review: Initial review by team members to catch and correct basic errors.
- Step 2 – Formal QA: Specialist assessment for compliance and accuracy.
- Reworked and resubmitted failed entries to maintain consistent throughput without sacrificing quality.
Results-Driven Execution:
- Cleared the entire backlog and kept pace with all new incoming applications within nine weeks.
- Final processing results:
- 47,000 complete applications processed (average 40 pages each).
- 23,000+ sets of supporting documents reviewed and processed.
Exceeding Quality Standards:
- Fully staffed, provisioned equipment, and operationalized a 400-person data entry team in just six weeks.
- Implemented a custom, two-tier QA process tailored to aggressive federal requirements.
- Cleared a significant application backlog without delaying new application processing.
- Processed and quality-checked nearly 70,000 records (applications and documents combined) in less than nine weeks.
- Maintained high accuracy and compliance despite tight timelines and document volume.
- Delivered immediate risk mitigation for a high-profile federal program.
- Centralized training resources and job aids to ensure consistent and accurate work.
