Can you believe it's already September? Welcome to the start of fall. Just as our trees begin to share their beautiful colors, let's also share some improvement beauty. In addition to successes in services and production processes, high-performing organization create beautiful results in their office/admin. processes such as procurement, human resources, customer contact, and project/program management.

We are excited to showcase some of our customers' remarkable successes, aiming to ignite your inspiration and drive to create improvements beyond what you think in possible!

Gap: Customers were frustrated with the long time waiting to get their questions answered.

Objective: Improve customer response time and quality.

Process Improvements:

• Quick contact sheet of Subject Matter Experts information.
• Standardized work (Reference Guide) for answering phone requests.
• “Warm transfer” protocol.
• Internal service level agreements for returning customer calls.
• Updated website with key self-service information.
• A clarified and simplified phone tree.

2. TEAM MEMBER ON-BOARDING SUCCESS STORY 

Gap: 60% of new employees left within 6 months. 

Objective: Decrease new employee turnover.

Process Improvements:

• Improved and standardized on-boarding process for the 1st six months.
• HR, IT, Payroll, Supervisor, and New employee checklists.
• Workplace ready for new employees, including logistics and social interactions with team members.
• On-boarding buddy and mentor roles established to support new employee's development.

3. PROCURING MATERIALS SUCCESS STORY 

Objective: Improve the supply ordering process time and accuracy. 

Process Improvements:

• Re-sequenced and redesigned the process to eliminate unnecessary steps, recycle loops, wait time and other wastes.
• Key job aids were developed.
• Increased use of P-cards for frequent buyers.
• Provided budget visibility and codes.
• 1 standard order form.
• 1 SharePoint site for all data.
• 5S'd the storage room & vendor catalog data.
• Established a kanban ordering system to decrease inventory and standardize ordering. 

4. IMPROVE PROJECT SETUP WORK PROCESS SUCCESS STORY

Objective: Decrease process cycle time.

Process Improvements:

• A standardized process with roles and responsibilities.
• Electronic review/approvals. Less approvers.
• Mistake-proofed (poka yoke) templates for submittal.
• Clarity of requirements, definitions, roles, and responsibilities.
• 1 Repository for all documentation.
• Eliminated non-value-added work and frustration.