IMPROVED WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT“Cultural Change and Building Trust”

Pat Leach – T&D Engineering Supervisor Projects & ServicesTacoma PowerSponsors: Chang Choi - Engineering Manager

Craig Lohrey - C&M ManagerApril, 2016

TACOMA POWERTacoma Power’s 180-square-mile service area includes the City of Tacoma as well as other surrounding Cities. We are a municipality, which serve approximately 170,000 customers and wheel power to ten area utilities.

T&D ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS• Safety• Support Services• Engineering• Construction and Maintenance• System Planning and Operations• Electrical Services

SUMMARYTacoma Power’s Transmission and Distribution section embarked on aprocess improvement effort in 2009 to:

“Develop a work management strategy, processes, andimplementation plan which encourage innovation, continuousimprovement, communication, efficiency, and coordinationbetween T&D work groups.”

This presentation seeks to provide insight to why the effort wasn’t fully embraced and how T&D is renewing implementation efforts towards improved Workflow Management

EMPLOYEES ARE CHALLENGINGTHE “STATUS QUO”

“Too many priorities. We are always reacting. Majority of thework can be better planned.”

“We rush to complete construction at the end of thebudget period. Why can’t work orders be created sooner?”

“It’s difficult to obtain construction estimates andresource commitments during the budget process.”

“We wouldn’t need to warehouse as much inventory if constructionstart dates weren’t so fluid.”

“The crews would appreciate the opportunity to providescheduling input and work with the engineer during design.”

“Failure to effectively schedule crews increase costs. Weneed a long range window into the work coming our way.”

SIGNALS THAT OUR WORKFLOW PROCESSES ARE ANTIQUATED

MANAGEMENT’S RESPONSE

TPU EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVE,ALIGN & IMPROVE:• Employee safety, retention and attraction• O&M and Capital planning and budgeting process• Resource demand/capacity planning• Transparency, accountability and consistency in work execution• Resource utilization – “Wrench Time”

EARLIER ATTEMPTWAS OFF-TARGET• Eliminating silos and establishing a cultural mindset of shared

responsibility, shared control and equality of mutual interests is hard

• Did not integrate the budget process into the cradle-to-grave approach to workflow management

• Did not clearly show how process improvement would address allwork group issues and concerns

• Proposed a new work group and FTE’s

• Management lacked a shared strategic vision, impeding implementation

We are currently real time course correcting and aiming for a “Bulls-Eye”

UNIFIED APPROACHUNDERSTANDING AND ESTABLISHING EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS• Requires cross functional work group engagement

• Each work group’s activities, products and operationalresponsibilities are linked to the larger work flow process

• Requires a “revolution” in organizational mindset• We realize that work groups and their staff can operate to their fullest

potential by working together as business partners versus a chain ofcustomer – supplier relationships

• Is for BOTH management and employees• Managers: Develop a shared strategy and lead a unified approach

through effective leadership• Employees: Are empowered to develop partnerships and manage,

measure and improve workflow and productivity

COLLABORITVE PARTNERSHIPOUR NEW COURSE CORRECTION STRATEGY• Identified T&D Manager Sponsors

• Who are engaged leaders that have “skin in the game”• Critical to selecting key employees and communicating expectations

• Nominated key work group representatives who:• Are experts in their fields of work that are respected by their peers• Exude a passion for supporting work group and organizational success• Exemplify T&D’s core values that inspire safety, integrity, respect, trust,

team work and professionalism

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP, CONT.

COURSE CORRECTION STRATEGY, CONTINUED• Created a safe environment that encouraged team members to express

level of service issues and impacts to productivity -> Temp “Parking Lot”• Identified work categories that must be planned and coordinated better

to boost work flow and productivity• Mapped existing work processes utilize to accomplish these planned

work categories• Revisited the parking lot to identify root causes and between which groups

issues and productivity impacts were occurring

CROSS FUNCTIONAL REVELATIONUNPLANNED VERSUS PLANNED MINDSETS• Reaching consensus on the definition of planned work , “Work

that can be assigned and crews scheduled at least two weeks out”,initiated a critical paradigm shift in the way we categorized work:• Our organizational understanding of planned work expanded• Unplanned work -> planned work• We realized that about 90% of T&D’s work can be planned and

coordinated• Productivity impacts were primarily caused by inconsistent work

processes, lack of transparency and a slow shift to a reactionarymanagement style for short duration work

STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPS

WORK GROUPS ARE BECOMING BETTER BUSINESS PARTNERS• Creating Transparency - a “single source of truth” and real time data• Improving collaboration and coordination between work groups• Accepting responsibility for impacts to downstream work group production• Developing a biennium resource leveling, scheduling and coordination

strategy -> T&D’s 2017/2018 Master Work Plan & Rolling Crew Scheduling

CONSEQUENCES TO THE “DO NOTHING” ALTERNATIVE• Work group silos remain• Production and motivation suffers• Budgeted work is not completed by the end of the biennium• Work Portfolio governance unattainable• Increases operational costs -> Rate Pressure

WORKFLOW MANAGEMENTIS “CRADLE-TO-GRAVE”• Includes the budget approval process – Sets the biennium work table• Includes planned capital, billable and O&M work - 90% of the work• Requires a workflow management process with clear partnership

commitments• Owned and actively managed by the work group supervisors,

operations coordinators and leads, no new work group• Portfolio governance by Managers, the horsepower• Starts with the creation of next biennium’s work plan utilizing

resource capacity planning and leveling during the budget process• Followed by it’s integration into a three month rolling crew schedule• Requires simple metrics that compels real time feedback

External to T&D Fleet

Warehouse

HFC

New Svcs Eng

Eng

C&M Line & Wire

Submit Budget Documents to RPA & CSC. End of 1st Year

CSC Departmental Presentations and Revisions

Senior Leadership Presentations and Revisions

Superintendent Approval

Public Utilities Director Approval

Work Management = Biennium Budgeting + T&D Work Delivery = “Circle of Life” Flow Chart

T&D Work Flow Management & Rolling Three Month Crew Scheduling

Work Flow Coordination

Budget Process

Begin Budget Process

17/18 Pre-Biennium

Plan

C&M

Asset Mgmt

Eng

End Biennium – Dec 2016

8th Qtr

7th Qtr

6th Qtr

5th Qtr 4th Qtr

3rd Qtr

2nd Qtr

1st Qtr

Start Biennium – Jan 2015

WORK PLAN DEVELOPEDDURING THE BUDGET PROCESS

C&M

ENG,New

Srvcs

Master 17/18Work Plan

Integrate Plan into a 3 Month

Rolling Crew Schedule & Pro-Active Workflow

Coordination

PHASE V

ENG, New

Srvcs

Asset Mgmt

C&M

PHASE IV

Prelim BienniumPlan Development

IV.A Cost Center Lbr Hr Approvals, Submit Business Cases & Budget

DocsIV.B Revisions & Prelim Resource

Leveling

ENG C&M

ELECT SERV

SYS PLAN

PHASE III

T&D ManagerApproves List

T&D Managers Approve CapitalProject + A&R

List

ENG, New

Srvcs

Asset Mgmt

C&M

PHASE II

Integrate Lists

Create JointRanked List

• Scope, BudgetConsensus

• Cost Centers Identified

• Business CaseDrivers

Budget Approved

4th QTR 2016

SYSPLAN

C&M

ENG, New

Srvcs

PHASE I

Review Asset Mgmt, Horizon

Plans

PreliminaryCapital Project +

A&R List• Title• High Level

Scope, Budget• Asset Mgmt

View

3rd Qtr (2015) 4 - 7th Qtr (2016) 8th Qtr (2016)

PRELIM PLAN -> MASTER WORK PLANCORNERSTONE OF WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT• Prelim Plan is critical to the budget process

• Allows cross departmental ranking and approval• Enhances resource planning through leveling techniques

• Drives communication, collaboration and teamwork• Engages and unifies key work groups cradle-to-grave• Used to track and communicate progress (transparency)• Aligns workflow priorities

• Master work plan is refined through progressive elaboration• Budget, scope and schedules are clarified and adjusted

during monthly coordination meetings as work progresses• Key work groups discuss WO progress, coordinate

work flowing to C&M and adjust rolling crew schedule

17/18 Pre-Biennium

Plan

Resource Leveling,Budget

Approval

17/18 Master

Work Plan

Rolling Crew Schedule

C&M

Asset Mgmt

Eng

NewSrvcs

MASTER WORK PLAN

ENGINEERING AND C&M CAPITAL AND BILLABLE WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT

Color Key: Approved Project or A&R and Budget

Order to C&MConst

StartedConst

Complete

PWR

Gro

up

Engineer Lead

Title Order# Est Date WO, ForCon to C&M

Scope & Comments CADD Lead

Line Coord

Wire Coord

Crew Hrs Plan

OT Job?

Cust or R&C

Driven

Actual Date WO to C&M

Const Start

Const Comp Date

Crew # Foreman Crew Hrs Actual

PWR-00755 Line Line #6 COPPER RE-STRING $1,100,000 (MINIMUM OF 2,600'/QUARTER) FAUVER

PWR-00755 Line Fauver 57th Ave w, 56th to 64th 1-91780 2/1/15 Restring 18 spas, replace 6 poles, 2700'

PWR-00755 Line FAUVER Vickery, 96th to 101st

1-93499 4/10/15Restring 12 spans, replace 4 poles, 2000'

LIST OF ONGOING WORK • By work group• Estimated and actual date WO or ForCon to C&M• Identifies engineering, CADD and operations coordinator leads• Includes estimated and actual labor hours• Identifies assigned crew # and foreman• Lists construction start and complete dates

COORDINATION MEETINGS

• Estimated schedules and budgets are fluid, reflecting accuracy that will be refined as design progresses and customers pay

• Murphy’s Law or a “We’re fireman” mindset does not excuse poor planning, coordination, progress assessment and feedback

NO EXCUSES

MEETING OBJECTIVES• Create a venue for supervisors, operations work coordinators and leads to:

• Resolve issues• Measure progress• Align work group priorities and coordinate resources• Obtain feedback and update metrics

• Adjust the master work plan and update the rolling threemonth crew schedule

• Update managers

METRICS -> MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK

SIMPLE METRICS THAT DRIVE GOAL-DIRECTED BEHAVIOR• Metrics indicate what is important to our organization

“Tell me how you’ll measure me, and I’ll tell you how I will behave.”• Percent of jobs completed by crews w/o being pulled off task• Planned compatible standard units of work versus actuals

trending towards unity• Quarterly success rate such as % engineering and construction completed

as planned

DRIVE MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK AND CONSISTENT EXECUTION• Engineering and operations work coordinator checklists developed• WO and ForCon package tracking implemented• Forecasting errors reduced/accuracy improved• Common points in the workflow identified to measure

progress

TAKE AWAYS

QUESTIONS?