Redesigning administrative processes to improve business efficiencyLisa Campbell

Administrative AssistantProcess Reviewed: Internment BookingsMay 2012

Continuous Improvement

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Pine Lodge Cemetery Business PracticesProcess to be reviewed Priority

ClassBooking Process MAJOR

- Adult Internment Major P- Adult Internment (Pre-reserved) Minor P- Infant Internment Minor P- Ashes Internment Major P- Reservation Minor PFinancial MAJOR

- Invoice Process Major

*Ashes P*Interment P*Pre-reserved internment P*Reservation P

- CPI increase on fees Moderate P- End of financial year process Moderate P- Itemised invoicing auto generation Moderate PGeneral Administrative MAJOR

- System maintenance / upgrades Major P- Historic records Moderate P- Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery Extreme P- Regulation adherence Major P

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Review Approach• Select the team• Define opportunities and desired outcomes• Study the current situation• Analyse the cause• Develop a theory

PLAN

• Implement the improvementDO

• Standardise the improvement• Future Plans

ACT / ADJUST

• Study the resultsSTUDY

Based on “Deming Circle” or “Shewhart Cycle”

Four-step management method

Each step broken down into individual tasks

Associated tools

PLAN

Step Prompts Potential Tools Comments1. Select the team 1a. Who should be involved? Systems view

LeaderProcess ownerUsers“Fresh eyes”

Trust SecretaryAdmin OfficerBranch Admin Assistant

2. Operationally define the opportunity for improvement

2a. Consult the process owner(s) Operational Definition

Branch ManagerTrust Secretary

• Time efficiency• Better utilisation of resources• Reduction of double handling

information• Eliminate unnecessary

processes• Eliminate potential for errors

3. Study the current situation

3a. What is the current policy, process flow and/or state of relationships?

Top down flow chart Currently writing same information 6 separate times and in 6 various locations. Creating unnecessary hardcopy documents rather than utilising electronic files.

• Cemeteries & Crematoria Act• Policies / guidelines governed by CCAV• Public Records Office Victoria

See next slide

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Receive phone call from funeral director

Hand write details into hardcopy diary

Enter details into electronic outlook

calendar

Select a burial site on the hardcopy

sitemaps and hand write in details

Email Burial Form to outdoor crew

Print Burial Form and put in hardcopy folder

Find Burial Form template, enter in details

and save in TRIM

Hand write details into hard copy register

Enter details into Cemetery Register on

Pathway

Locate Invoice template, enter details

Save invoice into TRIM, send a copy of invoice

to Finance

Place hard copy invoice in folder

Send a copy of invoice to debtor

Original Process

PLAN

Step Prompts Potential Tools Comments3b. Who is the process or relationship serving? Look at systems view

Stakeholders• Funeral Directors• Customers/Community• Staff/Outdoor crew3c. What do they want? Perception Analysis

Community Consultation

• Efficiency• Professionalism• Accurate/accessible information• Best practice / easily understood process

3d. What indicators can we use to measure improvement?

Moments of truth

• Time management• Elimination of errors• Better utilisation of resources• Eliminate double handling of information• No questioning of process – eg. “what does

this mean?”

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PLAN

Step Prompts Potential Tools Comments3e. Compliance with legislative requirements / policy / regulations

Business Continuity

• Privacy Act• Cemeteries & Crematoria Act 2003• Council’s hard copy reduction policy• Customer Service Charter• Equal Opportunity Act• Public Records Office Victoria• Public Records Act

3f. Risk Management Business Continuity

• Inconsistent information• Clear streamlined process eliminates potential

errors• Inaccurate data entry

• Refer to Council’s Information Services Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery policy/procedure

4. Analyse the causes

4a. What are the possible causes of variation and poor performance?

Affinity DiagramFishbone DiagramInterrelationship Diagram

• Roadblocks – people not liking change

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19 various steps just to complete a booking

Time

Entering same data into

8 different locations

Creating unnecessary hardcopy records

Get lost in the process

Took 40 minutes to complete one booking

Human error – too many opportunities for inconsistent

information

Misplaced hardcopy documents

File build-up

Takes too long to sift through to find a document

Reduce the amount of steps

Reduce time

Eliminate multiple data entry points

Automate steps where possible

Better utilise systems and resources

Issues Risks Solution

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PLAN

Step Prompts Potential Tools Comments4b. What is the root underlying cause?

• Multiple data entry points• Fear of making mistakes• Out of date processes which don’t align with

available resources

5. Develop a theory for improvement

5a. Is the level of service appropriate? Benchmarking, Networking, Surveys, Deployment Flowchart

No benchmark equivalent due to too many variables (i.e. Class A or B; 25 years or Perpetual; Council owned and operated or Trust organised)

Refer to process flow chart and question the pro’s and con’s of each step.

5c. What are the potential actions we could take? Consider use of technology

• No longer need to keep manual register• Make better use of existing software and

technology

If I can generate documents in Pathway, documents TRIMed automatically via system integration

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PLAN

Step Prompts Potential Tools Comments5d. What is our action plan to implement improvement?

Gant chartTrainingMarketing / Promoting

• Investigate what can and cannot be changed• What does and doesn’t currently work• Change management• Cease use of the manual register• Organise pathway training for unfamiliar staff• Carry out extensive testing in Test Environment• Cross reference relative legislations for

compliance 5e. How are we going to measure improvements? Efficiency – budget/time

Customer Service – perceptionBuy in - Adherence

• Time to complete booking process• Ease and confidence of process• Accurate records

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Receive phone call from funeral director

Hand write details into hardcopy diary

Enter details into electronic outlook

calendar

Select a burial site on the hardcopy

sitemaps and hand write in details

Email Burial Form to outdoor crew

Print Burial Form and put in hardcopy folder

Find Burial Form template, enter in details

and save in TRIM

Hand write details into hard copy register

Enter details into Cemetery Register on

Pathway

Locate Invoice template, enter details

Save invoice into TRIM, send a copy of invoice

to Finance

Place hard copy invoice in folder

Send a copy of invoice to debtor

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Receive phone call from funeral director

Hand write details into hardcopy diary

Enter details into electronic outlook

calendar

Select a burial site on the hardcopy

sitemaps and hand write in details

Email Burial Form to outdoor crew

Print Burial Form and put in hardcopy folder

Find Burial Form template, enter in details

and save in TRIM

Hand write details into hard copy register

Enter details into Cemetery Register on

Pathway

Locate Invoice template, enter details

Save invoice into TRIM, send a copy of invoice

to Finance

Place hard copy invoice in folder

Send a copy of invoice to debtor

• Multiple functionalities• Integrated with Electronic Document Management

System• Both software's already widely used across

organisation• Used as a register• Centralised Name & Address Register (NAR)• Ability to generate documents• Complies with necessary legislative requirements

and governing bodies (Public Records Office of Victoria

• User friendly• Test environments ©

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DO

Step Prompts Potential Tools Comments6. Implement the improvement

6a. Are we capturing data as we go Check sheetSurvey instrumentSampling

• Implementing new system into Test Environment first. If and when successful, will turn over to live environment.

• Check list in hard copy diary• All documents being

transferred to TRIM successfully

• Document merge fields generated successfully

STUDY

Step Prompts Potential Tools Comments7. Study the results

7a. To what extent did our actions lead to improvement?

Run chartHistogramControl chart

• Significant improvement in the time it takes to complete a booking. Reduced time from approx. 40 mins down to approx. 10 mins

• Reduced length of process• Reduced multiple data entry points• Reduced double handling of information

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Original Process Amount of time to complete ONE standard burial booking

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Improved Process Amount of time to complete ONE standard booking

ACT

Step Prompts Potential Tools Comments8. Standardise the improvement

8a. What documentation is required to capture the memory and support the improvement?

Deployment flowchart

• Policies• Process procedure and flowcharts• Templates

• Records Management

8b. Who needs to be trained and coached to adopt the new process?

• Trust Secretary• Admin Officer

Training performed by Branch Administration Assistant, IT staff and Records Management Staff

9. Establish a future plan

9a. When should the process be reviewed again? E.g. Councillors term of office

Process to be reviewed in 3 months for minor adjustments (if required) and every 12 months thereafter

Process will need to be adjusted as a result of changes to relevant legislations

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Redesigning administrative processes to improve business efficiency©