Portfolio Sample
Purpose:
Displays a workflow problem that is inefficient and unproductive. Shows where in the workflow inefficiency exists and where an opportunity for improved productivity can be implemented.
Note: symbols in red show where an opportunity exists for better productivity.
The Problem:
The client needed to improve efficiency.
Estimators are currently burdened with investigating inventory and ensuring the dates are correct during their efforts in estimating projects. This added task takes the estimator away from the primary purpose of estimating, adding workload and frustration.
The Estimator could be consumed with communicating between several other teams coordinating required inventory for install dates for a project.
The other problematic area is manual entry of dates. Historically, the client was experiencing people entering the wrong date, and later, another team will catch it when the project has progressed and schedules set and confirmed with all actors. Correcting an incorrect date involves re-coordinating the entire process, which was very inefficient and unproductive, in addition to chaotic and frustrating.
Diagnosis:
This is the current state of the estimating workflow.
Working with the Estimating team, drawing out the steps on a whiteboard while asking questions about each step, uncovered details, and gave shape to the overall flow of work. Each step was investigated for improvements, the SME (subject matter expert) was asked, “If you could imagine an ideal way to improve your productivity, what changes would you make?.”
By asking “Why” this inventory step was a problem, it was learned that they were burdened with time consuming problems with securing and reserving inventory in order to estimate the work.
They offered the idea: “Could it be possible to estimate based on virtual inventory so we could simply get the estimating done, and let someone else with greater insight in inventory manage this?”
Recommendation:
The diagram uncovered two problem points:
• Inventory reservation
• Dates
The challenge in this case was to make things more effective and efficient while maximizing productivity.
Options:
Inventory
- Remove the inventory investigation from the job of the Estimators and pass it over to another team who is more in touch with inventory
- Cross train teams
- Construct a separate independent component which incorporates automation
- Build an Inventory Module that allows teams to investigate inventory easily.
Dates
- Put a check function on all date fields to make sure it was entered correctly and is balanced with other information artifacts related to the project
- Automate the date and connect it with all other components and elements of the process
- Secondary review by team member
The most effective option was to suggest automation which could take on this process of investigating inventory availability and arrange purchases in order to satisfy the estimates.
Another Portfolio Sample illustrates a detailed recommendation for AutoBots: Current Future State.