Systematic Productivity Improvement - International Society for ...

Systemic
Productivity Improvement
Shauna Hynna
Operational Excellence Program Mgr
Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation
Toronto, Canada
Shynna@olgc.on.ca
2003 ISPI Conference
Got Results? Exhibit

Systemic Productivity Improvement*
Background:
Audit dept. in a highly
regulated industry, responsible
for continuous internal audits of
site operations as well as a variety
of negotiable tasks for other Site
departments.
Department consists of one
manager, one supervisor and three
auditors.
Opportunity:
As part of a site-wide focus on
customer service, the audit dept.
challenged itself to increase it’s
productivity so it could accomplish more
negotiable tasks for internal customers.
The challenge: The manager and auditor
were so wrapped up in making sure that
internal audit tasks were completed on
time that they weren’t finding any time to
assess and address the negotiable tasks,
or to train their auditors and transfer more
internal audit tasks to them.
Ideas for systemic approach were influenced by Esque’s Making an Impact (Atlanta, GA: CEP Press, 2001)

The Intervention
Phase 1:
Dept. goals and auditor expectations clarified:
1. 80% of weekly audit milestones met to stay on track for month end
2. Over time, reduce manager portion of month end tasks from about
75% to about 10%.
3. Daily Audits Fax sent to Central Revenue by 1600 (no call backs)
Less technical internal audit tasks previously done by manager
and supervisor posted in work area each week and monthly cycle. As
auditors complete their normal tasks, they now look for tasks
on the week and monthly list that they know how to do in order to
“offload” manager and supervisor.
Phase 2:
In a few months, the monthly cycle task data will be used to
identify specific training needs (those tasks the auditors never
helped with because they didn’t know how). On-job training
will be implemented to continue transferring internal audit tasks
to the auditors until goal #2 is met.

Continuous Monitors
Weekly Audit Milestone Completion
% Complete
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Goal #1:
Data shown is
from third month
of implementation.
So far, dept. has met
or exceeded 80%
goal since it was set.
This is during a period
when dept. headcount
Was down about 20%
(one person short)!

Continuous Monitors
Redistributing Month End Tasks
Auditor (goal 40%)
15%
Supervisor ( goal 50%)
56%
Manager ( goal 10%)
29%
Goal #2:
Again, data shown
from third month of
implementation. So far,
most task transfer
from manager to supervisor.
Supervisor will
do most of training for
auditors.
Goal #3 data not shown
here. Manager reports
it is holding steady, which
is considered successful until
dept. fully staffed.

Lesson Learned
• Systemic improvement means having continuous
monitors of performance so that the impact of any
changes can be understood and adjusted to. When
the initial goals are reached, the dept. will discuss
“raising the bar” - set new goals and/or establish
new monitors (while at least periodically checking
the initial monitors to prevent backsliding).

Lessons Learned
• There was concern that the auditors would consider this
more micro-management in an already heavily regulated
work environment. So far, they have expressed
appreciation for the system because they know that they
are being more productive and that management ( and
internal customers) appreciate it. For example, at end of
first month, dept. received unsolicited “thank you”
email from central office for submitting month end so
far ahead of all other Sites.