Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water ...

188 Process/Operational Improvements Submitted in 2007
Carl Blanton, Supporting Organizational Effectiveness
2007 was another successful year for submitting Process and Operational Improvements by LWC employees,
natural work teams, and several cross-functional teams. The seeds for this success were actually planted three years
ago.
In January 2005, Supporting Organizational Effectiveness (SOE) rolled out new procedures for submitting Process
and Operational Improvements. Under the new procedures, employees must identify: (1) past practice, (2) difficulty
with the past practice, (3) description of the new improvement, and (4) description of the outcome or results from
the new improvement. Operational Improvements have an additional requirement of a graph showing performance
improvement over a period of time or against a goal or target. Managers review the improvements before they are
submitted to SOE where they are reviewed a second time before being counted in the yearly totals.
In 2005, the new procedures resulted in LWC employees submitting a total of 103 Process Improvements and 15
Operational Improvements. That number grew in 2006 to 158 Process Improvements and 28 Operational
Improvements. In 2007, we anticipated a decrease in the number of improvements because of the high volume
submitted in 2006. Surprisingly, that was not the case. In 2007, LWC employees submitted 165 Process
Improvements and 23 Operational Improvements.
Here are a few examples of Operational Improvements submitted in 2007:
• Facility Management streamlined their production methods resulting in a savings of approximately $11,500 in
Pure Tap production costs.
• Managing Distribution Operations (MDO) implemented a “Barricade Rehabilitation” pilot program resulting
in rehabilitating damaged barricades at $5.00 per barricade versus a replacement cost of $29.47 per barricade.
The cost savings from the pilot program was $1,468.
• Employees from MDO/SPLASH NWT designed a new type of aluminum concrete form used for pouring
concrete for large vault lids resulting in an annual savings of $3,924.
• MDO, Supplying Financial Resources (SFR), and Internal Audit implemented several initiatives to improve
the Warehouse Inventory Control Process resulting in a reduction of the Net Adjustment from $350,800 in 2006
to $23,004 in 2007.
• Providing Customer & Public Information (PCPI) and SFR implemented electronic scanning using a
process known as “remote capture” that resulted in an approximate $16,000 annual increase in interest income.
• Metering Maintenance and Warehouse Services Processes implemented the practice of installing “Meter Pit
Extension Rings” to raise vaults to the desired height levels. The results include a reduction in material costs
from $314 to $23.25 per service order including a reduction in labor costs. The estimated savings in the 4 th
quarter based on 30 service orders was $13,149.
• Managing Water Quality & Research consolidated their multi-department tank data into one comprehensive
database. This information allowed them to combine a Capital Project and O&M initiative involving the
Cardinal Hill 30 MG Reservoir (CHR) into one simultaneous effort. The tank was drained once instead of
twice, and a savings of $12,800 was realized by performing the work with LWC employees instead of
contractual services. An additional savings of $59,500 was realized after it was determined that a chemical
cleaning agent would not be needed on the tank wall and column surface area.
These are just a few of many examples demonstrating how LWC employees are focusing on continuous quality
improvement by combining TQO resources and tools with their individual skills, knowledge and expertise. SOE
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