Business Process ReengineeringA how-to for understanding and improving your county’s business processNC WSS Leadership Summit – April 22-23, 2013

www.pcghumanservices.com

Equip county leaders to document, analyze, and redesign their business process in order

to gain efficiency and improve service delivery for families.

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Goal

Agenda

• Introduction• Benefits of BPR• Special Considerations for Social Services Agencies• Lean Concepts for Human Services• Methodology• Let’s Try This Out…

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Introduction

• Why does BPR matter?• What parts of the agency

make up our business process?

• Why follow a methodology to map and analyze business processes?

• Who in my agency should understand these concepts?

• What tools do I need to do this in my agency?

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Benefits of BPR

• Households receiving their benefits accurately, sooner, with fewer eligible families going without benefits

• Reduced customer time waiting in

lobbies

• Case processing backlogs reduced or eliminated

• Phone calls answered and returned on a timely basis, with a reduction in the number of calls overall

• Flexibility in assigning work and  moving staff to “hot spots”

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Benefits of BPR, continued.

• Reduction in customer complaints

• Higher staff morale and less 

stress

• With monitoring and measures in place, managers can be more responsive to problems before backlogs develop

• With same day service as a goal,  there is a significant increase in the percentage of customers getting their business completed in one transaction

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Source: State’s SNAP BPR Efforts, USDA (2011).

Special Considerations for HHS Programs

• Not all methods are best suited for reengineering services targeting low-income families

• Elapsed and actual time

• Pain points for consumers

• Goal setting and performance measurement

• Technology won’t solve all problems; process must be addressed also

• Vision and principles at all levels

• When things get tough, stick to your new process

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Lean Concepts for Human Services

• Look at the process from a customer’s point of view

• Eliminate non value-add steps and tasks

• Implement low-cost solutions first (i.e. changing the process before acquiring a new technology)

• Simplify the process by asking why each step exists, and eliminating non value-add steps

• Do each task only once

• Implement visual systems

• Do it right the first time

• Standardize work

• Set specific, aggressive, and appropriate goals based on baseline data

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Lean Approach to BPRProvide high quality

services that meet

customer needs, with the

fewest agency resources

possible.

• Meet their needs as quickly and simply as possible, with the highest quality

• Resources• Use facts to solve problems• Use a disciplined approach• Sustainable continuous

improvement

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The 8 Wastes

• Overproduction• Waiting• Transportation• Non Value-Add

Processing• Excess Inventory• Errors• Excess People Motion• Underutilized People

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Methodology

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1. Plan and clearly identify goals• Consider key deadlines, go-live dates,

or start dates for new staff

2. Gather “As Is” and validate• Make sure to thoroughly validate with the

staff who perform these tasks every day• DELIVERABLE: “As Is” Process Map

Methodology, continued.

3. Gather “To Be” and validate• Vision of future process (may not be known at this point, and

require facilitation to identify impacts for staff and customers)• DELIVERABLE: “To Be” Process Map, Use Cases

4. Gap Analysis and Implementation Plan• DELIVERABLE: Plan with action steps, timelines, and required

resources

5. Performance Measurements and Indicators• Set reasonable goals, based on historical data from your

county

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The Process Map

A process flow is a strong visual reference to help understand the process and to focus discussion. It should include:

• Inputs and Outputs• Events• Decision points• Alternate flow

Event that has a condition that triggers an alternate flow. For example, expense is not approved

• Exception condition Something that will not allow the process to finish May trigger an entirely different process

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Step by Step Data Collection

• Step• Step description• Amount of time waiting• Number of people• Staff time• Value add %• Required Non-value add %• First pass yield

Elements of a Process Map

• Symbols• Connectors• Time

ActualElapsed

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Process Flow Tips

• Presentation ‘Swim Lanes’ Logical flow, left to right

• Get as detailed as is necessary for the validation required

• Keep your audience in mind Their view of the world Vocabulary

Business Process

Analysis the PCG Way |

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Let try it…

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Exercise: Develop new business process for the reception function in your county office.

Contact Sheet

Rachel Goldstein

rgoldstein@pcgus.com

(617) 426-2026

Judy Lawrence

Judy.lawrence@dhhs.nc.gov

(336) 227-2063

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Public Consulting Group, Inc.148 State Street, Tenth Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02109

(617) 426-2026, www.publicconsultinggroup.com