Continuous improvement through innovation
A free break from paper with form
Innovation is often thought of as something new, something that has never been done before. However, innovative ways of doing things or new ways of thinking are easily discovered. Therefore, innovation is considered an important factor for continuous improvement.
An equally valuable component of continuous improvement is the concept of knowledge sharing, where local successes and challenges are shared within the organization to transform performance and make our customers happy.
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The following example illustrates the value of innovation and the benefits it provides for exchanging knowledge and meeting operational challenges.
Form Automation for Utility Monitoring and Control System (UMCS)
It all started when the program manager for the UMCS program contacted the quality group for help with a recurring problem. The ultimate goal of the program is to establish a utility monitoring system, surveying various sites and facilities owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The survey was conducted in Excel format using manual transcription using the "traditional" pen and paper method, then the same data was copied and pasted into various Excel workbooks to be distributed to clients as needed.
The Program Director noticed that errors appeared at various places along the way. Since there were no automated data links at different stages of each process, all the different teams were silenced and no error detection was required.
This manual pen and paper process was riddled with errors and inefficiencies that had the following effect on installation:
Time-consuming
Lack of control and data compatibility
Possibility of human error in transliteration and/or copy/paste
Creating data silos makes it difficult for teams to share/transmit data
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Our Quality Group was aware of another project that would use mobile, digital form automation, and a connected team to drive a similar large-scale inspection-based project.
Working closely with the project manager and program and project team, the Digital Farms team has created a series of mobile, automated forms for each phase of the project process, including initial surveys, design work, and the construction and installation phases. The new process simplifies process and project delivery and solves quality problems by using the following steps:
Increase Productivity - Dynamically logs assessment details using an experiential, touch-enabled form on any type of mobile device or PC.
Increase Efficiency - Aggregate data uploading through a set of secure and organized SharePoint libraries and data tables. Photos in the field are automatically uploaded to the SharePoint library, with a searchable file name applied.
Reduce Cost - Dynamically create client-driven reports within a fraction of the time required and with high quality and significant error reduction.
Implement Performance Management - Integrated PowerBI dashboards are planned for the near future.
When I took over as program manager, I noticed that each of our work areas was creating separate lists to track our work. The problem was that there was a lack of coordination in the work area and no one knew what was happening. Working with the Digital Farms team, we were able to combine all those lists into one platform.
As soon as we started launching it, the immediate response was overwhelming from across the board. This not only served the purpose of providing a general operating image but also minimized the immediate impact of increasing communication, feedback, and motivation. ,
Brian Wengel, UMCS Program Manager
Using innovative mobile forms connected to SharePoint and dashboards, the Digital Farms team was able to streamline and streamline the program's existing processes, eliminating errors in manual data collection including copy/paste activities, and making them deliverable to customers. Little time and was able to help. pay more. , Degree of confidence in real-time data compatibility.
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Brian estimates the time and costs savings per project in the range of 2-3 weeks or $5,000-,7,000. These transformational innovations were achieved using existing technology but have been implemented in new ways and new environments to improve project performance and quality outcomes.
The team is now in the process of building a similar platform for another high-profile project, with a greater field observation focus. It continues to share knowledge with all participating project teams to make the most of this innovation.
SOURCE: FORMSONFIRE