Saving Time on Project Closeout
By Jennifer Turvey, Process Improvement & Change Management Intern
August 12, 2014
The process for closing transportation projects is experiencing time and cost savings this summer after a streamlined process was implemented in Regions 2 and 5. So far, 25 staff-days of work per year have been eliminated!
The improved process was created by a Region 2 Process Improvement Team and the new method, which resulted in the 25-day savings, was one of several improvements that resulted from the work of the team during a 3-Day Rapid Improvement Event in May 2014.
The Team’s initial work included focusing on the “Final Request for Payment," known by the Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT's) Finals Administrators as Form 325. Final Request for Payment, a sub-process of the larger Project Closure process, required sending numerous copies to multiple recipients. In the past, each 25 to the 50-page closing package was photocopied into multiple packets. Individual packets were then sent via UPS to various Headquarters departments and to external stakeholders, then would be stored in boxes for seven years. Obviously, this was a time-intensive and labor-intensive process.
In the revised method developed by this process improvement project team:
The Finals Administrator now compiles the final closing documentation using Adobe Acrobat and then places the electronic PDF packet in ProjectWise, a document storage platform designed to house engineering documents at CDOT; then
The PDF file location within ProjectWise is emailed to the appropriate HQ Departments and to external stakeholders, where it is stored electronically instead of in hard copy.
“The team zeroed in on this step in the process early during the Rapid Improvement Event,” project leader Michelle Malloy noted. “I am glad that this turned out to be a big win and that it happened so quickly due to the commitment of this team. Kudos go out to them all."
Don Scanga, R2 Finals Administrator and subject matter expert (SME) for this Lean project, said implementing this improvement has saved approximately 25 days per year of work for Region 2, in addition to saving costs for paper, shipping, storage, and copy machine wear and tear. “I believe going electronic is a huge benefit to the state. Not only can we close projects more efficiently, but we can also save the State a great deal of money on supplies and postage,” he added.
Tom Bovee, the Region 5 finals administrator, who was a member of the Lean team, said the new process is simple and cost-effective to implement. "One-time setup costs consist of training in the new process, purchase of Adobe Acrobat Pro, and training in Acrobat and ProjectWise if required. With finals closings performed year in and year out, savings rapidly outpace these costs,” he explained.
Karen Rowe, newly-named R2 Transportation Director, said she is especially happy, as executive sponsor of both, to see the Lean project and Project Wise joining together. "I am so excited to see both of these work together to produce a more efficient process. I want to thank the team for coming up with this process," she declared.
Region 2 is well on its way to creating and implementing a standardized regional process, which when completed and documented, will be shared with other regions in the hope of creating standardization in finals closings statewide. Additional improvements in helping CDOT project managers track their paperwork throughout the construction process are in the planning stages.
Gary Vansuch, Director of Process Improvement, added, “This process improvement project is a big win for CDOT and a big win for our construction partners. The work of this team is making the process faster while also making it easier – a great example of implementing one of our CDOT Six Strategic Focus Areas, Improving business process processes for better customer service and efficiency. The Project Team for this Lean process improvement effort has done tremendous work and future improvements from the team will make this process even better. My thanks go to team members and all of the folks who have supported them.”
