Lean Launch Projects Summary
- 1. City of Detroit - Lean Process Improvement Project Summary July 23rd, 2014 Deloitte Consulting LLP
- 2. As teams developed their individual project recommendations, six key themes emerged as common areas for improvement across departments Theme Observations Customer Education Data Collection and Performance Tracking Technology Process Transparency • Project teams struggled to draw conclusions due to lack of historic data. Better organization and emphasis on electronic data collection will better position departments for continuous improvement • Performance metrics are not clearly defined across departments, leading to a lack of accountability among employees and management Knowledge Sharing • A majority of customer complaints and inquiries stem from a lack of understanding of City processes and the necessary forms/information needed for approval • Most department websites are not updated on a yearly basis and sometimes contain outdated or misleading information • Several project teams identified quick-win opportunities using current technologies to replace manual processes. Departments should continually assess software capabilities to ensure investments are being fully utilized, in certain cases software was purchased and not deployed • Longer-term technology investments need to be compiled across departments and prioritized based on ROI and ease of implementation • The creation of current-state value stream maps required multiple discussions with several employees. Most employees have a deep understanding of certain process steps, but do not have a thorough understanding of the end-to-end process and interdependencies • Standard operation procedures are not regularly re-examined to identify outdated forms, unessential policies and process improvement opportunities • Departments tend to operate in information silos and do not effectively utilize cross-department communication or leverage their external environment for improvement opportunities • Throughout Project Lean, many project teams researched best practices and established relationships with other municipalities. These relationships need to be monitored on a regular basis to encourage knowledge sharing across municipalities Training • Supervisors frequently noted training gaps as a contributing factor to low employee productivity and morale, especially among new employees • Many divisions lack a structured training program that focuses on common development needs among employees
- 3. Among the 18 city services analyzed during Project Lean, we identified three areas for long-term operational improvements going forward The majority of city services are in some way dependent on Information Technology Services, Purchasing, and the General Services Department. By focusing on improvement opportunities in these focus areas, the city will be able to realize direct benefits Current State Focus Area Long-Term Improvement Opportunities Information Technology Services FY14 budget: $16.9M Lack of standard operating procedures and services catalog documentation has lead to slower ticket resolution ITS does not support self-ticketing services; creation and monitoring of ticket status can be performed only through the call center Coordination between central IT and departmental “Super Users” is non-existent; responsibilities are not defined Current technology cannot support forgotten password requests, which currently accounts for 30-40% of ticket requests city-wide Improve response time of help desk by redefining ITS structure, enabling a multi-tier approach to customer service Standardize IT help desk documentation and knowledge management processes across all ITS services Develop self-service ticketing and automation capabilities to reduce the number of calls to IT help desk Upgrade incident management tracking tool to track customer pain points, identify areas for new offerings, and reduce the amount of effort and time to manage recurring incidents Purchasing FY14 projected spend: $219M Process cycle time for Goods & Services is 180 days Current process includes unnecessary documentation, duplicative approval steps, and multiple manual work-a-rounds within the Oracle procurement system Lack of standardization between different purchase orders (SPO, CPO, and BPO requests) GSD struggles to control maintenance costs that stem from a lack of standardized preventative maintenance schedules Information systems do not provide a comprehensive vehicle history, leading to a lack of parts forecasting for common repairs of city vehicles Lack of communication between NAPA and other departments on minimum daily fleet requirements leads to inefficient allocation of mechanics’ time General Services Department FY14 budget: $52.2M as well as indirect operational efficiencies across other departments. Conduct total spend analysis across all categories, consolidating City vendors where possible Perform market test of high dollar vendor contracts to identify areas for cost savings Implement a centralized sourcing process, decreasing contract costs by an average of 10% Align Oracle procure-to-pay capabilities with the current needs of Detroit, replacing outdated legacy systems and eliminating manual processes Design of cross-department preventative maintenance and scheduling program to deliver labor and material savings as well as increased plant throughput Perform fleet size assessment across all departments to identify vehicle savings, future investment areas, and optimize fleet size to meet the needs of the citizens of Detroit Integrate vehicular technologies (GPS) with current maintenance systems to provide enhanced visibility into vehicle utilization, maintenance and equipment cost forecasting
- 5. Project Lean – Project Listings (Page 1 of 2) # Project Name Project Sponsor - Department Lean Lead Business Volunteer 1 Code Enforcement Eric Jones - BSEED Mac Farr Mickie Verderbar & PMC Corp 2 Site Plan Review Eric Jones - BSEED Mac Farr Plante Moran 3 Business Licensing Tom Lewand – BSEED Mary Martin N/A 4 Certificate of Occupancy Eric Jones - BSEED Mac Farr JAMA Consulting; CATSS Consulting 5 Snow Removal Ron Brundidge – DPW Amy Sovereign Deloitte 6 Potholes Ron Brundidge – DPW Amy Sovereign Plante Moran 7 Traffic Signs Ron Brundidge – DPW Amy Sovereign Advanced Manufacturing Group – Bill Fetterman 8 NAPA Auto Parts Brad Dick – GSD Mary Martin Western Michigan University – Ken Jones 9 Vacant Lots Brad Dick – GSD Amy Sovereign Metro West Appraisal – Ben Schomer
- 6. Project Lean – Project Listings (Page 2 of 2) # Project Name Project Sponsor - Department Lean Lead Business Volunteer 10 Forestry - Dead Trees Brad Dick – GSD Amy Sovereign University of Michigan – Vendant Ghang 11 Hiring Michael Hall – HR Mary Martin PWC – John May 12 Onboarding Michael Hall – HR Mary Martin PWC – John May 13 Bus Pull Ins Dan Dirks – DDOT Stephen Paparo MPM Consulting – Marc Voorhees 14 Bus Maintenance Dan Dirks – DDOT Zena' Johnson Western Michigan University – Ken Jones 15 Income Tax & Civil Prosecution Tanya Stoudemire – Finance Mac Farr Grant Thornton 16 Purchasing Boysie Jackson – Finance Mac Farr Global Productivity Solutions 17 Help Desk Ticketing Charles Dodd – ITS Mary Martin Weblyn Group – Linda Marshall 18 Public Lighting Department Beau Taylor – PLD Mac Farr Osirius Group & Patriot Systems
- 7. Code Enforcement – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Deployment overhaul: send inspectors from the property maintenance division through the areas targeted by the DLBA; inspecting multiple properties at one site simultaneously; inspecting properties owned by the same entity/individual simultaneously; working on a street by street basis. Deploying inspectors on a district basis to respond to resident complaints will also be a part of this deployment strategy. This will have the benefit of making inspectors much more efficient. By inspecting those properties that were passed over by the DLBA because they were not vacant, we can leverage the improvements made in those neighborhoods already. By going through areas such as the Renaissance Center, we can complete all inspections at one site, instead of sending an inspector back episodically throughout the course of a year, and, much the same with owners who have multiple properties, they can complete their inspections all at once instead of having a steady stream of them all at once. 30 days Enhanced throughput of BSEED inspectors will generate more violations, and with correct handling in DAH, subsequently, more compliance. These will focus on blight and life/safety issues. Last year, DAH received only 600 tickets from BSEED. An enhanced throughput of inspectors will result in a larger pool of potential improvements to be effected in the City’s housing and building stock. 30 days Standardized interpretations of the property maintenance code; development of internal operating procedures; implementation of training and certification programs for inspectors; creation of metrics and tracking for optimizing both performance and outcomes. Removing the variance in interpretations will lead to an enhanced degree of compliance and overall cooperation with the owners of blighted properties. Tracking deployment and outcomes will help optimize throughput. 90 days Steering committee between DAH, BSEED, DLBA and DON. Enhance the efficacy of various efforts currently underway in the different departments by focusing efforts on certain areas. 30 days 1
- 8. Site Plan Review – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Consolidate the site plan review function within the auspices of BSEED from PDD. This will remove the bottleneck that has historically impeded project approval. Done. Consolidate the remainder of zoning functions within the auspices of the Office of Project Development Services. Instead of having to obtain approval from the Department of Public Works, Planning and Development Department, the Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, the Police Department, the Fire Department, City Council and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department separately and one at a time, this function will be done in one location with employees from the various disciplines feeding directly into one process. 180 days Standardize the operating procedures and underlying legislation for each of the various approvals. By eliminating the variance in interpreting competing codes and removing ambiguity from the ordinance language, this will have the benefit of making findings and approvals more consistent and aligned with customer expectations. 180 days 2
- 9. Business Licensing – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Correct Materials Online and in Print with updated locations and contact information Saves 1 trip for 25% of customers* < 30 Days Reorganize Website to be clear and simple Saves 2 trips for 50% of customers* < 30 Days Deploy Tablets to Inspectors and Investigators for Direct Data Entry into Tidemark Approx. $60,000 in data entry time saved per year 90+ Days Create Brochures or Information Sheets for specific business licenses or customer scenarios 2 trips for 50% of customers* < 30 Days Create roadmap of process for customers and accompanying signage to direct process flow at CAYMC (e.g., as a checklist) Saves 1 trip for 50% of customers* < 30 Days Create Business Licensing Email Box and FAQ for customer questions 4 hours for 10% of customers < 30 Days Cross Train Trade Clerks within BSEED for data entry across divisions (Mechanical clerks enter plumbing/ electrical data and vice versa) Eliminates wasted human resources for clerks, reduces internal processing time 30-90 Days Remove antiquated Business Licenses Eliminates entire process for select businesses 90+ Days Create process step for L&P (BSEED) to notify appropriate division about fee payment on behalf of the customer Saves 1 trip and 3 – 4 days for 30% of customers** < 30 Days Create internal SOP to ensure uniform Inspections Reduces inconsistency to save re-inspections < 30 Days Train employees on how to use Tidemark correctly Reduces errors and processing time by 1 day 30-90 Days Notify customers by email once clearances are approved and processed Saves 1 trip and 3 – 4 days for 30% of customers** < 30 Days *Achieve benefits jointly, sharing time saved 3
- 10. Certificates of Occupancy – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Issue project numbers to each new construction event so that all permits under each project can easily be accessed. This will remove the need to manually locate each of the permit numbers in Tidemark, which in some cases, can amount to hundreds of permits. The main benefit will be that it cut the anticipated processing time for large projects by 90%. 30 days Automate Tidemark so as to automatically issue Certificates of Occupancy once all of the inspections are completed and the permits are paid. Once a building has been inspected and deemed to meet code, at this point we still require the customer to apply for the certificate, either by email or in person. Reengineering the system so as to automatically create the certificate will eliminate this step in its entirety. 90 days 4
- 11. Snow Removal – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) * Time to Implement Updated Route Maps: Create route maps to reduce driver error and improve deployment efficiency. Route maps also support route planning and optimization. Geographical Route Assignments: Assign drivers to territories to minimize distance driven between routes. Route assignments will cover an entire shift ~15% reduction in route completion times (3,600 hours), as well as commensurate efficiency gains in both overtime and equipment costs (~$192K annually) Late October, 2014 Improved Materials Management: Install calibration and brine equipment to increase efficiency of salt use. Note: brine at Russell / Ferry only for first year ~20% reduction in salt usage, leading to ~$154K in efficiency gains from reduced salt, O/T labor, and equipment costs Late October, 2014 Streamlined Snow Response: Minimize steps and time required to contact drivers and initiate snow response when drivers are not on scheduled shift or call Improved Driver Coordination: Install functional radios in all snow removal vehicles to reduce communication breakdowns caused by reliance on personal cell phones Reduce the number of steps required in snow removal by 19% (7 of 37 steps) Mid-October, 2014 Pre-Season Training: Design and schedule training sessions for new drivers and mechanics to minimize skill gaps and associated inefficiencies Increased staff performance and improved equipment maintenance Late October, 2014 Performance Tracking and Review: Identify performance metrics and create templates to collect activity data. Set schedule following snow season to evaluate DPW’s performance against peers and identify areas of improvement Establishment and reinforcement of a culture of continuous improvement Mid-October, 2014 Residential Contract Adjustments: DPW is exploring the following near-term options to improve residential snow removal through contractors: Plowing residential streets once snow accumulates to 4” instead of 6” Increasing the width of the path cleared through residential streets Use of GPS tracking to for improved accountability of contractors Use of incentives to improve city-contractor relationships In-House Pilot: DPW is assessing the long-term option of using municipal staff for residential plowing. This is the primary model used by peer cities Safer residential streets, improved citizen satisfaction and reduction in complaints issued as compared to the 2013-2014 snow season End of August, 2014 * - Efficiency estimates based on activities for FY 2014, a record-breaking year for snowfall. Typical efficiency gains may be half of estimates reported in table. 5
- 12. Potholes – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Electronic Work Order Management System: Move from Excel-based pothole tracking to new database and work order system Timeliness: Reduce cycle time by 45 hours Timeliness: Eliminate 5 process steps between customer request and crew assignment 30-90 Days Data Tracking: Improve data collection and establish weekly performance reviews to track outliers Timeliness: Reduce average cycle time by enabling management to proactively identify outliers and trend data for continuous improvement 30-90 Days Single Intake Source: Limit citizen intake to one source Timeliness: Cut down lead time by at least 24 hours <30 Days Intake Script: Implement script during intake Timeliness: Cut out 2 process steps (transportation and survey) for requests that come in with erroneous or incomplete information <30 Days Staff Training: Training for potholes crews Quality: Reduced variation in methodology, increased quality of pothole repair, improved employee morale 30-90 Days Improve Citizen Communication: Implement standard request process for all city services, update website, provide mechanism for closing the loop with reporting citizen Timeliness: Eliminate 2 process steps between customer request and crew assignment, when intake happens outside of the department Increased citizen satisfaction 30-90 Days Process Improvement: Increase frequency of information flow from intake office to supervisors Timeliness: Cut down lead time by at 24 hours <30 Days Invest in superior technology: Purchase Liquid Injection Machine Financial Savings: Estimated ROI on $250,000 investment in 6 years. 10-year projected cost savings $193,252. Improved quality, Reduction in re-work, Increased citizen satisfaction 90+ Days CUMULATIVE SAVINGS 10-Year Projected Cost Savings: $193,252 Time Savings: Reduce cycle time by 45 hours 6
- 13. Traffic Signs – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Process Improvements: Eliminate all unnecessary checks and approvals Timeliness: Cut out 7 process steps Reduce cycle time by 69 days 30-90 Days Data Tracking: Improve data collection and establish weekly performance reviews to track outliers Timeliness: Reduce average cycle time by enabling management to proactively identify outliers and trend data for continuous improvement < 30 days Cross Functional Teams: Explore ways to get work orders and information directly from investigators to installation crews, including pairing them together when applicable Timeliness: Cut out 10 process steps < 30 days Standardized Input: Standardize input into TFMS system and increase the use of queries to reduce duplicate entries Timeliness: Cut out 3 process steps (transportation, investigation, and work order close out) related to duplicate requests < 30 days Mitigate Duplicate Requests: Write install date on backs of signs to differentiate outstanding versus repeat sign repair Timeliness: Cut out 3 process steps (transportation, investigation, and work order close out) related to duplicate requests < 30 days New IT System: Replace TFMS system with a work order system that provides modern data entry and extraction functionality and is accessible via mobile device Timeliness: Cut out at least 14 process steps Financial Savings: related to reduced paper usage 90+ Days Reduce Waste: Reduce list of 3000+ sign types used by the city; Conduct city-wide audit to identify and remove obsolete signs already installed Financial Savings: Reduce waste (materials and time) related to repairing approximately 20% of city signs that are obsolete 90+ Days Networking: Information sharing with neighboring counties regarding best practices / vendors Timeliness: Improve crew efficiency Financial Savings: Improve procurement practices 90+ Days CUMULATIVE SAVINGS Time Savings: Reduce cycle time by 69 days Process Steps Saved: 30 steps 7
- 14. NAPA Auto Parts – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement 8
- 15. Vacant Lots – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Use pilot project data to estimate survey costs going forward Allocate resources appropriately as project continues <30 days Utilize “blexting” app to evidence negligence of private lot owners Expedite lien process for negligent lot owners Incentivize lot owners to provide upkeep for lots 90+ days Provide collected data to Detroit Land Bank, as applicable for nuisance abatement Expedite lien process for negligent lot owners Incentivize lot owners to provide upkeep for lots 90+ days Process to send citywide map of vacant lot locations to make selectivity/RFP process for future cuts more efficient Lot data availability (related to location and condition) will improve future RFP process for cuts 90+ days Utilize this project’s recommended 5-phase approach to ultimately reduce blight related to vacant lots Use project (phased approach) outline as guidance moving forward 90+ days 9
- 16. Forestry / Dead Trees – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Enlist Non-profits: Partner with organizations for donated tree removal services; identify project areas (i.e. parks, neighborhoods) for those organizations to adopt $20,000+ saved through donated tree services 30-90 Days Help from Peer Cities: Coordinate with regional and state forestry divisions through the Arborists Society of Michigan to enlist volunteer help $20,000+ saved through donated tree services >90 Days Add Resources: - Add crew members and 1 log loader; reorganize current 2 large crews into 3 smaller crews (2 separate options) - Add full 7-member crew and outfit with 4 new vehicles - Analysis tool utilized: Cost Benefit Analysis (estimates included in appendix) Reduce storm call TAT by 2+ days Reduce incidence private property damage by 5-10% Remove up to 1000 extra dead trees per year 30-90 Days Survey Backlog: Reassign staff member currently on restricted duty to focus on surveying old open requests in order to clean up bad data Cut out 2 process steps (transportation and survey) for numerous requests that come in with erroneous or incomplete information <30 days IT Support: Coordinate with ITS to maximize CSR functionality and uptime Reduce downtime by approx. 4 hours per episode <30 days Data Review: Begin metric collection and data analysis cadence to track progress Reduce average cycle time by enabling management to proactively identify outliers and trend data for continuous improvement <30 days New Database: Adopt Davey Tree app for more robust database, mobile access Reduce cycle time; Reduce unnecessary surveys; Improve work prioritization >90 days Intake Script: Create standard intake script, including asking for photos; direct intake offices to forward calls to Forestry Cut out 2 process steps (transportation and survey) for requests that come in with erroneous or incomplete; Improve citizen communication <30 days Update Website: Update website to provide FAQs, contact numbers, etc. Reduce survey time; Improve citizen communication <30 days Ongoing Training: Begin series of training modules for staff to use during downtime (i.e. rain days) to build skills and improve capacity Improve efficiency, staff morale, and build organizational capacity <30 days Improve Vehicle Uptime: Work with Fleet to improve uptime of necessary vehicles; Explore options for replacing old log loaders Improve productivity >90 days CUMULATIVE SAVINGS Cost Savings: $40,000 (donated tree services) Time Savings: Reduce storm call TAT by 2 days 10
- 17. HR Hiring – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Improve the requisition approval process Process: Increased efficiency through standardization 30 days Improve the candidate experience through an enhanced website Time: Reduce time spent on phone with candidates Process: Streamline/decrease visits 30 days Make the examination testing and scoring process automated through Neo Gov Financial: Decrease amount of paper Time/Process: Reduce two steps per episode 30 days Enhance the offer letter and standardize the process Time: Reduce one step per episode with each letter 30 days Fully understand functionality of Neo Gov - the City’s Human Resource Information System Process: Increased efficiency through full utilization of complete IT system 30 days Increase the accuracy of the candidate lists Process: Increase efficiency and decease time 30 days Improve the candidate experience through enhancements to their interview day Process: Attract more talent/better candidates 30 days Reach a broader applicant pool, improve sourcing and recruiting processes Process: Attract more talent/better candidates Financial: Take advantage of reciprocal relationships 30-90 days Creation of an HR “Playbook” Process: More consistency within the department, increase identity and branding 11
- 18. HR Onboarding – Proposed Recommendations Hiring – Proposed Recommendations Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Mandatory new hire orientation Process : Reduce Employee attrition and increase employee satisfactory morale < 30 Days Make the City website more relevant and useful for new hire Time/Process: Reduce time spent on phone calls from prospective employees < 30 Days Increase the HRA access level to Criminal Background Investigation (“CBI”) checks, Pension numbers and Driver’s License forms Time: Reduce overall cycle time for CBI’s 30-90 Days Improve the quality of new hire materials Time: Time savings in questions related to questionable clarity of materials < 30 Days Improve the process related to the drug testing clinics Process: Improve efficiency's and reducing trips <30 Days Make rejoining the City as an employees easier Time: Reduce time for new hire from 8 months to 1 month Process: Improve efficiency reduce number of steps and Trips <30 days 12
- 19. Bus Pull-Ins – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement 1) Enhanced Radio Communication at DDOT Facilities – This will save time and fuel, allowing mechanics to be ready to service buses as soon as they enter each facility. 127 Minutes Saved per Day 7/31/14 2) Bus Idling Reduction at DDOT Facilities - Having facilities end long periods of idling will save DDOT tens of thousands of dollars over the next year. Facility Supers will ensure that Transportation Equipment Operators (TEOs) and Mechanics shut off buses if not in use – to start immediately. 3.6 Gallons = $14.35 Saved per Hour per Bus. One bus not idling for twenty minutes each day for the entire year would save the City of Detroit $1,730.60 annually – With a 190 busses in the City’s fleet, the savings could reach into the tens of thousands. 7/25/14 3) Instituting a New Check-In/Check-Out Coach Condition Card at DDOT Facilities - We anticipate a 50% reduction in paper cost once the new card is instituted. Further, the card has an easier format, enabling TEOs and Mechanics to be better informed about needed maintenance, leading to increased bus service, while keeping DDOT employees accountable to their work. $4,320.00 Saved per Year - Along with increased Bus Pull-Outs for City Service 10/14 4) Clean Coach Project – A team building exercise between TEOs, Coach Service Attendants, and Mechanics which increased morale at DDOT Facilities and lead to a cleaner fleet for the City’s residents. Cleaner Buses for the City’s TEOs and Residents 7/14/14 1. Average 10 minutes saved for every 1 out of 15 buses of the 190 fleet per day. 190/15= 12.6 buses x 10minutes ≈ 127 minutes per day. 2. 3.6 Gallons of diesel fuel spent per hour per bus idling. Cost of diesel: $3.985/gal. 3.6gal x $3.985 = $14.35 3. Carbon Copy Paper Cost: $0.21/sheet. Card Stock Costs: $0.11/sheet. $9,000 per year for carbon paper. $4,680 per year for card stock. $9,000-$4,680 = $4320 13
- 20. Bus Maintenance – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Shoemaker Terminal Pilot: Conduct 'Change the Culture' sessions with mechanics and supervisors addressing low productivity, morale and lack of accountability throughout entire system. Improve mechanic productivity. Faster bus repair and maintenance turnaround with higher quality 'fixes'. 30 days 'Bus Cleaning Blitz’: Demonstrate to DDOT bus operators that mechanics are committed to excellence in terms of bus preparation and repairs. Improve relationship between mechanics and bus operators. Leading to a more productive DDOT 'system' performance. 30 days Performance Award: Re-establish quarterly mechanic performance 'Silver Wrench' award. Continue to drive focus on quality of repairs/maintenance. Better morale and focus on quality ultimately leads to more time in service between breakdowns. 30 days Laptops: Expedite acquisition of (4) additional laptops to perform on-board diagnostics. Reduce mechanic 'waiting' for critical shared resource. 30 days Training: Conduct '5S' training and workshops with mechanics and supervisors at Shoemaker. Reduce wasted time searching for tools and equipment during bus repair/maintenance cycles. 30-90 days Certification: Run every mechanic through ASE certification training. Improve technical capabilities of bus mechanics. 90+ days 2011 Study: Revisit findings of 2011 DDOT Maintenance Study conducted by UM consultant team. Establish team to focus efforts for a 6-9 month period. Benchmark 'best practices' from other cities where needed. Improve bus repair and maintenance cycle times. Improve bus availability and service to Detroit citizens. 30 days 14
- 21. Income Tax – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Develop the public-facing, taxpayer education component that will illustrate such basic tax concepts as withholding, residence and payment plans. This will be hosted on the income tax division’s website. In addition to actually putting something useful on the website in lieu of all of the fax numbers in the department, this will help to cut down on the number of incoming phone calls from taxpayers, freeing up a substantial portion of the ITD investigator’s work time for actual investigations. 30 days Deploy a tax preparation seminar to be given at the state licensing events for tax preparers in November and December. An enhanced understanding of the nuances of the City of Detroit tax regulations will enable tax preparers to file more accurate returns. 150 days Optimize claims referral process from the ITD to the law department, and enhance throughput in the law department The backlog of delinquent tax accounts is currently at 300,000 (estimated). Getting more of these high dollar amount cases to the law department for civil prosecution will increase the number of judgments that the City will then monetize. 90 days Retain services of a third party collections agency. An external collections agency would be able to pursue a greater variety of delinquent accounts with a wider arsenal of tools than our law department currently possesses. 90 days Expand the jurisdiction of DAH to include City of Detroit tax matters. 36th District Court currently handles the bulk of tax matters from the City. The judgments are frequently overly lenient to the taxpayer. Transferring jurisdiction from 36th District to DAH would ultimately have the effect of doing a better job of monetizing the judgments. 180 days 15
- 22. Purchasing – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Overhaul the purchasing department forms library by eliminating, combining and modifying the various documents into a unified, current version used by all City employees. The benefits in the purchasing are all quantified in the number of days that will be removed from the overall length of the process completion time. For this aspect, it will remove 2 days. 30 days Create checklist of items needed for submission to the purchasing department. 5 days 30 days Eliminate finance administration approval on professional and personal services contracts. 1 day 30 days Reduce time from City Council approval to EM approval from 10 to 5 days. 5 days 30 days Designate alternate signers/approvers on a departmental basis to accommodate absences. 2 days 30 days Create up front expectations for vendors income/property tax clearances, submit 60 days in advance of due date. 3 days 30 days Increase dollar threshold requiring City Council approval 5 days 90 days Build the waiver of the reconsideration period into the standardized operating procedure when bringing items before City Council 7 days 30 days Eliminate the following affidavits: Human Rights, Slavery Era records and insurance, and Hiring Policy Compliance. 3 days 90 days Implement document revision control system on purchasing forms. 2 days 90 days Replace transmittal record with electronic routing 3 days 90 days Automate the Purchase Agreement Request (PAR) in DRMS 7 days 90 days 16
- 23. ITSD Helpdesk – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Daily Huddle When implemented we expect no short-term tickets remain open after 3 Days Less than 30 Days Standard Templates Saves Techs approximately 5 minutes per ticket Less than 30 Days Self-help Guides Average reduction of 3 calls per day to Help Desk when customers now serve themselves Less than 30 Days Tech Sign-out Process At least 20 additional offsite tickets serviced per week Less than 30 Days Communication / Card to Police and Fire about Services Reduction of 3 calls from Police / Fire every week Less than 30 Days Tablets for Techs 1687.5 Hours saved per year (All Techs – value = ~ 50k / year) 6.75 more tickets serviced per day (All Techs) 30-90 Days Geographic Assignment / Specialty At least 20 additional offsite tickets serviced per week 30-90 Days Identify and Train Super Users Average reduction of 5 calls per week to Help Desk when customers now serve themselves 90+ Days Sticker for Computers Average reduction of 3 calls per week to Help Desk when customers now serve themselves Less than 30 Days 17
- 24. Public Lighting – Proposed Recommendations Proposed Recommendation Expected Benefit(s) Time to Implement Utilizing the DTE public lighting survey to correctly stock the PLD lamp room crews. This will have the benefit of making sure that lamp room crews have what they need in terms of materials and equipment when responding to resident complaints. This will cut down on both having to make duplicative runs, gas expenses and the time required to correct lighting issues. It will also have the benefit of enabling the lamp room crews to respond to more of the customer complaints on a weekly basis. 30 days Training the PLD lamp room crews on how to reset traffic control signals after voltage issues are corrected. Currently, the Department of Public Works deploys private contractors to do other work that’s not related to correcting voltage at the site. If the PLD crews were to reactivate/reset the signals themselves, this will lead to reduced deployments (and subsequently, expenditures on) of the aforementioned contractors. 30 days Developing the business case for a copper recovery operation of underground and aboveground cables, transformers and substations. There still remains a massive quantify of copper left in the PLD grid. Using revenues realized from this recovery effort could be used to underwrite environmental abatement costs resulting from the decommissioning of PLD assets. 90 days Developing the business case for the utilization of vacated PLD underground conduits for the installation of fiber optic cables to develop a citywide high speed internet network. Much as with the recommendation listed previously, leveraging value from decommissioned PLD assets once the copper recovery operation is complete can also help mitigate expenditures to clean up environmental damage from PLD legacy sites 90 days 18