Quality Improvement Using Lean and Six Sigma Processes
- 1. Quality improvement using Lean and Six Sigma processes
- 2. “ The process allows people to think Tim Eyton-Jones differently. Principal, John Ruskin College Sam Parrett Principal, Bromley College Danny Ridgeway Principal, Bexley College
- 3. Introduction and background to Lean and Six Sigma When Sam Parrett, The ‘Lean’ and ‘Six Sigma’ processes Sam was interested in can Principal of Bromley be used by any organisation as part of its quality improvement College, first approached strategy. The Lean principles are focused on creating high Bexley and John Ruskin customer value, and Six Sigma is a process for producing ostensibly near-perfect products and services. Taken together, they help Colleges with the idea of a organisations: partnership initiative, her fellow Principals weren’t focus on their customers immediately clear what the understand the detail of individual processes project was about. manage and improve processes remove waste and elements that do not add value to a process use data to understand and manage any deviation from the ideal engage staff in the improvement strategy by training them to use the techniques, and carry out improvement activity systematically. While none of this approach requires partnership working, Sam was clear about the potential benefits of using it collaboratively and as a vehicle for sharing – including the increased potential for innovation, rather than just development. The journey and the achievements “We’re all relatively The team began by scoping the project and setting out their new in post”, says Tim expectations. “We were very clear, right from the outset”, says Eyton-Jones, Principal Danny Ridgeway, Principal of Bexley College, “that this was about of John Ruskin College, improving the quality of the students’ experience.” “It wasn’t about “so we saw it as a good shedding jobs”, adds Tim Eyton-Jones, “it was about becoming more efficient and effective at what we do.” opportunity to get together and do some collaborative Choosing the areas of provision to focus on was the first test of the working.” teams’ ability to work together, and while any aspect of provision could have been chosen for this style of review, through a process of negotiation they arrived at: enrolment fee collection payroll, and student services.
- 4. Leadership and the Shared Service model With no need for legal The practical stages of the project were to: agreements, this approach is arguably ideal for identify specific elements of provision that need to be developing the confidence improved and trust needed for more identify all associated processes and their physical locations formal shared services determine the current baseline performance for each chosen arrangements. issue identify the current cost and impact of the issue clearly articulate the intended outcome identify and recruit appropriate staff to the project team, and finally begin the quality improvement journey. For the most part, this short-scale project, completed in just twelve months, was a resounding success, but it wasn’t plain sailing for all partners. Part way through the initiative, the Bromley College team lost its project manager. Whilst the role was quickly reassigned, the ultimate impact of the project was undoubtedly reduced for this partner. The gains made, however, were enough to convince staff of the effectiveness of the overall approach and to continue to develop their new processes. Tim Eyton Jones is in no doubt about the benefits of leading this sort of project: “If you actually enter into a sharing relationship, you learn so much more – about the issues and approaches of the other organisations – and that sort of cross-fertilisation of ideas can only enhance your own provision. Colleges who go it alone are at a distinct disadvantage.” The partners agree that one of the most valuable outcomes of the process was that it allowed people to think differently. “There was an expectation for staff to put in extra hours and extra effort”, states Tim Eyton Jones. “We might be rather surprised by how many extra “ hours actually went into this project.” But the approach, as a whole, changed the mind-set of some managers, who are now constantly If you actually on the lookout for improvements they can make. And arguably the core of this transformation was the invaluable opportunity to enter into a sharing share concerns and issues with peers in other Colleges, and to work together to find a ‘third way’. relationship, you Outcomes The partners agree that one of the most valuable outcomes of the learn so much process was that it allowed people to think differently. “There was an expectation for staff to put in extra hours and extra effort”, more...Colleges says Tim, “We might be rather surprised by how many extra hours actually went into this project.” But the approach as a whole who go it alone changed the mind-set of some managers, who are now constantly on the lookout for improvements they can make. And arguably are at a distinct the core of this transformation was the invaluable opportunity to share concerns and issues with peers in other colleges and to work disadvantage. together to find a ‘third way’.
- 5. Enrolment Data plays a central role texting prospective students before enrolment reduced the in quality improvement as number who failed to bring a valid method of payment, it not only allows an issue proof of qualifications and/or identification to be clearly articulated, introducing online information, including Parents Pages but it also allows key and a SharePoint site, reduced repeat enquiries questions to be answered: using a greeter or ‘gatekeeper’ as students arrived ‘are we resolving the ensured learners with missing documents did not queue issue?’, and ultimately ‘did unnecessarily we resolve the issue?’. If more effectively targeted initial assessment testing on only an organisation invests those who needed it, together with allocating students to in a quality improvement specific time slots, reduced both testing and unnecessary journey without waiting identifying the mid-term enrolling Key Stage 4 pupils early reduced the numbers indicators it expects to attending the main enrolment sessions. see, then it is essentially driving blind. John Ruskin The immediate, short-term, impact of these improvements College was very clear included: about its baseline data, the improvements this new a reduction in the average enrolment time from 1.5 hours strategy should achieved, per student in 2011 to 45 minutes in 2012 and how they would know a reduction in waiting time at the finance department if they were ‘getting there’. from a maximum of 4.5 hours in 2011 to a maximum of 25 They found that: minutes in 2012 If you actually enter into a sharing relationship, you learn so much more But arguably the more important improvements between 2011 and 2012 were those that affected the bottom line: increased conversion rate from enquiry to enrolment, from 51% to 65% increased early enrolment of progressing students from 65% to 75% improved retention of year two students by 14%, and for the first time in eight years, the College met its funding target for 16-18 year olds. “ If you actually enter into a sharing relationship, you learn so much more
- 6. Fee collection Closely linked to the Improved and simplified enrolment forms now effectively meet improvements in the the needs of the finance teams, as well as the academic staff. enrolment process, the Clearer information around bank details and alternative methods ‘fee collection’ element of of payment, together with clarity about the refund policy and consequences of non-payment, set the new tone of efficiency in the project had a strong 2012. focus on cash flow and the College’s finances. The introduction of a set-up fee for instalment payments reduced the number of students choosing this option. This greatly increased fee collection during enrolment, improving cash flow at the beginning of the academic year, and led to a consequential reduction in the staff hours needed to chase late payments further down the line. The new process also includes chasing any late payments earlier – in October, rather than February. For John Ruskin College, together with improvements in the bursary application process, these initiatives reduced the number of enrolments placed on hold from 54 in 2011 to just 27 in 2012, representing a significant drop in the fees being owed. And where fees have been a problem for students, the streamlined procedure and increased emphasis on customer service has led to a significant increase in the number of cases resolved within 14 days, from 21 in 2011 to just three in 2012. Payroll Whilst the improvement in enrolment practice was primarily about improving customer satisfaction, it is in the payroll stream that we see the first major financial savings. New integrated human resource and payroll systems, with reduced process steps, reduced manual checking, reduced risk and errors, led to significantly greater control; particularly of actual vs. contracted staff hours. For Bexley College in particular, this led to a reduced staff utilisation variance, from 12% in 2011 to just 3% in 2012, saving around £660,000. Student services “Those three (enrolment, The development team wanted to ensure that students weren’t fee collection and buffeted from one department to the next, so they introduced a payroll) were relatively reception function to ensure that any queuing was for the right straightforward processes”, service. Some partners also redesigned the layout of their student services area to improve flow, clarity and comfort. For Bromley says Danny Ridgeway, but College alone, these strategies and improved processes allowed the student services project them to reduce the number of staff required, while improving the to create “a one-stop-shop, services provided, making a saving of around £60,000. was the broadest challenge, and the one that took most At Bexley College simple changes, such as switching from post time to establish a focus.” to email, saved a further £5,000 and improved communication times. Clearer awareness of, and deadlines for, the Learner Support
- 7. Fund led to a significant increase in the number of applications: up from 271 in 2011 to 408 in 2012; an increase of nearly 50%. Further savings have been made by redesigning the student handbook; making use of QR codes. When scanned with a mobile phone these codes link prospective learners to the very latest information on the Colleges’ websites. This reduces the cost of printing and also the need for annual reprinting as the handbook information will not date so readily. “We haven’t lost any staff”, says Bexley’s Principal, Danny Ridgeway, “but we have used them more efficiently. We’ve freed up staff to be able to put support in place for students much earlier than we would have otherwise been able to do.” Next Steps The partners have already learned many lessons from their September 2012 experiences and plan more improvements next year. But perhaps of more interest in this case study is the legacy of the project overall on the rest of the Colleges’ work. Staff are already using the Lean and Six Sigma approaches to process map and improve other elements of provision, including wider applications in HR, purchasing procedures, and the examination and invigilation processes. The Principals feel that the cost of investing in these new approaches has been an investment in the quality system as a whole that will continue to pay dividends for years to come. For Bexley College, the tools and the collaborative approach to innovation have already prompted it to form a second partnership, this time with its local Adult Education College, to work on credit control practices. Outcomes for the sector - Lean Six Sigma Toolkit A short film has also been produced by AoC on the teams’ For the rest of the sector, experiences in managing this change project. The film can be the benefit of the project viewed at the shared services section of the AoC website: being funded through the (www.aoc.co.uk/shared-services/materials/gf-videos) SFA’s Grant Fund is the For more written case studies on Shared Services, visit the shared toolkit on Lean Six Sigma services section of the AoC website: and how it can be used by (www.aoc.co.uk/shared-services/case-studies) other Colleges. The toolkit is available for all Colleges to access and learn from on the shared services section of the AoC website: (www.aoc.co.uk/share- services/lean-six-sigma)
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