discussion reply 139
300 word min with references
Personnel Accountability While Teleworking
- I picked this process because it is an ongoing process amid the Corona pandemic. I am the unit’s primary point of contact (POC) for this task. Our unit has been dealing with these unreasonable requirements from Higher Headquarters (HHq) for the last two weeks, and it doesn’t seem to get any better. It is time-consuming and not practical.
- The steps that we took to analyze how to improve the process are as follow:
Current Process: Report Unit Accountability to HHq by 1000L daily.
- Determine the total headcounts (200 total).
- Emails sent out to division POCs (5 total) by close of business (COB) the day prior.
- On the day of; check email or contact divisions, POCs for headcounts NLT 0800.
- Report numbers to HHq NLT 0930
Steps to take to analyze current process for improvement:
- Can we meet the 1000 deadline? If yes, how timely is the info-gathering process? If No, what caused the issue? Is it communication, geographic location of the divisions?
- Email doesn’t work due to VPN degradation; what must be done to ensure the continuation of operations? Relying on cellphones is the only LOGICAL option.
- Is too much information better than enough critical information? HHq should reconsider asking for too much information; instead, only ask for the crucial information. For example, tested-positive personnel and their families, personnel in quarantine, ROM.
- HHq admits that the current process needs improvement because only 3 of 10 directorates were able to meet daily deadlines. They were also the smallest directorates
- Who should be involved with me:
- Division POCs, and division chiefs
- Unit executive officer
- Higher Headquarters representatives
- Communication teams
- Questions should be considered:
- Is this process effective? Do we have to take full accountability every day?
- Do we need two separate responsibilities from the same subject? The first one includes all personnel, both teleworking and “on-campus.†But the second one is divided into specific categories such as quarantine, restrict of movement, in isolation, leave, TDY, quarters.
- In a “comm-out†(limited to zero communication) environment, would multiple accountabilities help or hurt the unit? Current VPN capability limits our comm to minimal to none-existence. How would it negatively affect our ability to take accountability via email and DSN? Most of us have to resort to personal cellphones for reliability, but what about those who don’t have cellphones?
- How will I know if the process was actually improved?
- HHq decides they only need ONE accountability report per 24 hours.
- ONLY report significant changes such as duty status (ROM, quarantine, in isolation, etc.).
The method of tracking accountability is not sufficient. This process works in a controlled environment, but when that environment changed, the process should have been changed as well. As previously mentioned, my leadership must reconsider the recommendations to improve the current process. For a process to be improved, one must consider the flowing steps:
- Reduce Non-Value-Added Steps
- Improve the Measurement System
- Reduce Common Cause Variation
- Reduce Special Cause Variation
- Move the Mean to Improve Process Capability (Tickle, 2020)
Our unit follows the same steps to improve the accountability tracking process. Response time cut down to nearly 70% by only reporting changes. If no changes, we continue using the same number as the previous day because the total personnel assigned will NOT change. I am sure HHq will scold us later for doing things differently, but we decided that it is a price we can all afford to pay given current circumstances. We also voiced our concern and proposed recommendations to make this process better to HHq. Now, we wait for leadership to reply.
Reference:
Tickle, C. (2020). 5 Ways to Improve a Process. Retrieved from Go Learn Six Sigma: https://goleansixsigma.com/5-ways-improve-process/
