What's Happenin'
The following information is provided so you have an understanding about the upcoming processes, expectations, and timeframes for implementation of Business Process Redesign (BPR).
Please, allow us to explain.
Twenty Six of your peers just completed the second week of BPR sessions. We are pleased to say they worked really hard detailing recommendations in our processes that will diminish the amount of lapsed time it takes for us to determine benefits. This included Eligibility Technicians and Office Assistants considering all aspects of our interactions with our clients. A sampling of one recommendation is attached (Talking- Workflow doc).
Since detailed changes to the eligibility and administrative processes are being converted from "maps" to words, they are not available for presentation to the Division as a whole yet. At this point, we need to exercise patience as we continue putting the appropriate pieces in place to ensure we are successful with implementation of upcoming changes that your peers are suggesting.
Participants in the BPR sessions may not be able to give you full details of what is to come nor will they be able to give you a quick 101 on BPR concepts, so please (check out the Q&A documents, BPR Broadcasts, and other information we are providing approximately weekly. We are doing our best to provide as much information to you to keep you well informed.
What's comin' next you ask?
We want you to know that several tasks need to come together within the next few weeks to allow the recommendations from your peers to come to fruition:
1. The BPR team came up with twenty-some recommendations that need to be written out in detail so everyone understands the true intention of the new processes.
2. A small subgroup of the team of 26 will be working with SD&T this week to develop consistency tools to guide staff when we begin rolling out the new processes in the offices. The consistency tools will ensure staff are working smarter, not faster.
3. Each office will learn about the new management tool- PathOs. All staff will need to be knowledgeable about how to use it, understand the benefits of it, and develop the expectations for utilizing it throughout the day. This tool is for OA's, ET's, and Lead workers and supervisors. (In addition, C!A, the Chief of Field Services, and the Division Deputy Director will also be accessing the tool to understand where we are daily with our tasks.)
a. OA's will enter the work into the system everyday
b. ETs will "grab" tasks from the system throughout the day
c. Lead workers/supervisors will learn how to manage the work every half hour throughout the day
d. Lead workers/supervisors will learn what is expected of them when reviewing the information within the system. This system can be utilized in so many ways, we need to ensure managers/leads are understanding their new role as coach, mentor, and cheerleader.
4. We will be meeting with Policy, Program Integrity and Analysis, Field Services Support Unit, System Operations, Regional Managers and others to ensure everyone understands the changes to processes and why.
5. Staff will be informed of the order in which the offices will be initiating the new processes so the Change and Innovation Agency can begin working with the individual offices on their office readiness plans.
a. Includes developing a plan for the elimination of the majority of the backlog
b. Training in PathOs
c. Training managers, supervisors and leads in their responsibilities
d. Training staff in various programs
e. Training staff in the consistency tools
Looking ahead:
As we continue to initiate new processes, we will be mindful of other impacts (ARIES, Training, Policy, QA, etc.). There is a lot going on right now and the intention is to allow staff to work cases to completion of benefits. Also we are continuing with the following as mentioned above:
1. Managers, supervisors and leads will begin to be trained properly in the use of the new consistency tools and the PathOs system.
2. Discussions will take place for staff to learn all programs and both eligibility systems.
4. Exploration for an Electronic Document Management system (talks continue for this project) and for a Call System or in combination with a Call Center (again, we are in the beginning stages).
5. Identifying the order for Offices to go-live while taking into consideration extraneous factors. We know that Ketchikan will be first and Juneau will be second to initiate the new changes.
Please stay tuned and engaged- we are actively working on solutions!
Sincerely,
Tammie and Aimee