Bend the Curve Project Sponsors and Managers Meeting Notes

January 10, 2005, 2:00-4:00, Augusta CareerCenter

 

Attendees: Jane Gilbert, Arthur Davis, Dennis Corliss, Sue Bell, Bud Lewis, Cathy Singleton, Judy Williams, Kim Smith, Andy Drouin, Joan Cook, Louise Sidelinger, Dawn Mealey, Adam Fisher

 

Reminder: BTC Fair (6-week check-in) – February 3 and March 17 – Kim to send announcement to all teams members as a calendar appointment.

 

Team check-ins:

 

Accounts Payable – Dennis Corliss & Andy Drouin – Current Map, Interim Map, Future Map.  All Visio files will be done by this week.  Have been meeting weekly, normally on Wednesdays. Had been stuck on metrics.  Worked with John Kirsch (MEP) to clarify – standardized definitions.  Metrics done on Current State; half of metrics complete on Interim Map.  Meeting Thursday with DOT to look at automated A/P processes, which will lead in to Future State.  Will be developing implementation plan, which will include putting the Procurement (pre-A/P) and Reconciliation (post-A/P) processes back in to the plan.  The team thought it was very helpful to have MEP sit with the process experts to get a better, standardized understanding of metrics.  All metrics should be complete within two weeks.

 

Empowerment & Decision Making – Cathy Singleton & Sue Bell –Trying to look at time savings by getting decisions as close to the customer as possible.  Developing standards that front-line staff could use to facilitate decision-making.  Cathy has put together a PowerPoint presentation.  Paul Trahan had contacted counterparts in CT.  Three pilots have been identified:  BRS – processing applications for prior time periods; BUC – processing Canadian claims for prior periods; (in both cases - streamlining how that decision is made to take a claim for a prior period);. Mary Keith – proposing that there are some cases that don’t have any costs, such as preparing for GED, that should be able to push through instead of having to go through same process as cases that have costs associated.  The team is preparing to present recommendations to the Steering Committee, possible at the January 26 SC meeting.

 

Improve VR Service Delivery – Louise Sidelinger & Bud Lewis – Mapped 100% of CS and FS; drafted implementation plan.  Meeting on January 27 with sponsors, have three proposed Kaizens.  Metrics are mostly done.

 

Fact-finding & Appeals – Judy Williams – In process of redoing metrics, after meeting with MEP, realized there were problems with original metrics that were developed.  Team of three people working on recalculating.  Implementation plan originally contained 44 items, many have since been combined.  Leaders have been assigned to each item, researching how items are handled in other states.

 

OIP Job Jar – Joan Cook & Bob Morlock – Team is meeting each week, usually on Wednesdays. Holding a Kaizen this week. Implementation plan has been developed; kaizen is for first three items.  OIP is also working some items internally.  Joan thanked John Rioux for continuing his high level of involvement while taking on an additional role as BTC Data Manager.  Regarding metrics, the group is testing timings associated with some steps.  Some items have a wide range of times, trying to develop an 80% rule.  Working with Rosemary (MEP) to be more focused on recommendations.  OIP had been working on some of these issues already, and this team’s work is going hand in hand with that work.  VSM for Help Desk has not been started yet, but is still pending.  Much of the savings is in two parts: first, better understanding of issues and what is in the IT Projects List – have on-line and automatically e-mail when issue needs to be moved to the next person/step in the process; second, if programming is standardized, full requirements analysis, not as much rework, because everything is clarified up front. Anticipate cutting back end work in half.  Bob will send metrics to Arthur and John.

 

Job Order & Job Match – Dawn Mealey  - pilot program in September 2004.  The two projects are connected, taking the order and then matching people to the job.  Centralized job orders, lots of groundwork needed to make that happen.  Original implementation date is July 1, 2005, but depends on many variables, including the development of the Enterprise Computing system.  Training modules being put together, tools being developed, sub-teams working on these items.  Metrics are complete, cash savings yet to be determined.  Job Match not anticipated to generate savings, Job Order possible with centralization. 

 

Website – Adam Fisher – CS & FS are in Visio, metrics being reworked this week.  Meeting again January 20. will be holding a Kaizen on standardization across web pages.

 

Outreach & Education – Adam Fisher – Started off very narrowly focused, solely on press releases, has broadened scope from all bureaus.  CS & FS for press releases is complete, but will be refocusing on all ways we reach out to the public (trade shows, conferences, contacting employers and job seekers, etc.)

 

Other Discussions:

 

BTC Steering Committee – meeting this Wednesday with Susan Gallant on possible approaches to organization redesign.  Achieving the savings we need will not be possible without looking at how we are organized.  The Steering Committee is the Bureau/Division Directors, Arthur, Jane, Sue, Kim, and John.

 

BTC Website – Adam asked folks to look at the website and to let either him or Kim know if something should be posted for your team.  The Commissioner wants the website to contain up-to-date information for each team.  It could become a source of lots of information, if utilized.

 

BTC Projects Phase II – plans are for more projects to kick-off in March.  Doesn’t necessarily mean that teams are wrapping up, only that other teams begin.  There was some concern about burning out those who are currently involved. Group membership on the new teams will be open - those people already on teams are welcomed to work with other teams, and we want to include new people in the process.

 

Today’s future state is tomorrow’s current state.  We are not achieving perfection in the work we are doing, but we are striving for it. The work will continue.

 

Facilitator training – kicks off this Friday.  This will be a joint effort with DHHS.  Jane thanked everyone who is participating, and supervisors and directors who have freed up peoples time to allow them to participate.  We will have access to DHHS facilitators.  Michaela Loisel has agreed to organize the facilitator

 

Next meeting was scheduled for January 24.  Many have a conflict with this time.  Will meet January 31, 10:00-12:00.  Kim will find room and send notice.

 

The meeting adjourned at 3:00.