1. For this question, you will review a process, identify problem areas ( such as wastes, cycle time inefficiencies, etc), and suggest an improved process. Open and read the Process Improvement (Final Q 1)

the document which describes the process steps in words and also includes a process map as a visual tool for understanding what's going on in each step. You will need to respond to the following three sub-questions:

FINAL Q1:

Then using the #1-16 above and the Picture above.

I need the 3 part question answered. This is everything in the question.. Understand that there is NOTHING INCOMPLETE, I have added everything that was sent to us.

a. Of the 9 process steps in the Process Improvement (Final Q 1) document, which specific steps in that process are experiencing lean wastes and/or process cycle time issues (please note, there is more than one step experiencing issues). In your response, name the process step, and/or the transfer interface between steps, and what waste(s) or cycle time issue is involved. Be sure to use standard lean/six sigma terminology that we used in the course when referring to any of the quality concepts; e.g., transportation waste when referring to situations involving a lot of moving around from one place to another.

b. Which of the process steps you identified in part a do you believe could benefit from process improvement and why?

c. What changes would you institute in the process to improve the steps you cited in part b of this question and describe how those changes improve the process. Be specific about which process step(s) your improving and thoroughly describe the improvement to that step. [Note: This question ties to what you decided was important in part b question above.] Also, when answering how you would improve a given process step, assume you have an unlimited budget and personnel resources and you can do almost anything you want as long as it doesn't violate the laws of physics or the judicial system. Be cautious though because process improvement is designed to save time, money, and resources in doing the needed work. For example, automation is good, and also potentially expensive, so is it worth it for the improvement? - you will have to be the judge of that.

A healthcare institution uses the following process for getting special equipment used in the special care units of their hospitals. 1. A paper request for equipment is submitted, which takes 5 hours to prepare. 2. The paper request is sent on to the next department for review. The internal mail system is used which takes 24 hours for delivery. 3. The next department conducts a review of the request, as a double check. This takes 6 hours to complete. 4. The reviewed request is then sent to the next department (the Chief Financial Officer - CFO) via the internal mail system, which takes 24 hours for delivery. 5. The CFO looks over the request for anything odd and then signs it, whereby authorizing the budget to be spent on the request. This step is just for the CFO to sign off on the request and takes 1 hour. 6. The signed request goes to the next department via the internal mail system, which takes 24 hours for delivery. 7. At the analysis department, the request details are reviewed for technical accuracy and anything that seems out of the ordinary before committing to the design and eventual building of the equipment item. The department is so overwhelmed with work that the total amount of time to do their review takes 40 hours. It might be less if other requests didn't get in the way and pushed ahead of other "less important" request reviews. 8. The final analysis package goes the next department for action and takes 24 hours via the internal mail system. 9. At the design department, the team there takes the information from the request and the results of the analysis review to begin designing the equipment item. This process takes 40 hours to complete. 10. That design package is then sent to a secondary technical review before being sent to the budget department to cost out how much it will be to make the item. The internal mail system is used to send the package on, which takes 24 hours to deliver. 11. The secondary technical review step ensures there isn't any missed information in the design package that's need to make a budget determination. It seems that the design team is not always careful with the administrative details and sometime misses including important documents, such as completing and including specific forms that will need to be sent to the state health department for their records. These various types of administrative errors seem to occur about 20% of the time; so out of 10 design packages reviewed, on average 2 have to always be sent back. A review by the secondary technical review department takes 2 hours. 12. Design packages that pass the secondary technical review are sent to the budget department for costing. The internal mail system is used which results in delivery 24 hours later. 13. The budget department processes the design details and all related information needed to cost out how much the requested equipment item will cost. This review takes 40 hours. 14. The budget determined by the budget department is then sent to another experienced team of financial subject matter experts. The internal mail system is used for delivery, which takes 24 hours to arrive. 15. The team of people in the budge department is mostly composed of the newly hired financial budget analysts, while the budget review is done by seasoned financial analysts with many years of experience. It seems that the new people make many mistakes or omissions during their review and are caught at the budget review done by the experienced team. Because of the errors and omissions in the budget, on average 65% of all submissions need to be sent back to be redone. This step takes 40 hours to complete. 16. For those budget packages that have passed the secondary budget review of the experts, the budget then goes on to the procurement department, who now has approval to go out and contract with an external company to build the equipment item. Oh, ... and procurement receives the approved budget 24 hours later through the internal mail system. A process map of the above process steps is provided as a visual aid to help understand the process flow. Request 0.5 hr avg Review 6 hrs avg Sign Off 1 hr avg Analysis 40 hrs avg 24 hrs 24 hrs 24 hrs 24 hrs Design 40 hrs avg Review 2 hrs avg Budget 40 hrs avg Review 40 hrs avg Procuremen 3 hrs avg 24 hrs 24 hrs 24 hrs 24 hrs 20% Rejected 65% Defective A healthcare institution uses the following process for getting special equipment used in the special care units of their hospitals. 1. A paper request for equipment is submitted, which takes 5 hours to prepare. 2. The paper request is sent on to the next department for review. The internal mail system is used which takes 24 hours for delivery. 3. The next department conducts a review of the request, as a double check. This takes 6 hours to complete. 4. The reviewed request is then sent to the next department (the Chief Financial Officer - CFO) via the internal mail system, which takes 24 hours for delivery. 5. The CFO looks over the request for anything odd and then signs it, whereby authorizing the budget to be spent on the request. This step is just for the CFO to sign off on the request and takes 1 hour. 6. The signed request goes to the next department via the internal mail system, which takes 24 hours for delivery. 7. At the analysis department, the request details are reviewed for technical accuracy and anything that seems out of the ordinary before committing to the design and eventual building of the equipment item. The department is so overwhelmed with work that the total amount of time to do their review takes 40 hours. It might be less if other requests didn't get in the way and pushed ahead of other "less important" request reviews. 8. The final analysis package goes the next department for action and takes 24 hours via the internal mail system. 9. At the design department, the team there takes the information from the request and the results of the analysis review to begin designing the equipment item. This process takes 40 hours to complete. 10. That design package is then sent to a secondary technical review before being sent to the budget department to cost out how much it will be to make the item. The internal mail system is used to send the package on, which takes 24 hours to deliver. 11. The secondary technical review step ensures there isn't any missed information in the design package that's need to make a budget determination. It seems that the design team is not always careful with the administrative details and sometime misses including important documents, such as completing and including specific forms that will need to be sent to the state health department for their records. These various types of administrative errors seem to occur about 20% of the time; so out of 10 design packages reviewed, on average 2 have to always be sent back. A review by the secondary technical review department takes 2 hours. 12. Design packages that pass the secondary technical review are sent to the budget department for costing. The internal mail system is used which results in delivery 24 hours later. 13. The budget department processes the design details and all related information needed to cost out how much the requested equipment item will cost. This review takes 40 hours. 14. The budget determined by the budget department is then sent to another experienced team of financial subject matter experts. The internal mail system is used for delivery, which takes 24 hours to arrive. 15. The team of people in the budge department is mostly composed of the newly hired financial budget analysts, while the budget review is done by seasoned financial analysts with many years of experience. It seems that the new people make many mistakes or omissions during their review and are caught at the budget review done by the experienced team. Because of the errors and omissions in the budget, on average 65% of all submissions need to be sent back to be redone. This step takes 40 hours to complete. 16. For those budget packages that have passed the secondary budget review of the experts, the budget then goes on to the procurement department, who now has approval to go out and contract with an external company to build the equipment item. Oh, ... and procurement receives the approved budget 24 hours later through the internal mail system. A process map of the above process steps is provided as a visual aid to help understand the process flow. Request 0.5 hr avg Review 6 hrs avg Sign Off 1 hr avg Analysis 40 hrs avg 24 hrs 24 hrs 24 hrs 24 hrs Design 40 hrs avg Review 2 hrs avg Budget 40 hrs avg Review 40 hrs avg Procuremen 3 hrs avg 24 hrs 24 hrs 24 hrs 24 hrs 20% Rejected 65% Defective