Give a Little Bit: Using Lean Tools to Create Efficiencies in Acquisitions and Beyond

Faced with a higher-level imperative to improve organizational effectiveness, how do you approach that task at an operational level? What are the specific teams and skills needed to transform processes for the future? This session explored topics related to workflow analysis and redesign based on a Business Process Improvement effort at the University of California, Davis. Working with a consultant, a team composed of key players from acquisitions and accounting units examined ordering processes that were particularly cumbersome, eventually focusing on credit card ordering. The team learned many useful process evaluation tools including cross-functional “swim lane” maps, cause and effect diagrams, and a variety of methods for identifying wastes and assessing customer satisfaction (or lack thereof). While some attention was paid to the particular aspects of the credit card workflow, more weight was given to general principles, tools, and applications to other workflows. Attendees learned about the process analysis tools, with emphasis on the swim lane map, in enough detail to start applying them in their own environments. Introduction and Context In our process-driven environments, it is all too easy to get mired in habits and day-to-day routines. Organizational efficiency often requires stable processes. When our processes, are broken, however, it is often difficult to step back to assess what is happening, and to take the time to fix it. Our university is just one of many examples of institutions launching new initiatives to re-engineer how we support the educational mission. What is described below is one program to rework processes in the library, and the accompanying workflow analysis tools that were learned along the way. At various organizational levels, the university has mobilized to meet these fiscally-constrained times. One initiative across the University of California is called “Working Smarter, which has launched many projects and “envisions ten distinct campuses using one efficient administrative framework.” Locally at the University of California, Davis, this emerged as the Organizational Excellence Initiative, which embarked upon a review of the administrative functions on campus, specifically the accounting and human resources functions. One result of the efforts was a consolidation into Shared Service Centers to support both campuswide and college-level operations. In the library, we were responding to this budget outlook by assessing every process and cost center to explore possible efficiencies. Within Technical Services, we had already implemented automated triage of bibliographic records and EDI invoicing, as well as other workflow efficiencies. The processes that were left to work on were frequently deeply embedded within processes outside of our division, and required additional collaboration with other departments. Two teams from the Library were recommended by our administration to work with an outside consultant as part of a Business Process Improvement Program sponsored by the campus. Shelley Sweet, the principal consultant at I4 Process, brought her expertise in process mapping, redesign and lean principles and tools to work with our staff. one team focused on the billing process in our circulation unit. Our team comprised staff from Acquisitions and Accounting. We carefully reviewed the possible workflows we could consider during this program, with the intent to take the best advantage of the intensive workshops. Like many libraries, we had automated a large percentage of our monographic ordering volume through online selection, EDI invoicing, and related processes. Electronic journal content, though work-intensive, was largely acquired through consortial packages. A process that seemed to loom large on the minds of staff in both units was the credit card ordering process, which required special attention and handling to meet campus accountability requirements. Two cardholders assumed significant responsibility for providing documentation to the library accounting department. In addition, a unit from campus