2019 AWARD FINALIST SPOTLIGHT: Michigan State University - Operational Excellence to deliver Business Transformation

Read this article about Michigan State University, one of our finalists, in the category Best Achievement in Operational Excellence to deliver Business Transformation, selected by the independent judging panel, for the 2019 Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Industry Awards program. Click here to read articles on other finalists.

Business leaders are pursuing digitally interconnected environments to better equip the 21st century workforce in promoting interaction among team members across time and distance.  When properly planned and meticulously implemented, the results can increase shared learning and generate new ideas to turn “one-off” improvements into repeatable patterns.  Technology, when implemented with action analytics will advance culture, improve customer results, and foster innovation.  We have proof.

Infrastructure, Planning and Facilities (IPF) at MSU is approaching ­a fundamental shift in building and maintaining the physical environment for education, research and outreach mission.  IPF’s experienced team of 1,300+ professionals keep MSU running 24/7/365, delivering diverse services to build and sustainably maintain the University assets.  As higher education experiences financial turbulence, IPF’s competitive advantage is to advance a culture of high performance by mastering the craft and discovery of purpose by our workforce, leveraging accessible data for informed decision making.

In 2016, IPF’s annual strategic planning identified three opportunities to leverage strategy, with technology, to drive sustainable disruption in operations through digital transformation.  1.  Provide employees with unprecedented access to information integral to daily decision-making.  2.  Deploy mobile platforms, applications, and an interconnected environment to advance service excellence. 3.  Create a more robust knowledge management system to modernize business processes.

IPF is recognized as a leader in higher education facilities organizations by deploying over 1,250 mobile devices, empowering the front-line workforce with access to information.  The six-part action plan spanning 2.5 years is 80% complete and the results to date are transforming how IPF manages work, communicates with the customer, and engages employees.  Over (55) business process changes have occurred to date and an initial $1.2 million investment is forecasting a $763,000 cost avoidance within the first year of implementation.

We have identified three pitfalls that reduce performance: lack of planning, not having the correct tools and materials to perform the tasks, and lack of communication.   The mobile action plan has reduced these pitfalls, eliminated waste-in-process and improved the value we provide to our campus partners.  High performing operational excellence has included:

• Reduced the cost of trees trimmed by $100,000 annually;
• Reduced litter control expenses by $150,000 in two years while increasing volume collected by 35%;
• Improved workforce safety through emergency communication from 581 employees to 1276;
• Reduced capital project asset collection process from 1034 days to 53 days on average;
• Eliminated payroll errors saving $60,000 annually;
  
  

Dan Bollman, Vice-President of IPF, observes: “Implementing our mobile strategy across IPF has transformed how our employees pursue their work.  I’ve noticed a great deal of satisfaction among employees whom, through the mobile devices, have gained greater control over their daily work activities and I could not be prouder of them.”