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| September 1998 LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD, Internet Price Posting |
| More than 800 liquor licensees were filing 3,000+ pages of price postings per month for approval prior to product sales. A new process to electronically file via the Internet has dropped the paper flow to 150 pages a month, increased the reviews from 20 to 100 percent, allowed immediate approval/denial decisions, and saved 1.75 FTEs. |
| September 1998 EMPLOYMENT SECURITY DEPARTMENT, Washington Employer Help Line |
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| September 1998 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, Consolidated Contracts Streamlining |
| The Consolidated Contract is a document that specifies the conditions and terms under which Local Health Jurisdictions use money provided by the Department of Health. A team surveyed users and reviewed the process to streamline it and tailor it to individual communities’ needs. The new application and process is half the size, complexity and time, cutting six weeks off delivery and one FTE in the Contracts office. |
| July 1998 DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL, Performance Evaluation Project Team |
| The
performance evaluation system for state employees had been in place for 20 years with no
significant updating. A team of customer agencies and union representatives surveyed 2000
employees and supervisors to develop a contemporary performance evaluation system that
reflects modern workplace practices, supports quality improvement, and enhances
communication between supervisors and employees. The new system was piloted in seven
agencies, revised based on customer feedback, then implemented in more than 60 agencies in
June 1998 for approximately 50,000 supervisors and employees. Results: Service improved. User surveys showed a change from 93% dissatisfied with the old system to 97% satisfied with the new system. This creative, customer-based system appears to be the first of its kind in governmental organizations. The new format is easy to use and understand and is flexible to meet changing needs. |
| September 1998 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRIES, Region 5 Factory Assembled Structures Process Improvement |
During this three-month pilot project, permitting errors were |
| April 1998 DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY, Toxics Reduction Engineer Exchange (TREE) Team |
| The
TREE team established a public/private partnership with Washington's two largest metal
finishing businesses. Detailed technical and economic analyses of their facilities led to
a goal of reducing the amount of waste generated and water used every day. Results: Industrial Plating Corporation and Novations both experienced significant reductions in hazardous waste and water use. For Novations the water use went from 40,000 to 8,000 gallons per day, hazardous waste fell from 332,000 to 66,400 pounds per day and resulted in savings to the company of $98,000 per year. |
| July 1998 STATE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION, Central Reservation System Team |
Results: Reservations have increased from 32,300 in FY95 to 84,400 in FY97. Busy signals have dropped from 5 to 6 million in 1996 and 1997 to only intermittently on Monday and Tuesday, and media coverage prior to the 1998 Fourth of July weekend was positive. |
| April 1998 DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING, Teen Roadeo Team |
Results: 137 drive tests were completed in one day thanks to a streamlined process, no overcrowding in the office, and a reduced wait to take the first driving skills test. It also provided working parents and families an opportunity to participate in this milestone event in their teen's life. |
An interactive voice response system implemented in
March 1998 gives employers 24-hour, 7-day access to unemployment insurance tax account
information. Businesses can also file tax reports on-line and receive forms via a fax-back
system.
reduced from 1 in 3 to 1 in 33, no revenue was lost
due to incorrect fees, and the time to track down inspection sites was cut from 18.5 hours
to 1.5 hours. These process improvements have now been transferred to other regions
throughout the state.
The Central Reservation System (CRS) implemented in
1996 initially experienced an overwhelming volume of phone calls, a wide range of customer
complaints, and unfavorable media coverage. Improvements made since January 1997 include
making all reservations site specific, upgrading the call center software and equipment,
opening a satellite call center for peak summer months, providing fax and e-mail
alternatives, and shortening the reservation season.
The team of driver’s license examiners working with local school
districts developed an out-of-the-box solution to meet the needs of their teenage
customers.They arranged for focus group drive tests for teens on Sunday to take their
drive test, receive certificates of completion, and secure their driver's license at a
later date.