Jorge Quintero, an IT Program Manager at Granite, has helped drive productivity through simplifying various processes using technology and creative ideas. Some of the processes he has helped automate or simplify include the shift handover process, lift plan documents, budgetary cost estimates, and developing a "Granite Smart Application" to centralize work tools and documents. These simplifications have reduced documentation times and improved tracking, communication, and allowing supervisors to spend more time on turbine decks. The article encourages other employees to suggest ways processes could be further simplified.

1. ΀Granite Newsletter΁ ͮ Volume 8 - Issue 7 - 2014 WĂŐĞ ϯ
Jorge Quintero: Improving
Productivity by Simplifying
Processes
Throughout Granite, we’re focused on Simplification.
We’re taking a hard look at how we do business and
finding ways to do it
better, smarter and
faster.
Jorge Quintero, IT
Program Manager, is
helping to drive
productivity with
technology and a few
creative ideas. The
result is simpler
processes which save time and improve safety,
productivity and quality.
Jorge is driving Simplification by:
1. Automating Shift Handover Process
The standard process for Shift Handovers was a
manual email that could take more than 20 minutes to
write. Jorge worked with Ismaira Chavez, Alan
Carruth and Bill Guerrero to develop a solution
incorporating an automated Excel template with drop-
down menus. This new tool reduces the time it takes
to prepare and submit a Shift Handover to just 10-15
minutes. In addition to providing a more standard
approach in our team’s turnovers, the additional data
entry points help increase productivity by improving
tracking of delays and cost of quality.
2. Simplifying Lift Plan Documents
In 2013, GE Corporate introduced additional
processes resulting in five new documents that
became mandatory for a critical lift. This was in
addition to the already widely used Granite and GE
lift plan/permits. Jorge partnered with Oscar
Paredes, Alan Carruth and Bill Guerrero to
simplify the Lift Plan processes. They consolidated
the five documents and 13 pages into just two
Granite-centric documents with only eight pages,
and reduced the data points from 117 to 95. The
result: the time it takes to construct a lift plan has
been reduced from 48+ minutes to 27+ minutes.
This once again produced tangible time savings,
increasing productivity.
3. Enhancing Communication with a Budgetary
Cost Estimate
As we migrate from PWS to Arcturus, Jorge worked
very closely with Ryan Richmond to generate a
simple Budgetary Cost Estimate tool to communicate
job specific requirements for outages. This new tool
drives efficient communication among the SM’s
and FSC’s throughout project set-up.
4. Developing the Granite Smart Application
Jorge is working closely with our IT, productivity,
quality and EHS teams to support increased
productivity within our field operations teams through
the Granite Smart Application. Currently in the
concept testing phase with supervisors, this
application would incorporate many of the business’
mandatory tools and
documents into one
centralized location
which will decrease the
data entry points so
site leaders can spend
more time on the
turbine deck. Specific
data will be auto-
populated through the
system’s intelligent tools and site leaders will then be
able to input the job or issue-specific details.
A revised time card is also under development in
conjunction with the Smart Application. As we act on
our vision to centralize data, Granite is working to
simplify time card processes by allowing all time
entry on mobile devices. Once again, through the
Smart Application, Jorge has delivered a means to
increase productivity of our supervisors, and ensure
flawless execution through more time on the turbine
deck.
We are continually seeking better, simpler ways to
do things. Jorge’s accomplishments serve as a
reminder that employees are our best resource for
new ideas and creative solutions. Are you involved in
a system or process that you think could be
simplified? Discuss your ideas with your manager!