King County Wastewater Treatment Division successfully improves the Capital Design process. Watch this 30 minute success story webinar featuring Roger Browne, an Engineering Supervisor. Roger talks about the successful project and how a team from Wastewater Treatment Division helped reduce lead time on this Capital Design Review Process. https://goleansixsigma.com/success-story-improving-capital-design-review-process-wastewater-treatment-division-roger-browne/

1. 5/1/17
Improving the Capital Design
Review Process at
Wastewater Treatment Division
A Lean Six Sigma Success Story
Presented by Roger Browne
Engineering Supervisor

2. 2
• Roger Browne
• King County
Wastewater
Treatment Division
• Engineering
Supervisor
• Experience with
Process
Improvement
About Our Presenter

3. 30% Design Development Segment
Roger Browne

4. How we (don’t) solve problems ….
Gather the stakeholders
See a Problem
Reach consensus on how to fix it
Ask, and wait, for funding to do it
Team members get busy elsewhere and the
momentum goes away
The process dissolves and the problem continues

6. Compelling driver – Capital Project Needs
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
$0
$100,000,000
$200,000,000
$300,000,000
$400,000,000
$500,000,000
$600,000,000
WTD Labor BW Labor Incremental Labor WTD Consulting
BW Consulting WTD Construction* BW Construction* Project Count
Expenditure Projects

10. LEAN/Six Sigma
Lean is about creating more value for customers while
eliminating waste.
Six Sigma is about process improvement by eliminating defects
using these five steps:
Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
Together, we are applying these techniques to improve our
business processes in both areas.

11. Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
The purpose of this step is to clearly articulate
the business problem, goal, potential
resources, project scope and high-level project
timeline. This information is typically captured
within project charter document. Write down
what you currently know. Seek to clarify facts,
set objectives and form the project team.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMAIC

12. Design Development Streamline Process Charter
Purpose Roles
Process Name and Purpose Statement
Design Development – Reduce the time it takes to get through the 30% design process.
Sponsors: Sandy Kilroy, Kathy Loland, Chris Townsend
Process Owner: John Komorita
Process Boundaries and Guardrails
Starting Point: Final alternative selection (Gate 2 approval)
End Point: 30% design completion
Sub-processes included: Prepare Basis of Design Report, Facility Plan/Engineering Report, 30%
design document preparation.
Focus on projects <$10M
Management Guidance Team
Team members who are responsible for oversight,
moving the work forward, and decision making: John
Komorita
Sponsor Expectations (Deliverables) and Measures
(ie Quality, Cost, Delivery (Timeliness), Safety, Morale)
• Reduce the 30% design process by 2 to 3 months
• Remove un-necessary obstacles
• Remove un-necessary steps
• Reduce design review time/cost (done, incorporate lean 60% design review)
• Reduce design preparation costs/time
Team members
Engineering: Rebecca Gauff, Randy Geist, Jeff Lundt,
Joel Paulson
PM: Crystal Fleet, Mary Beth Gilbrough, Sibel Yildiz,
Dave Dittmar; Sonja-Lynn Abenojar
CM: Greg Suko
O&M: John Cameron
Environmental: Sue Meyer
Permitting & PI: Alton Gaskill & Monica Van der Vieren
Strategic Alignment Factors
Supports goals around financial stewardship, equity, service excellence and employee engagement.
Resource Representatives
Bill Wilbert
Expected Approach/ Activities
May 2016 Process Improvement Workshop (two days):
• Introduction to Lean
• Confirm current state
• Describe ideal state
• Establish interim state actions
• Develop pilot plan
• Develop internal and external communications plans
• Report-out
September 2016 – July 2017:
• Complete a pilot on one or two existing capital projects
• Data collection and evaluation
• January - April 2017: Continue to measure and PDCA the processes
August 2017
• Move to formalize the revised process
• Transition responsibility for process and continuous improvement to process owners
• Consider expanding accepted 30% design improvements to the 60% and 90% design phases
Workshop Leaders
Facilitation: Ben Prichard, Edwin Brazil, Don Jewett

14. 60% Engineering
Review
1.5
months
4
months
Improvements
• Clear roles and
responsibilities
• Defined tasks
• New guidance
• Changed method for
collecting comments
including:
• Mini-meetings
• Sharepoint site

15. 30% Engineering
Review
1.5
months
4
months
Improvements
• Clear roles and
responsibilities
• Defined tasks
• New guidance
• Changed method for
collecting comments
including:
• Mini-meetings
• Sharepoint site

16. 30% Engineering
Review
1
months
2
months
Improvements
• Clear roles and
responsibilities
• Defined tasks
• New guidance
• Changed method for
collecting comments
including:
• Mini-meetings
• Sharepoint site

17. Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
The purpose of this step is to objectively establish current baselines as the
basis for improvement. The performance metric baseline(s) from the
Measure phase will be compared to the performance metric at the
conclusion of the project to determine objectively whether significant
improvement has been made. The team decides on what should be
measured and how to measure it. It is usual for teams to invest a lot of
effort into assessing the suitability of the proposed measurement systems.
Good data is at the heart of the DMAIC process.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMAIC

18. 12 months

19. Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
The purpose of this step is to identify, validate and select root cause for
elimination. A large number of potential root causes of the project problem
are identified via root cause analysis (for example a fishbone diagram). The
top 3-4 potential root causes are selected using multi-voting or other
consensus tool for further validation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMAIC

22. Takes too long
Inconsistent
quality
Not enough
information to
produce baseline
Consultant task
scoping
problems
n/a
Seasonal effectsIncomplete
permitting matrix
Need field info
earlier in design
Need more
property rights
Squeaky wheels
get priority
Need the right
team members
Leadership
& communication
Revisiting
decisions
Education on
Design sequencing
Quality
definitions
Insufficient
coordination
East/west standards
differences

23. Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
The purpose of this step is to identify, test and implement a solution to the
problem; in part or in whole. This depends on the situation. Identify creative
solutions to eliminate the key root causes in order to fix and prevent process
problems. Use brainstorming. Some projects can utilize complex analysis
tools, but try to focus on obvious solutions if these are apparent. However,
the purpose of this step can also be to find solutions without implementing
them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMAIC

24. Desired Outcomes:
• Deliver 30% design documents faster
• Remove obstacles and steps that are not
needed
• Reduce overall design delivery time
• Maintain or Improve overall quality

30. Wastewater Treatment Division
In-house vs. Consultant Designs
April 6, 2016
The Engineering and Project Management (PM) supervisors worked together to develop a formal
process for selecting the project design staffing model (i.e. In-house engineering, Consultant, or
a hybrid of the two). PM and Engineering staff are required to follow this process which is
summarized below.
1. The process starts with CST or PWR committee approval of a new project.
2. A PM will be assigned to the new project. Chartering for CST projects will prompt the
assigned PM’s Supervisor and an Engineering Supervisor(s) to meet to determine which of
the below staffing models will be used on each new project. The project Charter will identify
the design staffing model. For PWR projects, the staffing request from the PM will prompt
the PM’s Supervisor and Engineering Supervisor(s) to meet and determine the staffing
model. The PWR Gate 1 document might state an assumed design staffing model, if PMU
and Engineering have previously discussed this, but the final staffing model will be as
determined by the PM and Engineering Supervisor(s).
3. The criteria that will be considered by the PM and Engineering Supervisors to determine
which staffing model to use include such items as available staff resources, project risk,
required engineering expertise, etc. The Supervisors will also consider project complexity
and needs with respect to permitting, ROW, environmental, public involvement, etc., and
they will consult with Permitting, Real Property, Environmental and Community Services as
necessary. The staffing models are as follow:
a. In-house team – composed of in-house staff
b. Hybrid team – a team of in-house and consultant staff (consultant can be contracted
through WO or competitive process, depending on level of effort required)
c. Consultant team – the work is performed by a consultant with in-house staff oversight
and review
4. The PMU and Engineering Unit Managers will be consulted on the selected staffing model
before the appropriate supervisors notify the PM and the Project Engineer (PE).
5. The PM and assigned PE will work together to assemble a core team.
6. The core team will meet to confirm that the selected model will meet the project needs. This
will include Permitting, Real Property, Environmental and Community Services team
members confirming to what extent they will need consultant support.
7. If the core team determines that the selected model does not meet the project needs then the
team will recommend a new staffing model to the PMU and Engineering supervisors. The
Supervisors will consider the team’s recommendation and determine follow-up action.

32. 30% Design Document
Development
Improvements
• Reduced Wait time
• Have staff engage
prior to Gate 2 CST
• Improved sequencing
of tasks
• Created standardized
work tools
• Streamlined review
Orange sticky notes represent opportunities for change.
9
months
12
months

33. Next Steps
Start the pilot – August 2017
Check & Act – August 2018
Formalize the process - 2018
Plan to extend these gains to the 60%
And 90% design processes.

34. Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
The purpose of this step is to sustain the gains. Monitor the improvements
to ensure continued and sustainable success. Create a control plan. Update
documents, business process and training records as required.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMAIC

36. 5/1/17
Q & A
36

37. Getting Started
37
Check out more success stories from Go-Getters just
like you at GoLeanSixSigma.com/success

38. Thank you for joining us!
38
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