Process Improvement - University of South Carolina Study Abroad Office (MGSC 485 Fall 2016)

Kaileigh Ducharme
Jack Elster
Sean Maloney
Sarah Olyarchuk

DefineAnalyzeMeasureImproveControl
Problem Statement
The Study Abroad office is the main point of contact of the University of South Carolina for
students who are traveling abroad. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge of the emergency
procedure to verify students safety abroad. Often they contact students via email in
emergency situations and do not receive a response for a few days.
This project would create a quicker, more efficient emergency procedure for students to follow
when studying abroad. Overall, this would improve communication to the Study Abroad office
and insurance company knowing that the student has checked in and are informed of the
situation.

Opportunities Statement
Implement a better process to get in contact with students
abroad
 Implementation of an informational emergency agenda at the
pre-departure orientation
 Improve contact resources with students

Metrics
 Project Y:
◦ Reduce response time of students
 Inputs:
◦ Pre-Departure Orientation
◦ How quickly the study abroad office sends emails out when faced with an issue
◦ How often students check their emails while abroad
◦ If student’s phones have international data plans
◦ Database used to store students contact info
 Counterbalances:
◦ Increased cost per year if database is implemented

Key Project Deliverables
 A clear emergency procedure will be defined.
 Students will be aware of what is expected of them in an
emergency situation.
 Identify most widely used student social media platform in
order to reach students abroad more effectively.

Project Scope
In-Scope
 Students that travel abroad through
the USC Study Abroad office.
Out-of-Scope
 Students that are traveling abroad
but not through the USC Study
Abroad office.
 Service trips that are not
associated with USC.

Communication Plan
Weekly Meetings: Wednesdays at 8:00pm
Liaison: Kaileigh Ducharme
Mentor: Morgan Morris, Assistant Director of Health Safety and Graduate
Programs

Project Schedule
Scope and Define: 9/1/16- 9/20/16
Measure: 9/21/16- 10/11/16
Analyze: 10/12/16- 11/4/16
Improve: 11/4/16- 11/23/16
Final Presentation: 11/30/16
Define Measure Analyze Improve Control

Satisfiers:
• Reduce labor
intensity of sending
out email and
emergencies
• Reduce response
time of students to
study abroad office
Kano Analysis
Delighters:
• New data base capable of
administering email
contact to students
abroad
Dissatisfiers:
• Maintained response
time within 24 hours
MeasureAnalyzeDefineImproveControl

SIPOC - Low LevelInputs Steps Outputs
Students
Material handouts
Physical location
Emergency situation in foreign
country occurs
Locations are identified where
safety verification is needed
Locations are identified where
safety verification is needed
Names and contact information
obtained of students in area
Access to database
Complete and accurate
applications in record with
student's locations
Names and contact information
of students in area
Student email addresses
exported from database to excel
spreadsheet
Student provided accurate email
address on application
Microsoft Excel downloaded to
computer
Student email adresses exported
from database to excel
spreadsheet
Email prepared with appropriate
recipient's email addresses
Attend Pre-Departure
Orientation
Students traveling abroad
educated on necessary
information before leaving
Import student emails to
Outlook email
Export email contacts of
students in affected area
from Simplicity Horizeon
Identify students potentially
in the affected area
Identify affected area(s) of
emergency

Students in affected area
included in email Email ready to be sent
Access to internet
Correct contact information
Students are notified of
requested safety verification
Access to internet
Student does not respond to
email Student's safety is verified
Student has social media
accounts Student's safety is not verified
Student's safety is not verified Student's safety is verified
Correct and current phone
number in record Student's safety is not verified
Student's safety is not verified by
social media Student's safety is not verified
phone call
Correct and current emergency
contact information recorded
social media Student's safety is not verified
phone call
emergency contact
Access to host university's
contact information
Contact host university
Contact emergency contact
Contact student by phone
Look up student's recent
posts on social media
Send email
Create email to send to
students in affected areaMeasureAnalyzeDefineImproveControl

Process Flow Diagram

Swim Lane Diagram
Morgan
Student
Emergency Contact
Host University
Start
Attend
orientation
Aware of
emergency
Identify
affected
areas
Exportcontact info
Importemails
Create
email
Student Response?
Safety
Verified
Yes
Look up
social
media
Safety
Verified
StudentPosts?
Yes
Contact
Emergency
ContactNo No
Safetyconfirmed?
Safety
Verified
Contact
Host
Safety
Verified
SafetyConfirmed?
Yes
No
Yes
Finish

Measurement Plan
Administer seven question survey to students who have
previously, are currently, or planning to study abroad.

Measurement System Analysis-
Operational Definitions
 Student Email
◦ Host Institution
◦ USC
 Social Media
◦ Facebook
◦ Twitter
◦ Instagram

Fishbone Diagram
Response Time
of Students
S.A. Office Personnel Methods Machines
Materials Environment Student
Awareness:
- Time difference
- Not keeping up with daily
news
Information Transfer:
- Transfer data incorrect
- System fails
Pre-Departure Orientation:
- Not enough information given
Simplicity Horizon Database:
- System Fails
Computer System:
- System Fails
- No Wifi
- No power
Telephone:
- Lack of service
MS Outlook:
- System fails
- Data transfer error
Internet Access:
- No wifiFiling of Forms:
- Incorrect information
- No/Lost form
- Lack of east of access
Cleanliness:
- Disorganized office
Situational Experience:
- Not having dealt with this before
Cell Phone:
- No data plan
Travel:
- Traveling to countries not
documented to S.A. Office
Social Media:
- Privacy blocks
- Don't have one/ inactive
- Name difference
Awareness:
- Not keeping up with daily news
MS Excel:
- System fails
- Data transfer error
Simplicity Horizon:
- System fails
- Data entry error
Contact Forms:
- Incorrect form
- Filled out incorrect
- Not fully completed
- Typos
People
Emergency Contact:
- Incorrect info
- Do not answer
- Unaware
Host School:
- Do not answer
- No direct contact
- Time difference
AnalyzeMeasureDefineImproveControl

Stakeholder Analysis
Stakeholders Level of Support Comments re: Level of Support Influence Strategy Tactics
(Maximum of 10)
C = Current Level
N = Needed for Success
Positive or
Supportive items
Issues and
Concerns
To achieve or maintain needed
level of support
Against Neutral Supportive
Study Abroad Office C Remain cost effective Collect student response data
Students N Potentially unaware of
procedures
Educate on emergency procedure

FMEA Rankings
Process Step
Key Process
Input
Potential Failure
Mode
Potential Failure
Effects
S
E
V Potential Causes
O
C
C Current Controls
D
E
T
R
P
N
Actions
Recommende
d
Resp. Actions Taken
S
E
V
O
C
C
D
E
T
R
P
N
What is the
process step
What is the Key
Process Input?
In what ways does
the Key Input go
wrong?
What is the impact
on the Key Output
Variables (Customer
Requirements) or
internal
requirements?
HowSevereistheeffect
tothecusotmer?
What causes the Key
Input to go wrong?
Howoftendoescauseor
FMoccur?
What are the existing
controls and procedures
(inspection and test) that
prevent either the cause
or the Failure Mode?
Should include an
SOP number.
Howwellcanyoudetect
causeorFM?
What are the
actions for
reducing the
occurrance of
the Cause, or
improving
detection?
Should have
actions only on
high RPN's or
easy fixes.
Whose
Responsi
ble for the
recomme
nded
action?
What are the
completed actions
taken with the
recalculated
RPN? Be sure to
include
completion
month/year
1
Attend Pre-
departure
Orientation
Students unaware
of emergency
protocol
Students don't know
what to do when in
an emergency
overseas
10
Not enough time
allotted to discuss
proceudre
4 N/A 3 120 0
10
No thorough covering
of what is expected of
students
10 N/A 1 100
Create
material/hando
ut with
expecations
and
instructions
USC Handout Created 10 1 3 30
10
Students not paying
attention
5 N/A 1 50 0
2
Identify affected
area(s) of
emergency
Students traveling
to countries not
documented to SA
Office
Students in affected
emergency area
unknown
10
Impromptu travel
plans
7 N/A 2 140 0
10
Students taking
connecting flights
6
Students required to
record travel plans but
not interconnecting
flights
4 240
Require flight
plans for
known
traveling
SA Office
Document
created to record
flight plans
5 2 2 20
3
Identify students
in potential
affected area(s)
Students not
properly identified
Potential of students
not being accounted
for that should be
10
Incorrect contact
information
4
Multiple points of
contact required
1 40 0
10
Technical failure with
database
2
Regular maintenance
and updates to system
1 20 0
4
Export email
contacts of
students in
affected area(s)
Students not able
to be contacted
Not able to verify
student's safety
10
Incorrect contact
information
4 N/A 1 40 10 2 2 40

5
Import student
emails to MS
Outlook
Students not
able to be
contacted
Not able to verify
student's safety
10
Incorrect contact
information
3 N/A 2 60 0
10 Technical failure 1 N/A 1 10 0
6
Create email
to send to
students
Email not sent to
appropriate
students
Not able to verify
student's safety
10
Incorrect email
adresses
2 N/A 1 20 0
7
Look up
student's
social media
posts
Unable to
access student's
posts
Not able to verify
student's safety
10
Students accounts
are private
5 N/A 1 50 0
10
Multiple people
with same name
2 N/A 1 20 0
10
No social media
account
3 N/A 1 30 0
10
Students lack
access to wifi
6 N/A 10 600 0
8
Contact
student by
phone
Unable to make
contact with
student
Not able to verify
student's safety
10
Incorrect contact
information
3 N/A 1 30 0
10
No international
data plan
4 N/A 1 40 0
10 No phone 5 N/A 1 50 0
10 Doesn't answer 3 N/A 10 300 0
9
Contact
emergency
contact
Unable to make
contact with
emergency
contact
Not able to verify
student's safety
10
Incorrect contact
information
2 N/A 1 20 0
10
Hasn't heard from
student
2 N/A 10 200 0
10
Contact host
university
Unable to make
contact with host
university
Not able to verify
student's safety
10
Incorrect contact
information
1 N/A 1 10 0
10 Time difference 8 N/A 1 80 0
10
Unaware of
student's
whereabouts
6 N/A 10 600 0

Survey Results

Improvement Activities
Item Activity Status Est Date
1 Develop emergency procedure material and packet for pre-
departure orientation
Ongoing TBD

Process Improvement - University of South Carolina Study Abroad Office (MGSC 485 Fall 2016)

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