Find out how UC San Diego employees are improving student life with Lean Six Sigma. In this Success Story, Darlene and Kymberly discuss how they made it easier for students to register campus dining events. Find out how they went from 38 steps to only 7! Now students can get to the BBQ 5 times faster!

1. Reducing Activity Planning
Lead Time by 81%
Presented by Darlene Schlueter & Kymberly Epperson
UC San Diego

2. About Our Presenters
Darlene Schlueter
• Associate Director Center
for Student Involvement
• UC San Diego
Kymberly Epperson
• Event Services Coordinator
• UC San Diego – University
Centers

3. MOVE RIGHT THROUGH TO PLAN YOUR BARBECUE
Green Belt Project Storyboard
Presented by: Darlene Schlueter & Kymberly Epperson

4. UCSD STUDENT LIFE
Darlene
Schlueter
Kymberly
Epperson

6. Define Phase: Define the Problem
Takeaway: The TAP process is a one-size fits all approach to event planning. A simple bake
sale or BBQ is required to complete the same amount of steps as a large scale event like a
concert or festival.

7. Define Phase: Define the Problem

8. Takeaway: Scope of the project focuses primarily on customer requirements.
Define Phase: Define the Problem

9. Define Phase: Define the Problem

10. Takeaway: The lead time is the most useful measure for addressing the goals of this project.
Measure Phase: Quantify the Problem

11. Baseline Data
Measure Phase: Quantify the Problem

12. Baseline Data
Takeaway: The customer feedback from our
baseline data provided a series of likes and
dislikes. The process data indicated 82.4%
of events with food only were receiving late
final review.
Measure Phase: Quantify the Problem

13. Core Team - Process Walk
Takeaway: The team learned the customers
are not the only ones waiting. The staff
approvers spend a lot of unnecessary time
checking TAP as they wait for staff approvers
prior to complete their process. Also, some
staff receive notifications that their process is
ready and others do not.
Measure Phase: Quantify the Problem

14. Analyze Phase:
Identify the Cause of the Problem

15. Takeaway: As a group we decided the focus should be on reducing steps, improving the
questionnaire, and updating the design, layout & logo.
Analyze Phase:
Identify the Cause of the Problem

16. Pareto Graph
January Events 2017
Takeaway: The Pareto graph made it clear the improvement should focus on “events with
food only” as it is the most significant problem.
Analyze Phase:
Identify the Cause of the Problem

17. Analyze Phase:
Identify the Cause of the Problem

18. Improve Phase:
Implement and Verify the Solution

19. Improve Phase:
Implement and Verify the Solution

20. Improve Phase:
Implement and Verify the Solution

21. Takeaway:
Improvement to the
Fastpass event
submission process
resulted in a 81.5%
reduction in cycle
time.
Improve Phase:
Implement and Verify the Solution

22. Reduced Process Steps
Improve Phase:
Implement and Verify the Solution

23. ● Modified the Questionnaire
from 24 questions to 10
questions.
● Rerouted answers to
appropriate campus
administrators.
● Simplified the questions to
avoid confusion.
Improve Phase:
Implement and Verify the Solution

24. Updated Design and Logo
Improve Phase:
Implement and Verify the Solution

25. Improve Phase:
Implement and Verify the Solution

26. Improve Phase:
Implement and Verify the Solution

27. Improve Phase: Implement and Verify the Solution
Survey Results

28. Improve Phase: Implement and Verify the Solution
Takeaway: Post improvement process data indicates that events are receiving final approval
an average of 12-days before the event. The goal is 7-days.

29. Pre-Improvement: 17.6% of events met the 7-day deadline
Post-Improvement: 70.6% of events met the 7-day deadline
Takeaway: Reduced the amount of late approvals by 64% resulting in 4x more events meeting
the 7-day deadline.
Improve Phase: Implement and Verify the Solution

30. MONITOR & RESPONSE PLAN
● Auto Alerts - notification of funding, food service
module, and ready for final review
● Notify users of Fastpass Track for Events with
Food Only
● Look at the end of year survey and if user usability
goes below 55% we need to evaluate
● Monitor the 7-day deadline approval. If more than
60% of events are not meeting the deadline, make
corrections to the process
Control Phase: Maintain the Solution

31. Takeaway: The most valuable soft savings for this project is having an effective and
streamlined tool the campus administrators can rely on to better assess and mitigate risk
factors for the University and university property.
Control Phase: Maintain the Solution

33. Appendix
Glossary of Terms
TAP - Triton Activities Planner
UCEN - University Centers
CSI - Center for Student Involvement
Major Events Policy http://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/ppm/docs/510-1.5a.HTML
TAP Policies and Checklist
https://students.ucsd.edu/student-
life/involvement/organizations/onestop/events/index.html

34. Questions?

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

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