lee county school district beattyville, ky transportation- bus request for trips district mission...

Lee County School DistrictBeattyville, KY

Transportation- Bus Request for Trips

DISTRICT MISSION STATEMENTThe mission of the Lee County School District is to foster trust, growth, and accountability in

partnership with students, staff, parents, and the community.

“This is how we Roll”

Team Lead/Process Owner – Ray Shuler, Transportation Director

Team Members – Dr. James Evans, Jr., Superintendent, Sherry Profitt, Transportation Administrative Assistant, Glenna Cummins, Special Programs Coordinator, Teresa Thomas, Food Service Director, Zina Gibson, Finance Director, John Profitt, Chief Information Officer

3©2013 APQC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Project Charter

Problem Statement – Lee County Schools have identified areas of the transportation department that need refined to improve performance and efficiency. The first focus areas will include process and procedures for trips. Paperwork regarding trips has been increasingly inaccurate, incomplete, not submitted in a timely manner and procedures aren’t followed. Transportation personnel have noticed an increased number of bus requests that are inaccurate and takes additional time to amend and correct. Also, the cost for Board subsidized trips have few or no parameters (# of trips, cost and distance).

Goals –1. To define the trip procedures and implement a more efficient, accurate process.

2. To decrease in-complete forms as well as ensure proper approvals.

3. To decrease the paperwork process and transition to an electronic format.

4. To educate staff and outside agencies utilizing buses on the process and procedures.

5. To review and recommend more efficient methods of budgeting, tracking, billing, and collections.


Milestones

Project Start Date: 03/18/14

Define: 03/19/14 – 06/30/14Design 07/01/14 – 10/10/14Goal to Implement 10/13/14

Measure: 10/13/14 – 11/14/14

Analyze: 11/14/14 – 11/25/14

Improve: 12/01/14 – 12/15/14

Control: 12/15/14 – 12/19/14


Cost of Poor Quality Total cost for transportation for field trips

• 2011-2012 Cost per mile for field trips - $3.09

• Miles driven for field trips 50,571 miles X $3.09 = $156,254

• Amount reimbursed for field trips – $40,739.71

• Total amount not reimbursed – $29,418.45

• Loss to Food Service - $3.00 per student X 30 students = $90.00 per trip

• 2012-2013 Cost per mile for field trips – $3.09

• Miles driven for field trips 27,411 miles X $3.09 = $84,699

• Amount reimbursed for field trips – $25,455.43

• Total amount not reimbursed – $29,836.72

• Loss to Food Service - $3.00 per student X 30 students = $90.00 per trip


Requesting a bus electronically through Travel Tracker• Electronic Steps• Requestor enters information in Travel Tracker and submits the requests and an e-mail notification is sent to the appropriate staff for approval-time .25 $4.00• School secretary – there is no paper copy to bring to the Board-manual step eliminated $0• Sherry-notifications are sent to Wendell and Ray by e-mail-manual step eliminated $0• Ray-assigns a driver and makes further arrangements as necessary-time .50 $75• Wendell-assigns a bus (requestor is notified by e-mail) time-.25 $4.25• Driver-turns in paper trip invoice with mileage-time 1 hr. $9.45• Sherry-submits invoice electronically to schools secretary for payment Most information is already populated only enter driver cost and mileage-time .25 $4.25• School secretary submits payment info through Travel Tracker and send a check to the Board-time .50 $7.50• Zina posts reimbursement payments and coding in Munis-time .50 $12.00• Shana deposits payments and files documentation- time .50 $8.50

Total: $124.95

Requesting a bus on paper/time, cost & effort of staff involved – Old Way• Manual Steps

• Requestor completes form and gets approvals- approximate time 1 day $100• School secretary brings request to the Board- approximate time .50 $7.50• Sherry – makes copies for Board, Bus Garage and Ray-approximate time .25 $4.25• Ray-assigns and makes arrangements with the driver-approximate time 1 day $150• Wendell-assigns a bus – makes sure bus is serviced and available-time 1 day $136• Driver-completes a trip invoice when the trip is completed with mileage-1 hr. $9.45• Sherry-creates and submits invoice to school secretary for payment-time .50 $8.50• School secretary-receives invoice and creates payment sends to Board-time.50 $7.50• Zina-posts payments and codes in Munis-time .50 $12.00• Shana-deposits payments and files documentation-time .50 $8.50• Sherry-last minute bus requests that need attention prior to Board mtg.-2 hrs. $34.00

Total: $477.70

Cost of Poor Quality (Continued)


Factors not MeasuredBut Identified…..

1. Loss of revenue to food service (Due to food service not being utilized for day trips)

2. Loss of time due to incomplete paperwork

3. Cost to district due to late cancellation and trip scheduling times

4. Cost to district due to no policy on number of trips a program may take, destinations (no specific budget amount for transportation costs that the district reimburses).

5. Number of bus requests received late


Project Scope Brainstormed issues


Project Scope (continued)

Current Trip Request


Project Scope (continued)

Developed Project Timeline 6/26/14 – 6/27/14 Refined project timeline: 10/10/14


PSSuppliers

IInputs

OOutputs

CCustomer

Enablers:

Guides:

Start End

Implementation Process

• Teacher• Coaches• Principals• SBDM Council• Board of Ed. • Food Service• District Nurse

• Budget• Bus Request

Form/trip release

• Food/Meal Roster

• Approved Request

• Bus Driver • Health/ Special

Need • Approved riders• Documentation

• Plan• Communicate• Meals• Approved Form• Invoice/Payment• Destination

Details• Bus Request

Approval per procedures

• Students• Parents• Requestors• Bus Drivers• Finance• Food Service• Nurse• Board of Ed.• Transportation • Administration

District leadership, technology

State/federal laws and regulations, policies

Budgetfor travel$$$$$$$$

Complete all components of the form

Approval Process

Driver & Bus Assignment

Travel to Destination

Driver Turn in trip documentation

Invoice to account – close out


Taking Trips


Define Voice of the Customer

Insert graph or other info about customer data collection

• Don’t have time to complete form

• Doesn’t know the date of the trip

• Doesn’t like completing a new form when changes occur

• Doesn’t like the length or requirements of the form

• Requests a particular driver


Data Reviewed and Analyzed 07/01/14 – 10/10/14

Reviewed the procedures and process for completing a bus request for field trips

Reviewed incoming bus requests for accuracy

6 out of 10 bus requests lacked important/required information

Reviewed incoming bus requests for proper approvals

At least 10 bus requests a month were not submitted in a timely manner for Board approval

Reviewed timeline of invoicing and payment

Invoices were submitted twice on some occasions and payments were never received

Identified the need for a better process of submitting, completing, approving and paying for field trips


Measure – Key Performance Indicators

The system will allow us to track timelines to make sure bus requests are approved and submitted in a timely manner

Export data to show what invoices that are paid/unpaid at each school Export data to show how many miles we transported for different

departments (athletics, extra-curricular, etc.) and the transportation costs for each department

Export data than can be used for end-of-the-year state reporting Export data to show mileage for each bus (this could be helpful in

maintenance of the bus fleet) Travel Tracker will track how many buses were requested in a year


Analyze - Process Analysis


Improve – Implementation Plan

Recently, October 13th, we implemented a new online system called “Travel Tracker” that will track bus requests throughout the entire process

Provided training for administrators, school clerks and transportation personnel on how to use the new system

Provided an efficient way of accessing the system through an on-line process with a link on our school website

The system will not allow you to submit a request without all required fields completed

Approval process is shown at the bottom of each request making sure all approval requirements have been met

After a trip is completed and mileage is entered, an invoice can be sent directly to the school clerk for payment

Invoices and payments are submitted in a timely manner and are tracked. Any unpaid invoices is tracked allowing the district to know what has not been paid by the school or agency


Improve - Implementation Plan Continued


Improve - Pilot Findings The Travel Tracker program is a user friendly program and staff have adapted well

to the new process and likes the efficiency of submitting requests rather than waiting for the paper copy to get to the several staff members for approval

A district wide calendar is available to all staff allowing them to see what trips are out each day of the month as before they had to make copies of the paper requests to keep track of trips

The electronic process can show you a cost estimate for a trip as before paper copy did not. This will allow schools to budget trips better.

All information is required prior to submitting requests compared to before when information was left off the paper copies. This saves time in the transportation department

The food service department is notified when a group is out during the lunch periods and needs sacked lunches. This will help food service revenue.

Invoices are submitted once a trip is taken and can be sent directly to the school clerk for payment eliminating the time it takes for the transportation clerk to create an invoice on paper

Graphs and charts can be exported to show data entered in to the system such as mileage, number of certain trips taken, outstanding invoices, etc. The system will also export a listing of trips for Board approval each month


Improve - Implementation Plan

The Transportation Department will continue to monitor the new Travel Tracker system and make sure it is working to meet the needs of the Lee County Schools bus submission process.

Ray Shuler, Transportation Director – will be in the system each day to monitor submission activity and approve requests

Sherry Profitt, Transportation Administrative Asst. – will be in the system each day to monitor completed trips and submit invoices in a timely manner

Sherry Profitt, Transportation Administrative Asst. – will work with staff for additional training if necessary and will send e-mails periodically and conduct surveys to make sure staff is understanding the process


Improve - Cost Benefit Analysis

Travel Tracker online subscription for 12 months - $2,227.20 Old bus request process: $477.70 per trip New bus request process: $124.95 per trip Savings: $352.75 per trip: $158,737 total savings (Based on

2013-14 # of trips-approximately 450) Loss of efficiency due to last minute paper use-trips Cost of training – free (Company included online training and

links with videos and online resources) travel not necessary Cost of ongoing IT support – free with purchase Cost of upgrade – free Cost savings will occur when staff time is reduced because of the

efficiency of the program, quickness of submissions and approvals and automated invoices

Identified a process and evaluated a vendor that could modify an online submission process to meet our transportation needs


Control

Make sure Travel Tracker is being used and implemented correctly Monitor key measures Review the process on a daily basis Offer assistance and training resources as necessary Survey the customer and fine tune process Contact Travel Tracker as necessary for issues regarding the system or changes

that we’d like to see made to enhance our bus submission process Collecting feedback from staff (customers) to know if the program if

working/benefiting the district


Key Findings

Key Findings Main point

Bus request process needed to be more efficient

Procedures needed to be made clear

School clerks needed a better way of tracking invoices and making payments after a trip

There is a need for trip estimates for budget purposes

It is necessary that all approvals are met by appropriate staff for liability purposes

The district needed an updated way of tracking unpaid invoices

Key Concerns Main point

Bus requests being submitted were not submitted in a timely manner for Board approval

Information on bus requests were inaccurate or missing causing liability issues if an accident should occur and more time for staff to call and request that information

Over a period of time, ongoing unpaid invoices could cause a shortfall in the transportation budget causing other areas of concern

lee county school district beattyville, ky transportation- bus request for trips district mission...

Documents

field trips

paperwork process

exact process

accurate process

dmaic process

board subsidized trips

team project nameinsert

transportation department