Improved Services

Problem

The 21st Theater Support Command (21^st TSC) provides theater sustainment services for U.S.  Army forces assigned to Europe.  Further, the 21^st TSC supports U.S. Army Africa and U.S. Africa Command by providing theater opening, distribution, sustainment and reception, staging, onward movement and force integration functions.   The 21^st TSC deploys on order; supports joint and coalition forces and civil authorities; and supports U.S. Army Europe’s Theater Security Cooperation efforts within U.S. European Command’s Strategy for Active Security.

21^st Theater Support Command consists of over 10,000 soldiers, family members, and civilians in Germany and Italy.  The 21^st TSC Office of the Inspector General (OIG) provides legal support and guidance for the members of the Command.  In a time of increased demand for services in 2005, the 21^st TSC OIG was required to make personnel reductions.  This action was not accompanied by a reduction in the services the OIG was required to deliver.  This created additional duties for remaining OIG personnel; and necessitated moving some senior officers into administrative roles and reducing the time available for critical duties.  It was found that a significant amount of time spent by these officers involved answering routine questions and providing general legal information to individuals calling the OIG help desk.  The consistent stream of calls and time spent responding to information requests generated discussion of rehiring the staff that had been laid off.

This situation led the 21^st TSC Inspector General to draft a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) project charter and assign his deputy to the project as a Black Belt.  A team was assembled from OIG and 21^st TSC personnel.  The goal of the project was to understand the current state of information requests to the OIG and provide a solution to reduce the level of effort of existing personnel so that adding back staff was not needed.

Approach

The team created a process map to measure how 21^st TSC personnel and families contacted the OIG.  They recorded time spent on calls.  The team also captured the types of calls and sorted them into categories.  An analysis based on frequency of occurrence found that almost 80 percent of the calls were for similar types of information, and that in most cases the request for information could be satisfied within the same call.  It was also found that the time spent answering calls took about one-half a man-year on an annualized basis. Therefore, hiring a new employee to perform this function was not an option due to insufficient work load. 

The team developed a solution based on using and improving the existing OIG website.  It was found that the website only contained an overview of the OIG and that it did not answer potential questions that an individual might have.  The team conducted focus groups across the command made up of soldiers and civilians to gather Voice of the Customer (VOC) information.  This VOC information identified what the content and layout of the website should be, and instructions for navigating through it.  The team also added secure electronic forms to the website for users to fill out to automate paperwork submissions to the OIG.  This new website automated the initial contact step of reaching the OIG and provided OIG personnel with more time to address critical issues and provide deeper legal counsel when needed.   

To insure control of the website’s content and information accuracy, the team drafted a Control Plan.  The Control Plan identified issues that many websites face through their use and provided procedures and resources to maintain the website.  This insured that all information would remain current and continue to meet customer needs.    

Results

The project provided a solution by using an already existing asset, the OIG Website, to allow the OIG to function better with reduced staff.  Through measurement of the current process and analysis of customer needs, this project provided a new approach to an old way of doing business.  The project provided a direct 24/7 link between soldiers, civilians, families and the OIG that was better than what previously had been provided.  The website was positively received by the Command since it provided answers quicker and provided electronic forms.  The solution allowed OIG resources to focus on other functions and provided a $240,000 cost savings over the four-year budget cycle.  The new process also enabled the OIG to continue functioning despite an approximate $150,000 reduction in budget that had occurred the prior fiscal year.