Situation: The company faced a challenge where data collection from associates was not centralized and effective. The absence of a streamlined system made it difficult to gather crucial information efficiently, hindering the decision-making process and problem-solving capabilities. This lack of a unified data collection approach resulted in inefficiencies and potential missed opportunities to improve operations and save costs.
Task: The task was to create a tool that would provide easy access for all associates (AAs) to submit data in a centralized manner. The goal was to establish a system that allows for seamless data collection, enabling the company to gather relevant information from associates across different departments or locations. This tool aimed to simplify the process of tracking issues and gathering insights for further analysis.
Actions: To address the task, I took the following actions:
- Building a SharePoint site: I created a SharePoint site dedicated to the department responsible for data collection and analysis. SharePoint was chosen for its collaborative features and ability to handle large volumes of data securely.
- Designing a user-friendly interface: I designed an intuitive and user-friendly interface for the SharePoint site. This ensured that associates of all technical backgrounds could easily access and submit data without facing any usability challenges.
- Implementing data submission forms: To facilitate data collection, I incorporated custom data submission forms on the SharePoint site. These forms were tailored to capture specific data points necessary for analysis, ensuring relevant and valuable information was collected.
- Establishing data tracking processes: I set up a systematic process to track and record issues submitted through the SharePoint site. This allowed for efficient organization and retrieval of data, avoiding data loss or duplication.
Results:
- Centralized data collection: The SharePoint site provided a centralized platform for associates to submit data, eliminating the need for multiple data sources and ensuring data was collected in a unified manner.
- Data-driven insights: With the data collected from associates, the company gained valuable insights into various aspects of its operations. This data helped identify root causes of issues and detect trends that were not easily apparent before.
- Cost savings: By analyzing the data and identifying inefficiencies or problem areas, the company was able to develop and implement effective solutions. These solutions resulted in cost savings of over $60,000 per year, a significant improvement for the company’s bottom line.
- Improved decision-making: The availability of comprehensive data allowed the company’s management to make more informed and data-driven decisions, leading to better outcomes and increased efficiency in various processes.
In summary, This enabled effective data gathering, data-driven insights, and substantial cost savings, highlighting the project’s success and positive impact on the company’s operations.
