The manager of Blue Cross Blue Shield’s (BCBS) Quality Assessment department sought to bring greater performance accountability to this typically white-collar work environment. Individuals reported their time against general work categories (e.g., Review, Meetings, Lost Time), but there was no way to know if they were using their time productively.

IET was engaged to bring understanding to this white-collar production environment. IET’s engineers identified and documented operation descriptions for 13 classes of work as the first step in standardizing work flow. Then, using work measurement techniques, IET developed engineered work standards for each operation. The standards explicitly recognized the allowance for non-standard work or interruptions. This aspect of the employees’ work was significant (almost two times the actual work content) and generally not recognized for its negative impact on productivity. The magnitude of these interruptions made them a prime candidate for future process improvements.

Throughout the process analysis engagement, IET engineers recognized opportunities to increase efficiency and utilization, and they presented their recommendations to the department’s manager and staff. In turn, these recommendations were incorporated in the Quality Assessment department’s annual goals. IET established fair, acceptable standards of performance for the current operations and, more importantly, a clear path for targeting and managing continuous improvement.