Challenge

I am a member of my organization’s expert support group and my/our challenge is to improve the effort  usage and automation of manual tasks within the department in order to increase the teams efficiency  and reduce the unnecessary manual task burden resulting into a leaner team. The project scope includes  the department composed of more than 500+ employees. The project is limited to internal resources  (i.e., budget and employee time). The solution should include an even distribution of working hours  amongst the team members. We will focus on trying to uncover what our team members, as well as key  stakeholders within the larger department, consider to be ineffective or problematic with regard to the  daily activities.

Selection

Our team has already gone through several design thinking activities/tools, so we are ready to try the  automation approach. Broadly speaking, the automation approach is meant to quickly reap the benefits  for the team and the client.

Application

For our automation approach, we focused on the structure/execution of our routine tasks. In particular,  we wanted to see if we could structure our tasks, projects, and processes to adapt the methods of  Scrum project management for our work (e.g., time boxed, daily, specific meetings, reviews, etc.) in an  effort to become more agile. This tested our assumption that the structure and execution were the main  causes of our workflow challenge. Our team went through a two-day workshop with Automation  development center coach. Next, we brainstormed through to structure our tasks and processes in a  more agile way. These two sessions occurred within in a three-week timeframe. We expected to  produce a plan to track our progress with a clear description of our new, more agile  processes/workflow. Additionally, key stakeholders from the department also completed the brain  storming sessions. The sessions included questions about our new, proposed process, understanding the  process and the prioritization of tasks, and feelings about the change, and were conducted within a one- week timeframe.

Insight

By applying the design thinking, our team identified our assumptions and formulated the plan and  targets within each stakeholder’s portfolio. Additionally, we thought through anticipated results,  expecting to find that a more agile approach would improve our workflow, and that both our team and  the key stakeholders would be fairly open to the new prioritization of tasks and process. Our actual  results were slightly different from what we anticipated: while our team was open to the prioritization  of tasks and process, the stakeholders in the larger department expressed some concerns. Moving  forward, our team will review this insight and incorporate it into future plans. The ongoing incorporation  of insight is particularly important at this stage, as launches come before a full rollout in the design  thinking timeline.

Approach

Given that our team has already gone through several design thinking activities/tools and are at this  stage in the timeline. As previously mentioned, our team needs to review the insight gained from our

discussions and incorporate this insight into future implementations. Future deployments should reflect  insight gained, progress made, and come closer to a compelling solution ready for full rollout.


Challenge I am a member of my organization ’s expert support group and my / our challenge is to improve the effort usage and automation of manual tasks within the department in order to increase the teams efficiency and reduce the unnecessary manual task burden resulting into a leaner team . The project scope includes the department composed of more than 500 + employees . The project is limited to internal resources ( i.e. , budget and employee time ) . The solution should include an even distribution of working hours amongst the team members . We will focus on trying to uncover what our team members , as well as key stakeholders within the larger department , consider to be ineffective or problematic with regard to the daily activities . Selection Our team has already gone through several design thinking activities / tools , so we are ready to try the automation approach . Broadly speaking , the automation approach is meant to quickly reap the benefits for the team and the client . Application For our automation approach , we focused on the structure / execution of our routine tasks . In particular , we wanted to see if we could structure our tasks , projects , and processes to adapt the methods of Scrum project management for our work ( e.g. , time boxed , daily , specific meetings , reviews , etc . ) in an effort to become more agile . This tested our assumption that the structure and execution were the main causes of our workflow challenge . Our team went through a two - day workshop with Automation development center coach . Next , we brainstormed through to structure our tasks and processes in a more agile way . These two sessions occurred within in a three - week timeframe . We expected to produce a plan to track our progress with a clear description of our new , more agile processes / workflow . Additionally , key stakeholders from the department also completed the brain storming sessions . The sessions included questions about our new , proposed process , understanding the process and the prioritization of tasks , and feelings about the change , and were conducted within a one- week timeframe . Insight By applying the design thinking , our team identified our assumptions and formulated the plan and targets within each stakeholder ’s portfolio . Additionally , we thought through anticipated results , expecting to find that a more agile approach would improve our workflow , and that both our team and the key stakeholders would be fairly open to the new prioritization of tasks and process . Our actual results were slightly different from what we anticipated : while our team was open to the prioritization of tasks and process , the stakeholders in the larger department expressed some concerns . Moving forward , our team will review this insight and incorporate it into future plans . The ongoing incorporation of insight is particularly important at this stage , as launches come before a full rollout in the design thinking timeline . Approach Given that our team has already gone through several design thinking activities / tools and are at this stage in the timeline . As previously mentioned , our team needs to review the insight gained from our discussions and incorporate this insight into future implementations . Future deployments should reflect insight gained , progress made , and come closer to a compelling solution ready for full rollout .