
 Budget Solvency through
“off the shelf” Technology mjb@berkeley.edu
 and the pursuit of the paperless society
 Submitted by:

Mark J. Brindle
 IST / telecommunications department-Installation Services-U.C. Berkeley

(510)-642-1567

Project Leaders / Team members
 Supervisor: Thomas Beale (sponsor/project leader)
 Technicians: Al Aponte, Ron Barker, Mark Brindle, Robert Carillio, Cass Stephens, and Justin Tipton (team members)
Introduction:
To the distinguished members of the Sauter Award Committee,
In this instance it would be best to start this project definition with a disclosure of where our installation services (IS) team was as of a year ago with an ordinate processional division in months. This description is to provide the given need with a comparative as well, from the implementation of "off the shelf" technology (i.e. Microsoft's Excel software, Samsung GS-3 smart cell phones, and Galaxy* 2 tablet) with the subsequent performance enhancements acquired thereof. Upon this latent approach the project goal of budget solvency will become evident incrementally through discovery with the analysis of events as they transpired.
Date-line 04-01-2012: The weekly meetings of the (IS) team every Monday morning brought upon us all a common theme that we had been addressed with for months; the dreaded budget overruns. This poor cash-inflow to our functional budget was growing at a steady pace. Detriment and concern was an all too common expression from our Supervisor Thomas Beale during these meetings. Current budget evidentiary data concluded that as a group of four voice technicians and two internet technology (IT) ancillary engineers, all of whom were entrusted with thirty thousand plus communication connections for U.C.Berkeley; were trending to a hundred and thirty two thousand dollars in the negative from our prescribed budget (fig. 02 Apr-12/May-12/Jun-12).
The work load hadn't changed; we were all still quite busy recovering from the budget cuts implemented upon us from Sacramento's attempts at balancing California's State budget. Murmurings of outsourcing and additional lay-offs permeated the office, as well as the campus proper itself. Needless to say, this created a difficult environment at our workplace for all of us to achieve our daily tasks. What were we to do? Even management was befuddled with the budget numbers concerning stability of cash in-flow figures. Changing physically how we achieved our duties wasn't an available option, since it takes a determinate amount of time to accomplish certain tasks while staying within guidelines as pursuant to requisite function and quality. It was then determined process efficiencies had to be achieved to negate the inevitable budget crash that the group was heading for. Answer; become efficient in all our processes itinerantly through the use of available technology.
Date-line 05/01/2012: The birth of the use for new technologies as pursuant to efficiency is nothing new to the dynamic environment of
U.C. Berkeley, yet realization of end life-cycles concerning processes that become benign from age is and common amongst most governmental institutions thereof. Even though the answers were illusive; Thomas realized through his experience the intricacies contained in attaining the goal of budget solvency was through brainstorming and group teamwork to address the problem. Achieving what our sponsor/team leader Thomas needed would have to take a methodical approach to process enhancement and/ or change, while also being definitively backed by evidence in the form of hard data. This constituted research by initiating a spreadsheet (excel) that upon analysis would divulge data concerning process inefficiencies involving time allotment, work-flow logistics, and billing. Data in these three areas of process would encapsulate total overhead (cash out-flow) through completion (cash in-flow) for sample comparison; thus directing management to the proper areas to scrutinize. These early deductions from the spreadsheet took a little time to accurately access since data return was scattered, thus accuracy had to be developed by trial. Discernment needed to be acknowledged whether the ambiguous output of the data was commensurate to our processes being researched or the mechanics of the spreadsheet itself.
Within a few short weeks a functional spreadsheet was developed that supplied the needed data criteria for decisions concerning process enhancement or an absolute change in methods themselves as evidence would become apparent during the project.
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Date-line 06/01/2012: While implementation of the spreadsheet for analysis was underway, Thomas instituted the first use of new equipment technology during this project to the (IT) members in the team with the acquisition of Samsung GS-3 smart cell phones at a mere two hundred dollars per unit cost. The (IT) members already had and used laptop computers for procurement of data order tasks.
Many of their tasks require access to the U.C.B. LAN network to program and create functional internet-protocol addresses (IP's) requiring the use of their laptops and software contained within. However, proportionally their duties consist of communication over the
LAN network where the abundant power of the laptop isn't needed. Survey results, pics of existing facilities, and email ability are but a few tasks that could readily be handled by the use of smart cell phone technology. Access to the internet is nearly seamless at all times, as compared to a laptop that requires a direct LAN connection or log-in to our now famous Air-Bears campus WiFi. These simpler duties where much more efficient with the smart phones and the (IT) members quickly adapted them to many alternative uses that enhanced the performance of their tasks.
Meanwhile, the Voice members of the team were tackling their current workload which required review and printing of hard copied work orders for all of their tasks from desktop computers. This included everything from e-mail to closing an order, as well as the data entry on the new research spreadsheet. Furthermore, all these required tasks for voice order procurement had to be done at ones desk while consuming innumerable amounts of logistics, labor, and paperwork to accomplish even a single task. This inefficiency quickly became apparent to Thomas and his answer to this problem came in the form of a tool that was in beta-trial for predominantly managerial use; the electronic tablet.
Date-line 07/01/2012: The management team in our department had already been issued a variety of different types of tablets for their use in scheduling, information, note-taking, and email. These lightweight electronic information tools proved quite useful for the on-thego manager that had to attend multiple meetings and have internet capability readily available at any moment. Tablets proved superior to their smart cell phone counterparts in this atmosphere by being easier to read, type, and access information that was far more legible; via the larger screen areas inherent with the tablet design.
Thomas ultimately witnessed this with the realization that this same technology could be used to free the voice members of the team from their continual reliance upon a desktop computer concerning the documentitive aspects of their work order tasks and communications. No longer would notes, emails, work order changes, completions, and certain areas of equipment soft-programming be handled at ones desk and could be readily performed in the field.
Upon a review of the different types of tablets on the market a needed criteria list was made by Thomas. The tablet acquisition was based on durability, performance, and price with the unit of choice being; the Samsung Galaxy 2 / version 10.0 respectively. Economically priced at four hundred dollars per tablet, their introduction to the voice members of the team was quickly ensued for trial.
Meanwhile, the initial spreadsheet data research that was a continual portion of the project was detecting problems within the work order process; contingent with the billing and fiduciary collections (cash in-flow) portion. The work order design in itself did not have the autonomy needed to perform well in its current tasks concerning billing. The work order system had worked fine for a decade, yet it was instituted when static billable charges (determined by committee) were how units of service or material where billed. With economic stress placed upon the campus departments during the infamous cut-backs to funding; a requisite was approved to dismantle the static charges for an itemized billing process to save departments costs on service. Subsequently the current work order system was not designed for an itemized billing protocol and the analysis of the spreadsheet concluded that end life-cycle issues were becoming apparent in its performance. Until a new system could be instilled for the work order procurement portion of the process, the efficiency inherited from the tablets ability to perform required work order communications in the field became quickly apparent. Viewing the
Budget Cashflow Spreadsheet/Chart (fig. 01-02) the data reveals the revenue starting to increase during this time period (Jul-12).
Date-line 08/01/2012: The voice technicians now had in service the tablets for a trial run to assist with accomplishing tasks. Suggestions of using remote desk-top via a free downloadable app* called pocket cloud would basically bring your desktop computer to the user out in the field. Through trial, it did not meet the performance levels needed, yet proved very functional in soft programming or monitoring of our new campus voice over IP phone system (VOIP); the AVAYA PBX*. The subsequent features and apps of the Samsung tablet actually proved sufficient for supplying the documentitive aspects for tasks. Furthermore, the technicians had the liberty themselves to
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find apps* to download and use what they felt comfortable with for completing tasks. Justin Tipton (IT) engineer, introduced the
Evernote app* to the team which has proven invaluable as an asset for order documentation and I, Mark Brindle beta trialed apps* for the excel and data collection via the Google Cloud, Google Drive, and the app* Office Suite Pro-6. This combined app* research by Justin and myself was then shared with the rest of the team for testing and implementation. The budget data now displays a sharp increase in revenues on the Chart (Aug-12).
Date-line 09/01/2012: Thomas's initial idea of using cost efficient, readily available, and user friendly "off the shelf" technology was ingenious with how it was applied. His concept of introduction followed by allowing the team to develop independently their own deliberation for using the technologies in their tasks, this ascribes to most of W.E. Demings fourteen points of quality assurance through methodology; yet at a very efficient cost to operational overhead (cash-flow out).
Meanwhile, the continual analysis of the research spreadsheet was revealing the evidence needed to acquire lost funding (Sep-12) for duties performed and the cash in-flow was now quantitatively on the rise for our group; an early deliverable milestone for the project therein. This excel sheet research was influential in expediting production for the new work order system “Service Now” from the evidence found. Concurrently implementation of the tablet would reveal its effectiveness as a documentitive tool with the multiple tasks needed to support the communication needs of the CAL Bears football season at the newly rebuilt Memorial Stadium with an unknown bonus added. Caveat being; a paperless transition had begun.
Date-line 10/01/2012: During any football season, each week brings new needs and orders to prepare for an upcoming game. Work
Orders each week will bring new needs and orders to prepare for an upcoming game. Work Orders were constantly changed to accommodate the fluidity of the tasks comprised by a Game Day preparation; no-one's fault, but just the nature of the beast. Multiple orders with multiple changes required mounds of paperwork and note keeping that would have to be downloaded softly through the technician’s desktop computer. However, now with the readily available work order data online via the tablets, work orders and any sudden changes could be viewed with the notation of as-built documentation as well. This became almost instant through the two way transmittal capability of the tablet. Given that paperwork was still used during the football season, the tablet proved its nimbleness and abilities to assist a technician with documentitive tasks. Thus creating efficiency in process that saved the team money. The Chart data backs this as revenue amounts peaked the UCL and began settling back to the CL (Sep-12, Oct-12); a common indicator of multiple cash in-flow problems being answered and managed.
Date-line 11/01/2012: The end of the football season was coming and now the threshold for the yearly holiday season was upon us.
Monday morning tech meetings were much different now, focusing on our tasks and even new systems training; all conciliatory factors from the effective results via the "off the shelf" technology that was enlisted for use. Budget stability was upon an upward trend and the tools (Microsoft Excel, Samsung GS-3 smart cell phone, and Galaxy 2 tablet) were beginning to reveal themselves as a strategic quality initiative for our IS group; as opposed to being just a project. This time of year being the holiday season logically brings a slowdown in general orders, notwithstanding capital projects however, but allowed the needed time for evaluation of the project tools and fine tuning of them thereof. This slowdown trend is also displayed by the Chart data, but this is not alarming due to less work being ordered during this period (Oct-12, Nov-12). The team members may not have all been at the same level concerning expertise for the project tools, however it was this quality composite given in the methodological design of implementation by our team leader Thomas; hence allowing autonomy within an individual’s learning curve for the new tools.
Date-line 12/01/2012: December being the shortest month of the year for the campus proper by the impending holiday season/institutional curtailment period, brought with it the challenge from Thomas to myself (Mark Brindle) to achieve an absolute paperless need for all work order tasks. This goal had already been acclimated feasible on the data networking side by Justin Tipton with his counterpart Al Aponte not far behind in this effort.
Voice work orders had a different collection of data and directional communique then the (IT) team members, thus creating a method for this had to be developed to implement the "green industry" standard our team leader Thomas requested. Analysis data from all three of the project tools contributed to the final method design. The Chart data again reveals that the holiday slowdown in revenues had leveled off during this period (Nov-12, Dec-12), a common occurrence during the shortest labor month of the year for U.C. Berkeley.
Date-line 01/01/2013: As the year-end analysis of budget data for our group was compiled and discerned, it became an evidentiary conclusion that the group was now financially in the "black" and even trending an upward margin (positive cash in-flow) again as
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displayed by the Chart data (Dec-12, Jan-13). This was the goal of the project and it was accomplished in a matter of only nine months.
However, this goal did not precipitate the close of the project because it had grown into a functional strategic quality initiative; empowering continual growth within the group.
Date-line 02/01/2013: With the daily use of the three project tools their acclimation was becoming commonplace amongst the team members and shared input was assisting team cohesion growth. Now our meetings were revealing a move towards the new work order system based upon itemized tasks (Service Now) as denoted earlier since the efficient interactivity of the smart phones and tablets had come to fruition. The task based system when fully implemented would replace the need for the separate excel spreadsheet project tool, because inherent with the new system were the same metrics as composed by the spreadsheet. This excel tool had proven so effective in use during the project for data analysis that it was added to the core design of the new work order task system.
Meanwhile, the use of both smart cell phones and tablets together with apps* that ran concurrently with the desktop computer as well
(i.e. evernote, google drive, gmail.....) created the functional capability for a paperless method to be achieved for procurement of work orders and subsequently proven in practice. Enabling the “green industry” standard our sponsor had requested as a caveat to the original project.
Date-line 03/01/2013: Now nearly a year after the project started, the two main goals of the project have been accomplished. The budget for our group is now in the "black," while earning such a profit margin that it has become a precursor to a requisite for cutting our service charges by 2 to 5% respectively to our customers. The trend still needs to be monitored for sustainability within the new work order system before any decisions be made on this matter, yet forecasts are promising in this budget area. Furthermore, implementation of the new work order task system was expedited due to the efficiency inherited with the utilization of the three project tools (i.e.
Microsoft Excel, Samsung GS-3 smart cell phones and tablets). The initial project has surpassed all its true needs and will succumb to closure now, however it birthed a strategic quality initiative that has continual growth built into it that the group can utilize in the foreseeable future and beyond.
Date-line 04/01/2013: In conclusion, the project for budget solvency was a successful venture. Reviewing the Chart data for the three last periods (Jan-13, Feb-13, Mar-13) displays a good harmony between revenues and expenses leveling out along the CL with revenues propagating again at 2 to 5% above expense. However, most importantly is to understand not the "why," yet the "how" it worked to properly assess its merits for future projects. The "off the shelf" tools were an efficient cost saving measure for a project that came at little cost to a financially beleaguered group, but required an individual change by team member's to follow a new protocol; this the most difficult task of all. Thomas's change management skill was one of common sense; he introduced an idea then took the role of sponsor as the team members worked out how to accomplish the deliverables and finally the goal. With this methodology the individual's on the team could grow into the new protocol, no matter what their skillset or level of acceptance to change may have been. Hence leading all team member's in the same direction. That is how it was successful; the tools performed the craft, yet the craft was performed by the individuals on the team within the personnel’s own comfort zone. When change isn’t forced, but reality of a situation is revealed, the realization to follow function becomes apparent to all.
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April 2012 to March 2013 fig. 01
10
11
12
7
8
9 sample Period Total Expenses Total Revenues
1 Apr-12 $42,633 $30,189
2
3
4
5
6
May-12
12-Jun
Jul-12
Aug-12
12-Sep
$41,140
$41,036
$38,160
$32,282
$50,311
$28,395
$27,457
$27,265
$40,098
$78,830
Oct-12
Nov-12
Dec-12
Jan-13
Feb-13
Mar-13
$43,019
$41,543
$30,316
$48,427
$40,721
$32,126
$52,467
$21,037
$20,171
$67,837
$42,185
$32,477
Max $50,311
Min $30,316
Range $19,995
$78,830
$20,171
$58,659
Total range
Displacement
CL \ Tolerance (+/-)[1]
$39,984
$39,984
$39,984
$39,984
$39,984
$39,984
$39,984
$39,984
$39,984
$39,984
$39,984
$39,984
$78,654
$38,670
UCL LCL
$78,654 $1,315
$78,654 $1,315
$78,654 $1,315
$78,654 $1,315
$78,654 $1,315
$78,654 $1,315
$78,654 $1,315
$78,654 $1,315
$78,654 $1,315
$78,654 $1,315
$78,654 $1,315
$78,654 $1,315
Table A
Customer and Environmental Impact:
As viewed below in fig. 02, months July-12 to March-13 reveal that revenue turn-around is prevelant. These figures are fortunate for the IS team, yet impact their customers as well. Task completion for the customer by more efficient means (which the data concludes) equates to better customer service and savings to the end-user of the service and products. The green industry standard earned by becoming paperless during implementation is just the beginning. Lessons learned and proven in this process reveal the way for other departments to become paperless themselves by the tools proven during this project. Furthermore, all departments at U.C. Berkeley utilizing a work order system have the potential to convert to this sytem easily by applying the same methodical process. fig. 02
$90,000
$80,000
$70,000
$60,000
$50,000
$40,000
$30,000
$20,000
$10,000
$0
Apr-12 May-12 12-Jun Jul-12
Expense / Revenue Trend
Legend
UCL ----------
CL ------------
LCL ----------
Revenue--
Expenses--
Aug-12 12-Sep Oct-12 month / year
Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13
Prepared by: Mark J. Brindle 5/16/2013
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