{"id":13663,"date":"2025-06-18T10:06:24","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T09:06:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theleansixsigmacompany.com\/us\/?p=13663"},"modified":"2025-06-19T09:12:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T08:12:47","slug":"simplifying-media-service-requests-a-lean-six-sigma-project-in-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theleansixsigmacompany.com\/us\/library\/simplifying-media-service-requests-a-lean-six-sigma-project-in-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Simplifying Media Service Requests: A Lean Six Sigma Project in Education"},"content":{"rendered":"
Lean Six Sigma is often associated with manufacturing, but its principles can be applied in any industry. In this case, a project at a higher education institution aimed to simplify and standardize the request process for photography and videography services. Before this project, service requests came through multiple channels\u2014phone calls, emails, and verbal requests\u2014causing confusion and inefficiency. The objective was to streamline the process, reduce delays, and improve client satisfaction. Here’s how the Lean Six Sigma team achieved this and the valuable lessons learned along the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The media services department at this institution handles requests for photography and videography, but their request process was anything but smooth. An analysis showed that many requests lacked key information:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These incomplete requests led to delays, last-minute changes, and misunderstandings between clients and the media team. This inconsistency resulted in only 16% of projects meeting their original deadlines, creating dissatisfaction among both staff and students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The project’s primary goals were twofold:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n By introducing a standardized system, the team aimed to increase the percentage of on-time deliveries to 100%. They also set a goal to take on 10-15% more projects per month by improving efficiency and reducing bottlenecks in the request process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Team selection was critical to the project\u2019s success. The team included both media service staff and frequent users of the department\u2019s services. This provided a balanced view of both the operational challenges and user needs. The project sponsor was the department\u2019s ISO manager, someone familiar with process improvements and change management. This made communication and execution smoother, as everyone involved had a clear understanding of the project\u2019s goals and benefits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The team also included a few visual and sound specialists, as their technical expertise was essential for understanding the intricacies of media production. By engaging all stakeholders, the project ensured that improvements would be both practical and widely accepted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The team used the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) framework to structure their approach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the Define phase, the team mapped the entire service request process using tools like the SIPOC diagram (Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers). This helped them identify where requests were falling apart. The main issue was clear: requests lacked consistency, leading to delays and rework.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To solve this, the team decided to introduce a standardized request form via the school\u2019s TOPDesk system. The form would include mandatory fields, ensuring that clients provided all necessary details upfront. This would reduce the back-and-forth communication that caused delays in the past.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Next, the team measured the baseline performance. They tracked how often deadlines were missed and identified common errors in the requests. At this stage, the data showed that only 16% of requests met their original deadline, with most projects being delayed due to incomplete information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The team also gathered data on request volume and processing times to quantify how much capacity could be freed up by simplifying the process. They calculated that they could potentially increase the number of projects handled by 12% each month if these improvements were made.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The analysis revealed that most delays stemmed from missing or unclear information in the initial request. This caused the media services team to waste time clarifying details or making assumptions, both of which led to rework and missed deadlines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To tackle this, the team used a Fishbone diagram to identify the root causes of the issues. They found that inconsistent communication channels (phone, email, verbal requests) were a major contributor. Additionally, the lack of standardized forms meant that even repeat clients often forgot to include important details in their requests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the Improve phase, the team implemented two critical changes:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The results were immediate and significant. The percentage of on-time deliveries increased from 16% to 100%, meeting the project\u2019s primary goal. Additionally, the new process allowed the team to handle 12% more projects each month, effectively increasing their capacity without adding additional resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To ensure these improvements were sustainable, the team developed a control plan. The new request form was designed with Poka-Yoke principles, meaning it was “error-proof.” Clients couldn\u2019t submit the form unless all required fields were completed, reducing the chance of incomplete requests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Regular audits were implemented to monitor the system’s effectiveness. The team also set up feedback loops with clients, ensuring that the form and process would continue to meet their needs over time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One challenge the team faced was initial resistance from some users who were accustomed to the old way of submitting requests. To overcome this, the team conducted training sessions to familiarize users with the new system. They also emphasized how the changes would benefit clients by speeding up the turnaround time for projects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another challenge involved coordinating with other departments that handled related services, such as podcasting and live streaming. While the media services team initially resisted expanding the project to cover these areas, they eventually agreed to use the lessons learned from this project to simplify those processes as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The project delivered significant improvements:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These results not only improved client satisfaction but also demonstrated the tangible financial benefits of applying Lean Six Sigma in an educational setting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Several important lessons emerged from this project:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This Lean Six Sigma project highlights the power of process improvement in an educational setting. By simplifying the request process for media services, the institution was able to increase efficiency, improve client satisfaction, and save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. For those unfamiliar with Lean Six Sigma, this project demonstrates how practical tools like DMAIC can solve real-world problems, even in industries that may not seem like an obvious fit for Lean Six Sigma methods.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At a major educational institution, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt project transformed how photography and videography requests were handled. Faced with inconsistent communication channels and missing information in over 80% of requests, the media services team implemented a standardized, automated request process using the TOPDesk platform.<\/p>\n The result? On-time project delivery skyrocketed from 16% to 100%, and the team increased capacity by 12% per month, all without additional resources. Most impressively, the institution saved an estimated $331,500 to $582,000 per year by reducing reliance on external media vendors.<\/p>\n This project proves that Lean Six Sigma isn’t just for manufacturing. When applied thoughtfully, it can drive powerful improvements in service quality, efficiency, and cost savings, right at the heart of campus operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13138,"featured_media":13665,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lean-six-sigma-topics"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Problem\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
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The Goal\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Forming the Team\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
The Lean Six Sigma Approach\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Define Phase\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Measure Phase\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Analyze Phase\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Improve Phase\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Control Phase\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Overcoming Challenges\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Results and Benefits\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Lessons Learned\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Conclusion\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n