98% admin time cut
Hundreds of hours redirected to value-added delivery
Faster, clearer client updates, saving customers time
Automation eliminated manual errors
Thank you, CI Projects. Amazing work!
Anonymous
Define it
The Project Reporting process was overly complex, fragmented, and entirely manual. Each monthly reporting cycle required Project Managers to copy data across multiple Google Sheets and manually adjust formulas, introducing inefficiencies and inconsistency.
As a result, significant rework and correction were needed each month to achieve an acceptable level of accuracy. This not only increased processing time and resource effort but also caused delays in report delivery. The reliance on manual handling led to errors, including instances of client overbilling, which created reputational risk and reduced client confidence in the reporting outputs.
Business impact included:
- Increased processing time and avoidable resource cost due to repeated rework.
- Heightened risk of financial loss and client dissatisfaction from reporting errors.
- Erosion of trust in reports, damaging client relationships and brand reputation.
Improve it
We used the Lean Six Sigma methodology approach to document the process, measure the baseline performance, analyse the process performance data to understand root causes and worked with the Project Management team to produce improvements.
- Process Mapping and Measurement (Understanding the current state): We utilised Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) to create detailed maps of the end-to-end Project Reporting processes. The process was then measured to understand the end-to-end cycle time.
- Identify Root Causes (Getting to the bottom of the issues): The project team then delved deeper in the process identifying non value adding tasks, waste and where defects caused rework.
- Capture Requirements (Understand what the solution would require to be operational): We worked with G4S to take the root causes to the problems and develop what was required to develop a solution.
- Solution Development (Solution that resolve root causes of problems): Our development team took the requirements and coded several macros that could be run to pull data from four different Google Sheets to a master sheet. Other macros were also developed to change formulas to incorporate the new data. The solution also incorporated the capability for G4S to create reports that could be sent to suppliers removing the need to send the master sheet.
- UAT Testing (Ensure the solution was fit for purpose): A full set of testing scripts were developed for the G4S Project Team to full test the solution. Testing results and bug fixes were captured and resolved.
- Full Rollout (Delivering the solution): A full rollout plan was developed and over a number of weeks the solution was rollout to all members of the G4S Project team.
Sustain it
Our recommendations included business readiness and change management processes, which included:
- Procedures – All changes were proceduralised with full standard operation procedures.
- Training – Were necessary training videos were created explaining the changes that have been deployed.
- Communication – All changes were communicated with all those that were affected through internal communication channels.
- Client Communication Clients were communicated to providing clear guidance on the changes that had been made to the report.
Key benefits
- Monthly Reporting Automation – 500 hours reduction in cycle time per year – There are five Project Managers who took 8.5 hours each to produce the monthly project reporting. This has now been reduced to 10 minutes per Project Manager. This means the Project Managers have saved 41 hours and 40 minutes per month
- Improved Customer Experience – The customer used to have to wade through the CTC sheet, but now they are only receiving what they want to see for that month. This saves them time, makes them feel more confident in the data and just provides them with a better overall experience.
- Improved Employee Experience – The employees in G4S now have a much more automated system and are no longer having to spend time copying and moving data in spreadsheets. This leads to a better overall experience of the CTC Sheet process
