NNPHI Kaizen Program: T-Drive Alive—Organizing a Shared Network

Summary

Impact Statement: 
By streamlining their internal computer drive, creating an internal framework for its use/upkeep, and training staff on the efficient and effective use of the computer drive, the Three Rivers District Health Department has increased staff productivity.
Summary: 

The t-drive is a shared internal network drive and is intended to be the central repository of information for use by all employees of the Three Rivers District Health Department (TRDHD). There are both open areas providing read/write access to all employees and areas providing limited access to certain groups or individuals within TRDHD. Currently, administrative and management staff primarily use the t-drive, and use by front-line and middle-level staff is very limited. TRDHD serves a four-county district with five work sites, so there is a great need for all employees to use a shared internal network drive to facilitate storing and accessing information.

Before the Kaizen event, no process owner was assigned, and a defined purpose of the t-drive had not been established. As a result of this event, a process owner has been assigned, all staff have been educated on the purpose of the t-drive, and extensive training has been provided about the benefits of using the t-drive. Anecdotal data suggest much greater satisfaction with the t-drive.

Organization that conducted the QI initiative: 
TRDHD
Citation: 

Harris, A. Public Health Quality Improvement Exchange. NNPHI Kaizen Program: T-Drive Alive—Organizing a Shared Network. Fri, 09/15/2017 - 11:44. Available at http://www.phqix.org/content/nnphi-kaizen-program-t-drive-alive%E2%80%94organizing-shared-network. Accessed March 29, 2024.

Submission Status: 
Completed
up
3 users have voted.

Comments

jerober's picture
Submitted by jerober on

Thanks for a great project summary. Our agency is spread out in 10 different locations and we use numerous shared drives, all of which have become fairly disorganized over time and led to frustration finding files. To address it all at once sounds near impossible, but this has inspired me to propose that our bureau (one of ~15 in our agency) tackle our own areas of the shared drives as a trial and if successful, expand to other bureaus. We are not yet familiar with kaizen methodology, however, so I hope this could still be successful using a normal PDSA approach. This will be a great reference for us if we move forward on it.

up
0 users have voted.

Jenny Robertson, MSPH
Epidemiologist
Salt Lake County Health Department
slcohealth.org

AprilHarris's picture
Submitted by AprilHarris on

Please let us know if we can help as you move forward with your project. PDSA would be another great tool to utilize!

up
0 users have voted.