Case Studies
DPI has a legacy of achieving strong results for our clients. The following case studies provide insight into DPI’s approach to solving critical challenges and a taste of the results we’ve achieved in key:
Acquisition Support
A fast-growing program required acquisition support services for multiple projects, including the recompete of a multi-million dollar managed services contract. Input and collaboration were needed among multiple departments and the stakeholders, with only a few months before the existing contract expired. Additionally, there were risks associated with interdependencies between new technology and business process changes.
Change Management
A new technology implementation affecting 700 field employees and 100 managers was planned nationwide. Prior attempts to implement point-of-sale solutions had been unsuccessful. Employees were unhappy with the existing process because it required handling large amounts of paper and was prone to error. The existing process was set up in such a way that any errors resulted in deductions from employees’ paychecks. As the environment was union-driven, input from field employees and managers was critical in developing the solution.
Capital Planning
Many organizations fund projects that are mis-aligned with organizational priorities, making it difficult to explain their benefits and value. Project information may be formulated at either the program- or the project-level, which can create “apples to oranges” comparisons. Decisionmakers may spend endless hours in discussions without achieving consensus. Benefits, costs, and risks may not be accurately formulated, leaving decisionmakers at the mercy of best guesses. When a decision is finally made, participants often realize that the situation has changed, and they are forced to start the exercise all over again.
Standardization of Operating Procedures
Our client operates five different modes of transportation in a metropolitan area— bus/ light rail, heavy rail (Metro subway system), commuter rail transit, and the Metro Mobility assistance program for transit of handicapped patrons. Its Office of Service Quality set a goal to standardize how operators approached their duties and to provide a common reference for training controllers. The training materials and techniques for training controllers had not been changed since the system was created, but the job itself had. As a result, the procedures controllers used did not match their training. Thus, on the job training was needed to fill the gaps between established practice and initial training. This difference between training and practice raised safety concerns as similar actions are not performed by transit controllers in a uniform way. In addition, the lack of documented standard procedures was flagged as non-conforming in state mandated audits of the system. Although a document control system existed, it was not consistently applied across all the client transit modes. The client required a series of procedures that accurately describe the control of the bus, light rail, and subway systems. These procedures needed to be both updatable and auditable.
Workforce Management
Our client was faced with changing mission requirements and continued pressure to deliver government services efficiently and effectively. They needed the right workforce in the right place to meet the agency’s current and future needs. Similar to other governmental organization, our client struggled with:
An aging workforce. Significant retirement and retirement eligibility of mission critical staff was putting pressure on existing resources.
Skills and qualifications gap. Despite investment in higher education, there were significant gaps in skills in scientific, technical, engineering, and math disciplines. Eighty percent of the talent gap stemmed from a lack of appropriately qualified candidates.
Higher costs for scarce skills. The skills gap and need for resources that commanded a market premium for specialized experiences resulted in increased costs.
Changing career patterns and expectations. The traditional career with retirement in the early sixties has been replaced with expectations of greater job fulfillment, flexible employment patterns, and a smoother transition into retirement.
