SECTION III Service Systems
5.7 Quality Metrics and Awards
investment. We also discovered in our quality surveys that half of our customers perceived their produc- tivity to increase after having implemented ergonomic improvements. Subjective estimates ranged from 5 to 15%. Assuming 135 people, paid $40,000 in salary increased their productivity 7%, the company would have gained another $378k per year in increased or improved work. With estimates of increased productivity figured in, the return on investment increases to just under 10:1.
5-12 Occupational Ergonomics: Design and Management of Work Systems
consisted of calling 30 people who had received benefits from the old system in 1991 and 1992. Seven questions surveyed symptom relief, satisfaction with services, and duration of waiting period for ergo- nomic task chairs. We discovered that on the whole, customers recovered from symptoms well, and were satisfied with the individualized services; however, they were dissatisfied with the long waits associated with chair selection and delivery. These findings were instrumental in planning the program and creating an efficient chair-fitting process.
In 1994, we redesigned the survey to include questions on all aspects of the program and administered it via telephone to 100 of our customers from the previous year. The following results are extracted from the resulting Sandia Technical Report (Longbotham and Miller, 1995). The 1994 survey respondents recorded 81% “pleased” or “very pleased” with the new chair-fitting process. Most of the remaining 19%
were not happy with the WSE requirement for a new chair, so the requirement was dropped. The return rate on chairs was 6 out of 331, or about 2%. Ninety-seven of the 100 customers thought the WSE went smoothly, and overall customer satisfaction with the ergonomics processes increased from 87% in 1992 to 92% in the 1994 survey (Figure 5.5). Corroborating evidence from the 1994 Medical Center Quality Survey indicated that 156 respondents rated the program 3.97 out of 5 for responsiveness and 4.13 out of 5 for ergonomics professionalism (Sanderville, 1994). Comparable satisfaction metrics from sister DOE laboratories, benchmarked in 1995, are shown in Figure 5.11.
Metrics on training effectiveness and satisfaction were collected immediately after training sessions.
Manager satisfaction with ergonomics training was high, with 100% reporting that notebook materials would be useful back on the job and that the instructor communicated well. Nine out of ten thought the instructor was prepared, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, encouraged interaction, and treated students with respect.
In 1995, the program won the Sandia President’s Quality Award. The award was based on a subset of criteria taken from the Malcolm Baldridge Award application process. Also in 1995, the videotape entitled
“Ergonomics Detective C.T. Dodd,” won The Communicator Crystal Award for its effectiveness in communication and education. Lockheed-Martin identified the program as one of only three Industrial Hygiene/Safety programs worthy of receiving an “excellent” rating in its 1995 audit. Last, in an external appraisal conducted by the DOE in 1994, the program received “noteworthy recognition.” It was very satisfying for the entire CEG to experience good work being recognized, but the rewards were in knowing that pain was reduced, comfort enhanced, and productivity increased during this period.
FIGURE 5.11 Percent overall customer satisfaction with ergonomics services at DOE National Laboratories bench- marked in 1995.
Department. Please feel free to contact the author at (505) 845-9803 or [email protected] with ques- tions regarding the program or the techniques developed.
Acknowledgments
The author would like to acknowledge and express gratitude to the CEG members who unselfishly gave of themselves to make the program a success. Some of them put helping Sandians find relief above doing what was politically correct for their careers. Special thanks also go to the Sandians at the California Laboratory who showed us the way by spearheading several major efforts. Our project would never have gotten off the ground without management support from Judith Mead, Larry Clevenger, Allan Fine, Joe Stiegler, Bill Burnett, and Lynn Jones. Thanks also go to those who helped us start up by letting us benchmark their operations back in 1992, or attended Energy Facility Contractors’ Group meetings from 1994–1996 to share their knowledge and materials. In many cases it was their innovative ideas that helped to make our program a success. Those who directly contributed to the program’s development are listed below:
The author dedicates this chapter to Allan Fine, who will be remembered for his trusting support, sincere compassion, and timely humor.
References
Corporate Ergonomics Group, C. T. Dodd, Ergonomics Detective, video, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque NM, 1995.
Leger, E., Ackerman, R., Coleman, R., and MacDorman, J., Process Quality Management and Improvement Guidelines, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Indianapolis, 1989.
Longbotham, L. and D. P. Miller, 1994 Ergonomics Program Quality Evaluation, SAND95-0937, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque NM, June 1995.
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5-14 Occupational Ergonomics: Design and Management of Work Systems
McKeen, R. G. and D. P. Miller, Benchmarking Corporate Ergonomics Programs for Sandia National Lab- oratories, SAND92-2667, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque NM, April 1993.
McMahon, T. and Miller, D. P., Office Ergonomics, Chap. 3A, Sandia ES&H Manual, Rept. MN471001, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 1995.
Mulligan, D. R., Stewart-Poppelsdorf, N., and Suzuki, L., Ergonomics for Computer Users, pamphlet, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 1994.
Sanderville, K., Quality Survey on Medical Services, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque NM, 1994.
Stewart-Poppelsdorf, N., Ergonomic Worksite Evaluation, Office Checklist, Sandia National Laboratories, December, 1994.
Suzuki, L., Mulligan, D. R., and Hansen, S., Ergonomics Exercises at Work, booklet, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 1995.
Suzuki, L., Mulligan, D. R., and Hansen, S., Ergonomics Exercises at Home, booklet, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 1995.
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