A multi-site services operator cut its weekly financial reporting cycle by 71%
A Green Belt project cut a multi-site operator's weekly financial reporting cycle from 12.05 to 3.5 hours in a three-site pilot, with fewer errors.
The challenge
Each site submitted its weekly financials in its own format, and Finance consolidated them by hand. About half of the cycle time went on clarification between Operations and Finance.
The approach
An operations leader took the problem on as a Green Belt project, mentored by LEA through each DMAIC stage. The work began with a 12-week baseline and a value stream map built with Finance and three pilot sites, followed by quick kaizen sessions and a regression analysis to confirm which inputs drove errors. The team then error-proofed the process with a standard intake form, a locked template, a validation checklist and a firm cutoff.
The result
In the three-site pilot, reporting cycle time fell from 12.05 to 3.5 hours, a 71% reduction, and manual data requests per cycle fell from 12 to 4. First-pass accuracy rose from 93% to 98%, and rework items per week fell from 6 to 1.
How it holds
A documented standard, control charts and a quarterly audit hold the gains. The operator now has a certified Green Belt who can apply the method elsewhere in the organization.
Results
What changed
| Measure | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting cycle time (hours) | 12.05 | 3.5 | down 71% |
| Manual data requests per cycle | 12 | 4 | down 67% |
| First-pass accuracy | 93% | 98% | |
| Rework items per week | 6 | 1 | down 83% |
FAQ
Common questions
In a three-site pilot, the weekly financial reporting cycle fell from 12.05 hours to 3.5 hours, a reduction of 71%. Manual data requests per cycle fell from 12 to 4, first-pass accuracy rose from 93% to 98%, and rework items per week fell from 6 to 1.
An operations leader at the client led the work as a Green Belt project. LEA mentored that leader through each DMAIC stage, from a 12-week baseline and value stream map through to error-proofing and a control plan, and the operator now has a certified Green Belt.
The new process is held in place by a documented standard, control charts and a quarterly audit. Error-proofing measures built into the process, namely a standard intake form, a locked template, a validation checklist and a firm cutoff, reduce the chance of errors returning.
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