Team ditches wasteful cardboard boxes for plastic
The bustling front office of Northern California’s regional Claims Administration department moves a lot of paper.
Based in Oakland, they’re responsible for sorting and scanning paper claims into digital format, storing the paper forms in boxes for the required 30 days, and then destroying them.
The team members call themselves “The Frontliners.”
But the cardboard storage boxes that hold all of that paper could only be used once. The department’s unit-based team wanted to make the job less wasteful.
So, a couple of team members suggested switching to reusable plastic bins and the idea immediately energized the UBT.
They jumped in with a plan to research and test different models of plastic storage containers. They chose an industrial-strength model sold by a KP-approved vendor, which brought the price down. The plastic bins, which have lids that securely snap shut, also eliminated the cost of packing tape and labels that had been used on the cardboard boxes.
The department rolled out the bins in September 2013 and in a year they figured a savings of $1,100.
Given the distributor was a KP vendor, the team was able to cut their purchase price by 30 cents. And since the team won’t need to replace the bins every year, their savings were expected to reach $3,500, which includes hiring an outside firm to come onsite to destroy old paper claims instead of transporting them elsewhere.
Management and union representatives agree the team effort made it a success.
“My motto is, teamwork is dream work,” says union rep and support lead Arnetta Williams. “We’re a really close team. It’s a partnership. Without this, you can’t accomplish anything.”
The new approach required thinking through changes in staff schedules and workflow, as well as ensuring that the changed procedures complied with all relevant regulations.
And the Frontliners’ UBT initiative was selected as a finalist in Kaiser Permanente’s 2014 MSSA (Marketing, Sales, Service and Administration) Innovates Program, a competition to encourage new ideas and efficiency.
Judy Cummings, a statewide manager with Claims Operations and Encounters, likened her role to that of a coach instead of a boss.
“The team is doing the work. They’re the ones out there who know what to do and how to do it,” she says. “I try to support them in being successful.”