Project Planning and Approval Worksheet

Site name: Client/project name: Start Date:

Submitted by: Phone #: Apprx completion date:

Project overview:
Part I

Problem statement:

Mission Statemet:

Estimated cost/benefit: Problem Cost($) Additional Revenue($) Net Benefit($)

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Benefit Type:
Cost Savings Additional Revenue Efficiency Client Satisfaction Customer Satisfaction

Key Metric: Baseline: Goal:

Site Approval: Regional Approval: Functional Approval:

Estimated time line for completion:

Define Measure Analyze Improve Control
Complete by:

Process improvement team: (Enter project leader in first line)

Name Team Function Name Team Function
Part II

Leader Member

Member Member

Member
Leader Member

Member Member

Member Member
 Project Implementation Tracker

Target Finish
Define

Task/Step How accomplished Assigned to Start Date Status

Date Date
Write a Project Scope statement that defines what portion of the problem will and will not be addressed .
In
NotProgress
Started
Project Scope statement
Target Finish
Task/Step How accomplished Assigned to Start Date Status
Date Date
Document understanding of process.
Flow Chart Not Started
Measure

Collect data that allows the problem to be quantified.

Survey Not Started ###
Focus Group
Stratify data to a component level. Observations
Pareto Not Started Description
Client Data
Histogram
Identify largest problem contributors.
Not Started FMEA
Write "Focused Mission Statement" based on largest contributors.
Focused Problem Statement Not Started Internal Rep
Target Finish
Task/Step How accomplished Assigned to Start Date Status
Date Date
Brainstorm all potential root causes of the focused problem(s).
Not Started
Analyze

Breakdown root causes to actionable, measurable level (ask Why?).

Not Started ###
Based on team consensus, identify root causes with greatest potential impact.
Team Concensus Not Started
Verify selected root causes with data.
Not Started
Target Finish
Task/Step How accomplished Assigned to Start Date Status
Date Date
Identify any previously successful solutions applied to the same root causes.
Inquire with corporate Not Started ###
Rank possible solutions according to influence, ease of implementation & relative benefit.
Solution Selection Matrix Not Started Histogram
Improve

Develop draft of action plan answering Who?, What?, When?, Where? And How? for each solution.
Action Plan Not Started
Obtain approval of Solutions.
Follow established process Not Started
Complete detailed action plan.
Action Plan Not Started ###
Calculate targeted Net Benefit
Cost-Benefit Tracker Not Started Pareto
Implement Solutions
Action Plan Not Started
Target Finish
Task/Step How accomplished Assigned to Start Date Status
Date Date
Verify that root causes have been reduced/eliminated by solutions.
Graphs Not Started
Pareto
Control

Verify actual cost/benefits. Histogram

Graphs charts
Control Not Started
Spread sheets
Spread sheets ###
Verify that mission statement (goal) was met or exceeded, or devise plan to meet goal.
Graphs Not Started
Pareto
Develop and implement plan to integrate solutions into the normal way of doing business. Histogram
Control
Action Plancharts Not Started ###
 Cost/Benefit Tracker
Targeted Cost/Benefit & Focused Goals
Problem Cost Solution Cost Additional Revenue Net Benefit
Targeted cost/benefit $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Targeted Actual
Focused Goals

Itemized Cost/Benefit
Month/Year Item Accounting Category Project Category Hard/Soft Amount
Problem Cost Hard Cost
Problem Cost Hard Cost
 Root Cause / Solution Tracker

Category Root Cause Solution Effective? Description of effect:

People Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Project Planning and Approval This sheet will serve to direct and document the approval process
Site Name Enter the site's name where the project will occur.
Client/Project Name Enter the name of the client and the specific project (client project) affected. If
the project is site-wide, then enter primary functional area impacted.
Start Date Enter the date the project began (the date the project was selected).
Submitted by Enter the name of the person submitting the project (this will usually be the
Quality Services Manager).
Phone # Enter the phone number of the person submitting the project for approval.
Apprx Completion Date Enter the estimated date the project is expected to be completed by. This
should be the same as the date the project will begin final tracking period (final
3 months) of the control phase.
Project Overview Please write a brief paragraph answering the following questions: Why is the
project worth doing? What are the consequences of not doing the project?
What are the problems being addressed? When and where do the problems
occur? What do you hope to achieve with this project? Also include who the
primary customer is, any pertinent history regarding the project, how the
problem came to your attention, etc.

Problem Statement Input the problem statement. The problem statement should describe the
problem to be resolved ("what is wrong") and include the current baseline
metric. It should be specific, observable, measurable and manageable.
Mission Statement Input the mission statement. The mission statement should state what the team
hopes to achieve by stating a specific goal and time frame to achieve the goal.

Estimated Cost/Benefit Estimate and enter the problem cost and any potential additional revenue.
These should all be expressed in "per month" terms.
Problem Cost This is based on the gap between the baseline metric quantified in the problem
statement, and the "desired state", or target. Determine the frequency and cost
drivers and express in dollar terms.
Additional Revenue Sometimes solutions can provide additional revenues by charging for new
services provided to the client, or performing at a level that produces additional
revenue, etc.
Benefit Type Select the benefit or benefits most closely associated with the project.
Key Metric Please select the key metric (from the mission statement) that will be used.

Baseline Enter the current baseline of the key metric (before project).
Goal Input the goal representing the estimated change in the metric after project
implementation.
Site/Regional/Functional Approval Please type the name of the person granting approval in the appropriate space.
Each project will need to be approved by the Site Director, the Regional Vice
President and the Vice President of any functional areas impacted (e.g., HR,
Training, Quality Services, etc.).
Estimated Timeline for Completion Please input the estimated completion date for each phase of the project.

Define Please input the estimated completion date for each phase of the project.
Define: Guideline is 1 week.
Measure Please input the estimated completion date for each phase of the project.
Measure: Guideline is 2 week.
Analyze Please input the estimated completion date for each phase of the project.
Analyze: Guideline is 2 week.
Improve Please input the estimated completion date for each phase of the project.
Improve: Guideline is 3 weeks.
Control Please input the estimated completion date for each phase of the project.
Control: Guideline is 2 weeks to put controls in place and 3 months to monitor
results.
Process Improvement Team Please input the name of each member of the process improvement team.
Also, identify whether each is a team leader, SME or team member.
Project Implementation Tracker This form lists the necessary tasks/steps for each phase of the DMAIC process,
provides for the planned completion of each task/step and allows progress to be
tracked.
Task/Step This field identifies steps or tasks that need to be completed for each phase of
the DMAIC process.
How Accomplished Indicate how each step was accomplished. Some methods are predetermined
either by having the method already input or by providing a drop down menu. If
there is more than one possible way to complete the task/step then a scrollable
box allowing multiple selections is provided.
Assigned To Please indicate who the task/step was assigned to for completion
Start Date Indicate when the task/step was initiated.
Target Date Indicate the planned completion date of the task/step.
Finish Date Indicate when the task/step was actually completed.
Status Select the term that best describes the current status of the task/step. In
Progress: The task/step has been started but not yet completed. Suspended:
The task/step has been started but progress had to be temporarily halted.
Completed: The task/step has be finished. Not Started: The project has not
reached that phase or that particular task/step.

Cost/Benefit Tracker This form provides the opportunity to document costs, expenses and benefits of
the project. This data will be used to calculate the net benefit of the project.

Targeted Cost/Benefit The targeted cost/benefit represents that portion of the problem that can be
effectively reduced through the application of a solution. Typically 100% of the
problem cannot be addressed. This can be taken from the Solution Selection
Worksheet.
Problem Cost Calculate and then enter the cost of the problem that can be effectively
impacted. The cost is the difference between where we should be and were we
are presently.
Solution Cost Enter the cost of the solution (both hard and soft costs). This could include the
time spent by individuals, materials and/or fees.
Additional Revenue Enter the amount of any additional revenue incurred, such as additional
business awarded as a result of improvements or performance incentives
gained.
Net Benefit Calculated by adding together the cost savings and any additional revenue and
then subtracting out the cost of the solution and the problem cost.
Focused Goal and Results These represent the targeted goal from the refocused mission statement and
the results. This allows comparison of the targeted vs. actual to show the
impact in terms of the key metric.
Targeted The targeted goal is the proposed reduction of the key metric resulting from
scoping the original goal based on that portion of the problem that can truly be
impacted by the reduction/elimination of the selected root causes.
Actual Actual represents the observed change in key metric after implementation of the
solutions.
Itemized Cost/Benefit This table allows the input of itemized expenses, costs and revenue generated
by the project so that it can be categorized and tracked.
Date Input the month and year the item occurred
Item Write a brief description of each item listed (e.g., hired external consultant,
hours of trainers who conducted uptraining class, etc. Items should be a direct
result of the problem or solution.
Accounting Category Select the cost category that best identifies the item.
Project Category Identify which portion of the project the cost is associated with by selecting the
appropriate item from the drop down menu.
 Hard/Soft Identify whether the cost is a hard or soft cost by selecting from the drop down
menu. A hard cost is one that will actually hit the bottom line (realized). If it is a
hard cost the site director should see an increase or decrease in actual revenue
or margin. If you couldn't write or receive a check for it, it is not a hard cost
(e.g., additional hours worked by hourly employee, penalty paid for poor
performance, additional work received as a result of increased performance. A
soft cost does not reach the bottom line and is not realized (e.g., salaried
employees hours, use of already purchased computer equipment, etc.).

Amount Identify the dollar amount associated with the item.

Root Cause & Solution Tracker This form will allow the root cause and effective solution to be tracked so that a
similar solution could be applied to a similar situation.
Category From the drop down menu select the category that most accurately describes
the root cause.
Root Cause As succinctly as possible, describe the root cause of the problem.
Solution As succinctly as possible, describe the solution applied to the root cause.
Effective? Indicate whether or not the solution described was effective in reducing the root
cause.
Description of Effect: Describe the effect the solution had on the root cause.