Standardization of Shared Services processes within a network

The Challenge

Chartwell has grown over recent years, due mainly to acquisition. This growth caused multiple issues:

• Inconsistent processes and procedures across groups of homes.
• Fractured management systems causing redundant reporting along with differing views on key indicators and their targets.
• Various parties believing that their own processes were indeed the “Best Practice”.
• Different IT systems employed across the homes.
• As the network grew, so did the number of provinces in which Chartwell operated. Any solutions to the above issues would have to take multiple jurisdictions into account.

The Results

The project achieved an annualized financial improvement of 19% to the bottom line. From the business issues above, there were many improvements developed, tested, and implemented which contributed to the financial and operational improvement. Some examples of the changes are as follows:

Selected Process changes include:

• Standardized and installed forms, requests and paperwork being submitted to head office departments by the individual Homes.
• Developed scanning procedures for all invoices into a central repository to make information more available to all staff.
• Removed redundant steps in the error-checking process and the tracking sheets associated with this step.

Selected Management System changes include:

• Implemented monthly and weekly deadlines for submission of documentation to corporate office by the individual Homes.
• Created a schedule for courier pick-up times to help minimize the amount of travel for multiple staff members.
• Reduced the volume of operational reports to decrease unnecessary and potentially confusing management information.

Selected Behavior changes include:

• Created clear job descriptions for staff to identify and eliminate duplicated effort.
• Created error tracking logs to feed information back to responsible party in order to root cause issues and allow for continuous improvement.
• Improved customer service levels offered by the Help Desk by staggering shifts to allow for coverage across multiple time zones.

The  Client Experience

“The methodology that Carpedia employed was extremely successful because it engaged our management group and provided them with the tools to be more effective in how they manage their accountabilities. We have a strong culture of accountability and delivering on our strategic initiatives. However, our Carpedia project strongly reinforced and improved on our manager’s capability to embed this culture right at the front line. In addition, the reporting tools have helped us rationalize our reporting and focus on those elements that are most important to the success of our team.”

Executive Vice President, Chartwell Seniors Housing REIT