| Project: | Redesign a center for processing IRS Quarterly Returns to facilitate an efficient work flow and handle three times the number of returns being processed. |
| Focus: | Productive work environments. This center is restricted to IRS processing
only. Most of the year it is occupied by a staff of 6-10. For several weeks
each quarter, the staff increases to 250 per shift with 3 shifts per day.
Because of the extremely high volume of work and the requirement that funds be available within 24 hours, an efficient work flow was crucial. The work flow also needed to be obvious and easily managed because of the high proportion of temporary staff. The center had previously served one region. Now it was to serve two. All documents from the two regions had to be kept separate. |
| Solution: | Working with the unit's management and supervisory staff we developed
an idealized work flow. A number of options were developed for space use
and work flow pattern. One emerged as the best solution and was implemented.
The interiors were furnished with open plan systems furniture augmented with componentry which was originally designed for light manufacturing. Open panels were used to keep documents from being temporarily hidden from view. Special containers which integrated with the furniture system were used to move work from area to area, station to station and for staging purposes. |
| Accomplishments: | A clear and efficient work flow was created. While maintaining a pleasant work environment, the floor area was reduced from 110 to 69 square feet per person. This saved 2.15¢ per tax return processed - a 37% cost savings in occupancy expense. |
Project size: 17,200 sf
Headcount: 250 per shift
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