Transforming 311: A New Vision for the Citizen Experience

Written by Sheila Knight-Fields, Director Denver 311

If you were to look at my LinkedIn profile, you would see the statement, “I’m solution focused and energetic about transforming the business to improve the customer experience by driving people and process improvement.” In my previous position, I was lucky to have been part of an organization that was an early adopter of Lean Six Sigma. I participated in the initial training around the methodology. Because of innovative thinkers throughout the company, we were able to improve productivity, reduce waste, decrease cycle times, and save the organization millions of dollars.

Once I joined the city, I was excited to see that this same mentality was embraced here. Just looking at everyday processes and identifying what doesn’t work is the first step in improving our infrastructure. This not only benefits us as employees, but improves the experience our residents have with us as well.

In the five months that I have been at 311, I have constantly asked questions. Why do we do things the way we do? How can we improve them? What can we do to increase the level of service we provide to the residents and those businesses who work in the city? And slowly, we’ve been able to make changes. Part of the challenge with 311 is that we support all of the other agencies within the city, and we must work seamlessly with them it enact positive change. It’s a work in progress, but I have found plenty of passionate and enthusiastic people in the city who really want to make it a better place. Thanks to the support of Peak, we’re going to make this happen!

Posted on November 17, 2015 0 By melissapeakacademy Best Practices Posted in Best Practices, Executive Voice Tagged #311, call center, customer service, Lean, Six Sigma

melissapeakacademy

Melissa Wiley manages Denver Peak Academy. Prior to leading the team, she served as a lead analyst for Denver Animal Protection (Denver Animal Shelter) and the Department of Excise and Licenses. She has taught nearly 150 courses on process improvement and data to employees throughout the City and County of Denver, within the private sector, and in local nonprofit organizations. She has been with Denver Peak Academy since 2012. She previously worked for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the United States Department of State. She holds a Master's Degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys playing guitar, yoga, trail running, and leading the Denver Animal Shelter's Jog-a-Dog volunteer program. She lives in a suburb of Denver with her husband Craig. Her mission is to infuse joy into all areas of public service.