doing more with less...doing more with less some prerequisite thoughts to consider: • topic...

Doing More with Less

Northern Michigan Wastewater Operators Seminar

September 2018

Jason Karmol – City of Cheboygan DPW Director

• 2015 to Present: City of Cheboygan - DPW Director (Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, Streets)

• 2009 to 2015: Wade Trim - Project Manager

• 1999 to 2009: Village of Blissfield - Operator

• 1992 to 1996: Michigan Tech - Environmental Science

• MDEQ: F-1 Water,S-1 Distribution ,A Wastewater, A-1 Industrial Stormwater


Some prerequisite thoughts to consider:

• Topic suggested by operators

• Impossible to continue to get less and do more

• Focus on general concepts of finding efficiency

• Specific examples of how to execute these concepts

• Some interpretation of application of these concepts is needed to apply to your specific situation

• Not affiliated with sales or consulting


• General concept of Doing More with Less is usually related to efficiency of the operations

• Administrators and Operators that hear this term are usually faced with expectations of more production from:• Council, Manager(s), Public

• Council, Mangers and Public generally do not know what is required and have a difficult time in determining if a crew is operating efficiently

• Intellectual Honesty is needed internally to become more efficient in Administration and Operation

General Topics

• Efficiency

• Labor and Equipment

• Administration

• Operation

• Training / Education

• Application of equal pressure

Efficiency

• Definition:performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort; using requisite knowledge and skill

• Revised Definition (operations):Identification and reduction or elimination of time wasting, duplicate, or labor intensive efforts; using priorities and budgets set by department and staff

Efficiency

• Private Sector has plenty examples of efficient operation• Set expectations and goals for billable hours• Some system of accountability• Utilize Technology to reduce labor efforts• Operator input is generally used to increase efficiency

• Municipal operation has plenty examples of less efficiency• Just trying to hold the place together and answer

complaints (Being busy does not equal Production)• Planning is usually interrupted by some other event• Accountability is difficult if an understanding is absent• Tendency to reject change in routine• Union labor tends to reject efforts that reduce overtime

Labor and Equipment

• Most expensive commitment in Private or Public Sector

• Define Level of Service and look for efforts not aligned

• Identify labor draining efforts or equipment

• Investigate Labor efforts (largest effort to smallest)

• Discuss items or equipment that would reduce task time

• Equipment saves long term legacy costs

• If desired equipment is too costly, explore payment plans

Labor Example• Started with Daily Rounds (because it saves time every day)

• Elimination of bench sheets (10 from WWTP and 2 from WTP) with duplicate data and hand calculated boxes

• Convert all math to spread sheets

• Delegated some of the time saved to data entry

• Convert spreadsheets to upload into MiWaters

• Saves at least 156 hours Labor & 208 hours of Admin yearly

• Other Examples given in Operation section

Labor Example

• Replaced largest Raw Pump with non-clog impeller saved 312 hours of cleaning

• Grit is removed by hoppers that were not functioning and costing time and mess, new ones saved more than 50 hours per year

Labor Example• 4 employees in trucks for 8

hours or more doing dead ends and parking lots

• Purchased push plow for loader ($5,000)

• 1 employee and loader for 8 to 10 hours

• 3 employees ready for new instructions (be ready to delegate new tasks)

Labor Example

• Doing more with Less is often seen as resourcefulness with what you have around. Two old Fords and some metal equals refurbished flat bed

• Sidewalk Snow removal used a residential (soft side) tractor, former solution was ATV, now we have volunteers for sidewalk snow removal

Administration

• Administration efficiency is harder to identify than labor

• Same concepts still apply (largest efforts to smallest)

• Identify Admin efforts taking most of your time

• Investigate Admin efforts (largest effort to smallest)

• Identify skills or equipment that would reduce task time

• Develop a plan to convert from Reactive Maintence to Preventative Maintence

Administration Examples• Rate Increase Passed! (3 years)

• Use of MS Outlook for scheduling and reminders

• Use of MS Word to create templates, reports

• Use of MS Excel to complete math for staff

• Use of MS Excel to create new bench sheets

• Use of MS Power Point to create presentations

• Conversion of documents to digital for easy file search

• Establish a preferred communication as email if possible

• Try to structure phone and email time

Administrator Considerations• Know your budget(s), know your needs

• Use required documents to help (Asset Management)

• Water Production vs Billed usage (80%-90%)

• Cross Training of Employees

• Find the organizations you have membership with

• Request help from organizations

• Operator Training and Certification

• Cross Training of Employees

• Delegate Primary and Secondary responsibilities

• Attempt to Lead by Example and avoid blame game

Operation

• Operational efficiency is clear to most that look

• Being busy is not the same as efficient operation

• Same concepts still apply (largest efforts to smallest)

• Identify Operational efforts taking most of your time

• Document efforts (largest effort to smallest)

• Discuss items or equipment that would reduce task time

• If you are an operator doing work, you will break something

• When you break something, don’t make it a mystery

Operation Example

• Installing radio read meters to reduce the hand written walking route of meter reads

• Replaced soft start on wells in favor of Variable Frequency Drives. Went from slamming check arms to setting them down over 60 seconds

Operation Example

• Identified next project, Bar Screen

• New portable Generator and Pump

• Approval for Plant Refurbishment

• Infiltration Data Collection: Historical Data, Charts, Pics

• List of projects with scope and descriptions in Capitol Improvement Plan to be ready for grant announcements: Projects ranked by operator input

Operator Considerations

• Utilize any available training offered

• Start to establish a network of operators

• Document efforts of time invested

• Take pictures if possible

• Ask Administrator if you can help (Quotes, Documents)

• Start your list of needs, reorder list as needed

• If your Administrator is asking for your items, if possible, show up: you may discover how to repackage the request

Training and Certification

• Administrators will benefit from Tech Training

• Administrators benefit from skilled operators

• Operators benefit from knowledge and networking

• Knowledge is shared more often when training is regular

• New ideas and concepts are discovered

• Investment in skilled trade: yourself and employer

• Discover new tech and may get feedback about effectiveness

• Discover that you are not alone in your efforts

Training and Certification Considerations

• MWEA has best specific instruction courses

• MRWA Rate Study Class

• MML Programs for Insurance and Safety

• Fred Prior Microsoft Training (No CEC’s)

• MSU Short Courses

• RCAP Field Day

• CSUS Office of Water Programs (Sub for College Credits)

• AWWA eLearning Center

Application of equal pressure

• Residents put pressure on Council

• Council puts pressure on Administrators

• Administrators put pressure on Operators

• Operators show needs to Administrators

• Administrators take these needs to Council

• Council has pressure of Administrators and Public

Application of pressure Examples

• Give regular reports to council or boards to show why stuff takes so long

• Pictures say a lot, take them and show them: especially WWTP Raw Influent, WTP water leaking, Trucks Broken, Roads Crumbling

Application of equal pressure Examples• Started with Quarterly Reports• Developed a Utility Committee• Asked Specific Council members to join• Monthly meetings with Committee till they understood

everything we needed and why• Switched to Semi Annual Reports after Committee• Unsuccessful in Rate Increases• Brought in Member Organizations present to Council• Rate Increase Passed• Switched to Annual reports

Example InformationInfiltration

With the accumulation of Data, find a way to show your Council or Board a simple graph to show the issues you and your staff would like to highlight

0.000

100.000

200.000

300.000

400.000

500.000

600.000

700.000

800.000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Water Produced vs. Wastewater Treated (Million Gallons)

Water Produced (MG) Wastewater Treated (MG)


Example InformationMoney


Example InformationSewer Fund Shortage

Council/Boards, Public, Newspapers like to see what a piece of equipment is and why you need a new one. If they are talking beautification, give them a dose of failed infrastructure

Example Information Pictures with Write-up

Example Information Overwhelmed or

TransparencySupplement documents available:

WTP AssetManager – Asset Spreadsheet

WWTP AssetManager – Asset Spreadsheet

DPW AssetManager – Asset Spreadsheet

Cheboygan Water Rate 2018 – Rate Spreadsheet

Cheboygan Sewer Rate 2018 – Rate Spreadsheet

Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) - Water

Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) - Sewer

Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) - DPW

Utilities need this time and money

back because you don’t know what will happen next.

Learn from mistakes

• Mistakes are the most memorable lessons

• Find some humor in this thankless profession

• Share your mistakes, go easy on the ones that made them, you might be next (% increases more you do)

• Survey the least negative products from operators

• Give Council three quotes on products you want

• Involve all staff suggestions in project improvements

Questions?Thank you for your time and interest!

Jason KarmolDepartment of Public works Director

[email protected](231)-627-2582

mailto:[email protected]