Case Study
Process Documentation Ensures Business Continuity for Community Development
Client Background and Overview
The City Manager of a mid-sized southern city contracted Turnkey Solutions to audit and document their business processes, focusing on the Community Development Department. The City had not only experienced a high amount of turnover during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, but was also hindered by outdated and redundant processes and procedures in their knowledge management system. Desiring to continue expanding and developing economically, the City contracted Turnkey Solutions to audit and update their Community Development Department’s permitting processes and procedures.
Challenges
In the middle of working with the client to determine which of the department’s processes and procedures to begin reviewing, it was discovered that the staff member responsible for the City’s permitting, who had been there for nearly two decades, planned to retire within the month. This put the City in a precarious situation, as its many of its current permitting processes and procedures were not updated in their knowledge management software and contained information referring to an older version of their permitting system, paper forms, and in-person payments. Because this information no longer applied to current practice, it became urgent to document the knowledge that the key staff member held and update permitting processes to reflect current practice.
Solution
Understanding the urgency of the situation, Turnkey Solutions worked diligently with the client to audit, update, and document the Community Development Department’s processes and procedures. During the engagement, Turnkey staff remapped the procedures that not only had redundant information and missing steps, but also worked closely with department personnel to revise documented processes that did not reflect current practice. Although the key permitting staff member was set to retire within the month, Turnkey was able to update and document all critical permitting procedures for the department before she retired. As a result, the Community Development Department had a new set of documented processes and procedures that were not only updated to match current practice, but were also optimized to provide any interim and incoming permitting staff with easy process flows for training and consistent performance.
Impact
Turnkey Solutions’ timely and thorough documentation of the Community Development Department’s processes ensured continuity and efficiency despite the retirement of a key staff member. By updating and enhancing the client’s outdated procedures and processes, Turnkey enabled seamless training and consistent performance for interim and incoming staff. This work significantly contributed to the City’s ongoing expansion and economic development efforts.