Effective management of monthly reporting process through the use of project management tools towards a better work- life balance

• Main Author: Garcia, Loriedee
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2018
• Subjects: Work-life balance; Organizational change; Continuous improvement process
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5613
• Institution: De La Salle University

The finance team of PwC SDC Manila is the focal unit of this action research. The team faced challenges such as the absence of the finance controller, changes in the accounting system, resignation, multiple audits, and compliance with regulatory requirements on an expansion project. When this happened all the same time, the team missed deadlines and team members have gone exhausted rendering too much overtime. The primary objective of this action research is to change the finance teams planning from none or individually driven (by the finance controller) to a regular (monthly) and structured group planning. After establishing a regular planning exercise, the team aims to reduce the lead time in completing the monthly management report from 6-9 working days to 3-5 working days after month-end with less than 5 hours maximum overtime (per day, per employee) on the subsequent month-end period after implementing the change. To address the issue, team used a combination of the DMAIC framework and Lewins change model. I primarily used Scheins ORJI model as a tool for first person inquiry. The team conducted a series of team meetings and one-one-one discussions during the action research cycles that comprise my second person inquiry. I further added different articles on planning, six sigma and project management as a guide for the interventions that form part of my third person inquiry. Improved lead-time in completing the management reports and a reduction in overtime were seen as the research success indicators after the second intervention. An improvement in the work-life balance was also achieved in doing this action research. Through this Insider Action Research experience, the individuals became a team.