The Challenge
A 30-year-old human-driven process in science curation had a federal agency in healthcare information doing methodical and mundane tasks that were highly subjective and time-consuming. This created a backlog of 600,000 unindexed citations and innumerous dissatisfied users waiting up to six months for their publications to be discoverable.
Our Solution
This process was ripe for automation, which had to start with a huge mind shift. The 30-year legacy of human-driven production was believed to be the gold standard of quality. We worked with leadership and staff to bust this myth in service to the public – to improve the customer service experience and to accelerate access and discoverability for scientific literature.
To automate the process with machines, we supported the client to develop their workforce capability in data science and machine learning. This included change management support for impacted staff, which involved heavy staff engagement via interviews, coaching, and pulse surveys, as well as compelling messaging, training, and professional growth opportunities.
After transitioning to this automated process, we also ensured staff was prepared to sustain these changes into the future, including ongoing improvements to the algorithm, application of new deep learning strategies, and iterative product development in response to user needs.
Results
The amount of production that was once completed over the course of six months is now accomplished in just a few days. This allowed for the production backlog to dwindle quickly and freed up capacity for innovation, which led to improved quality, higher throughput, significant cost savings, expansion into new services, and better internal collaboration to name a few. The value to the customer included faster response time, improved access, and expanded discoverability of essential information.
Beyond the business results, this team transformed from a manual operation to a data-driven engine of innovation. Team members embraced new, digital ways of working and became a shining example for the rest of the organization.
