Claremont

Efficiency
Initiative
By: Ryan O’Connor
Table of Contents

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Problem / Necessity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Cost Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Assessment Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Appendix A: Memo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Appendix B: Apple iPad CO2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Appendix C: Paper Production CO2 . . . . . . . . 10

Appendix D: Works Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Executive Summary
Within the United States we see an increased frustration amongst everyday people with the
inefficiencies that exist in everyday government. Organizations like Claremont Unified School
District continue to do their best to provide the best public education opportunities possible for
their students and inspire the leaders of tomorrow. Within the maintenance department
specifically they strive to provide adequate learning facilities and an up to date environment for
students.

In solving the problem of inefficiency within the Claremont Unified School District Maintenance
Department1 we analyzed current operating procedures regarding day to day activities. We then
used this to identify areas the in which inefficiency was occurring and performed a cost analysis
in order to see how much the Claremont Unified was spending on these processes. Following
this, we were able to see what costs basis we were working with for possible solutions that
could be implemented into the organization.

Our findings showed inefficiency in day to day operations leading to wasted fuel, paper, and
time, essentially costing Claremont Unified money. The main issue leading to these events was
wasted time, a lack of oversight, and a lack of efficient communication.

We found that the waste of paper and fuel could be reduced by implementing iPads. By doing
so the district would be able to reduce their CO2 output by over 9 tons and save an estimated
$4,600 over a three year span.

We recommend that in order for Claremont Unified to improve its efficiency within the
Maintenance Department it should issue iPads to each of its maintenance workers allowing
them to better manage tasks, centralize tasks and statuses, and communicate with
management and other employees. Following a short training session, employees should be
able to implement these devices into their day to day work routine.

1
Claremont Unified School District is located in Southern California. Their mission is to “Inspire students
of today, leaders of tomorrow.”

1
Problem/Necessity
Inefficiency is one of the largest issues plaguing government run operations. Construction also
just so happens to be one of the most inefficient industries in the world. This leads to a recipe
for disaster.

(Image: Long lines at the DMV are nothing new, representing one of the most inefficient government run
operations)

At this time the Claremont Unified School District Maintenance experiences a large amount of
wasted time leading to wasted resources. The current situation has employees making multiple
and unnecessary trips to a particular location in order to complete a job. There is also a lack of
communication and oversight between employees and management, leading to unclear
expectations, wasted time, and an overall lack of understanding for the completeness of
different tasks.

Additionally, due to many employees and a lack of significant

oversight, there is a large amount of wasted time when it
comes to remaining on task and meeting work expectations at
all time.

(Image: Construction is one of the industries representing the

largest inefficiency in the world based on gross value added)

2
Project Description
The Claremont Efficiency Initiative is designed to take the day to day operations of the
Claremont Unified School District Maintenance Department and make them more efficient.
Through the implementation of iPads with built in scheduling, communication, and location
services technologies, the process of day to day operations will be able to become much more
efficient.

Management will be able to better manage their employees by having real time updates from
the workers while also being able to provide clarification to workers in real time. Management
will also have the ability to see real time locations for all of their employees to monitor the
current status of their projects. Maintenance staff will be able to clearly see all of their tasks and
what needs to be done, communicate with their coworkers, and organize their day more
efficiently.

This will have a positive impact on both the Maintenance Department and the School District as
a whole because it will allow for more work and projects to be completed more efficiently. These
projects will be able to be completed at a lesser cost with less of an environmental impact as a
result of the inefficiency. The district will also benefit from an improved image and performance
metrics that they can convey to citizens of the town in order to show steps that are being taken
to better utilize tax dollars. Workers will be able to use less energy and experience less
frustration in their day to day operations. They will also be able to be kept in the loop on things
that are going on and not feel such a large disconnect between themselves and management.

3
 Cost Analysis

Three Year CO2 & Cost Savings

Paper Vehicle iPad Net Reduction

CO2 Output 1.4 8.82 1.08 9.156

(tons)

Cost $850.5 $6,300 $2,500 $4,651

Using online carbon footprint calculators and the standard government mileage rate of $0.50 per
mile, we were able to calculate the vehicle operation costs and carbon emissions that could be
removed by reducing wasted mileage.

Vehicle Carbon Footprint and Costs From Inefficiency

Emissions Per Mile (3.5 tons per year / 210 days) = .0007
tons/mile

Daily Miles Wasted Per Vehicle 2 miles

Number of Vehicles 10

Days Worked Per Year 210

Years 3

Standard Mileage Rate $0.50

Total Carbon Emissions From Inefficiency .0007 x 2 x 10 x 210 x 3 = 8.82 tons

Total Costs From Inefficiency 2 x 10 x 210 x 3 x $0.50 = $6,300

We used online carbon footprint calculators for the paper that could be reduced and used
standard paper rates found online in order to calculate costs saved from paper reduction. The
carbon footprint breakdown of this paper usage can be seen in the appendices.

4
 Paper Costs From Inefficiency

Sheets of Paper Wasted Daily 100

Days Worked Per Year 210

Cost Per Sheet $0.0135

Number of Years 3

Total Costs From Inefficiency 100 x 210 x $0.0135 x 3 = $850.50

We used Apple’s Global Climate Report for iPad production to calculate the carbon footprint of
10 iPad’s and an estimated iPad cost of $250 per iPad. Based on these calculations, we were
able to find the net reduction in both costs and carbon footprint over a 3 year span. The Carbon
Footprint for iPads on a yearly basis can be found in the appendices.

iPad Implementation Costs

Cost Per iPad $250

Number of Employees 10

Total iPad Cost $250 x 10 = $2500

In the process of implementing the iPads, there may be some costs associated with training
employees and technology support for their use. These costs are estimated to be very minimal
and therefore irrelevant due to the districts already existing tech staff for other services within
the district.

5
Assessment Strategy

By implementing iPad devices with these technologies in order to

improve the efficiency in day to day operations Claremont Unified
School District Maintenance Department should experience cost
savings and a reduced carbon footprint. Over time the district
should see a higher completion of maintenance requests within the
district and a greater efficiency from their maintenance staff. This
will be able to be measured by comparing the number of work
orders that are completed per week from previous years to the
years after implementation takes place.

From a long term perspective, management

should be able to see more accountability
amongst their employees and a reduction of costs
in their overall budget. They should notice a
greater budgeting capability in the years to come.
This will be able to be measured by comparing
previous budgets to budgets during the years to
come.

Maintenance staff will be able to see the outcomes of the

proposed change by their day to day operations becoming
easier as well as feeling that they have a better
understanding for departmental operations. This is something
that may take a few months as employees become more
comfortable with the new technology and learn to better
utilize it. This can be measured through employee surveys
and listening to employee feedback.

6
Conclusion
Claremont Unified School District seeks to inspire leaders of tomorrow. The maintenance
department plays a strong role within the district in order to make sure that facilities are
adequately maintained and that repair services are carried out in a timely fashion. However, due
to failure to update with technological advancements, the maintenance department is operating
less efficiently than they potentially could.

This inefficiency is largely the result of poor task management practices, a lack of
communication infrastructure, and a lack of oversight. Through the implementation of iPads, this
issue will be able to be addressed.

Not only will the implementation of the iPads allow for enhanced communication, improved task
management, and better oversight, but this will in turn reduce fuel costs, paper costs, and
reduce the departments carbon footprint. Through the implementation of the iPads the
department will see a net carbon footprint reduction of over 9 tons of CO2 and a net cost
savings of $4,600.

The implementation of this project will be measured by an an increased budget moving forward
from the dollar savings of the project. Additionally, management will see a higher rate of
completion for different work orders in the district. Employees will feel better connected to the
organization and will express positive feedback about the new technological implementation.

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Appendix A: Memo
Employee Memo
TO: Claremont Unified School District Maintenance Staff
FROM: Ryan O’Connor, Operations Management Specialist
DATE: 2/24/2017
SUBJECT: iPad Efficiency Implementation

Claremont Unified School District is excited to begin to implement iPads for use in day to day
operations within the maintenance department. These advanced technological tools will assist in
the process of allowing you to work more efficiently while making your lives easier.

Claremont Unified School District will begin training you all on using these new devices starting
next week. These devices will allow you to keep track of all your tasks within a single device to
provide real time status updates, message with co-workers and supervisors regarding questions
or concerns, and see the status of co-workers projects. This implementation will lead to reduced
costs in wasted fuel and paper within the district while also reducing the districts carbon
footprint. Most importantly, it will make your lives easier so that you are never disconnected,
bringing a greater number of resources to your disposal.

Claremont Unified School District is committed to inspiring the leaders of tomorrow, both
academically and in the maintenance department. By implementing this new technology the
department and district will be operate much more efficiently and better serve its students and
faculty. In order to insure that the staff is positively impacted by this implementation, we will be
doing check-ins to hear concerns with the program and make improvements as needed.

This process of change may feel uncomfortable, but it is much like learning to ride a bike. At first
it is difficult to get going, but we will be the training wheels here to support you, and eventually
you will reach the point where you can’t even remember what it was like to work without these
devices.

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Appendix B: Apple iPad Carbon Footprint

(Image: This chart from Apple’s iPad Sustainability Report shows that in the lifetime of an iPad it
has a Carbon Footprint of approximately 98 kg of CO2, or about 216 lbs.)

9
Appendix C: Paper Carbon Footprint Report

(Image: This report gives a breakdown on the environmental impact regarding a carbon
footprint for 105 pounds of paper.)

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Appendix D: Works Cited
5 Industries That Are Actually Ripe for Disruption. (2016, May 13). Retrieved February

19, 2019, from http://fortune.com/2016/05/13/5-industries-ready-for-disruption/

Apple. (2018, March 27). IPad Environmental Report. Retrieved February 20, 2019, from

https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/products/ipad/iPad_PER_mar2018.pdf

AppleInsider. (2018, March 27). Apple discounts new iPad for schools and education

customers at $299. Retrieved February 19, 2019, from

https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/03/27/apple-offers-new-ipad-to-schools-and-educa

tion-customers-at-discounted-299

Environmental Paper Network. (n.d.). Paper Usage Calculator. Retrieved February 19,

2019, from https://c.environmentalpaper.org/individual.html

EPA. (2018, May 10). Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle.

Retrieved February 19, 2019, from

https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehic

le

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