Press Release - 11-16-2016

DMV News

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 16, 2016

 

Contacts:
Joe Morrissey          [email protected]
Rich Meddaugh      [email protected]

 

DMV LEAN INITIATIVE RECEIVES NEW YORK STATE PROJECT IMPACT AWARD
Initiative recognized for helping businesses and improving efficiencies statewide

 

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) recently received a Project Impact Award from the New York State Executive Chamber Lean Program for its Junk and Salvage process. The award was presented to DMV for its ability to use the Lean process in one or more of the following areas: customer service, fiscal, productivity or performance, or having a significant impact to the Governor’s initiative.

 

This new initiative reduces both the time and expense to the agency to declare certain motor vehicles as salvage. Salvage vehicles are those vehicles that have been damaged, stolen or otherwise sold to insurance companies by owners after a crash or other event - commonly referred to as “totaled” vehicles. 

 

Prior to this new Lean initiative, DMV processed about 140,000 paper salvage declarations each year.  DMV’s “Lean” review of this paper-based process presented an opportunity to partner with insurance companies and automobile auction houses to transition to an electronic process that eliminated the need for DMV to manually sort and process approximately 85 percent of the salvage declarations the agency received each year.  That translates into nearly one million pages of paper documents that insurance companies and auction houses no longer have to send to DMV and that the agency no longer has to process. 

 

“I thank Governor Cuomo for recognizing DMV with a much deserved Project Impact Award,” said DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan. “I also want to congratulate our DMV team members for embracing the Lean process and helping our agency deliver results in a faster, more efficient way. DMV is continuously streamlining its operations to ensure our customers receive prompt service and support. Governor Cuomo’s Lean Initiative plays a large role in affecting that change and continues to strengthen DMV’s role in serving New York State residents.”

 

DMV worked with private entities, most notably Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. and COPART, Inc., to allow for daily electronic file transfers of information associated to salvage vehicles.  Eliminating paper and accepting electronic transfers of data has significantly reduced the amount of time it takes to settle insurance claims for salvaged vehicles.  It has also dramatically reduced the amount of time it takes for vehicle rebuilders to put repairable vehicles back into commerce.    

 

This Lean project has also led to efficiencies in the dismantling, salvage, scrap and recycling industry by eliminating waste, duplication of effort and other delays.  Vehicles can now be exported to international buyers in a matter of days as opposed to a matter of months. 

 

The reduction in costs and improved accuracy resulting from this Lean initiative will allow DMV to realign its resources to better serve DMV customers.  The results, implemented as part of Governor Cuomo’s Lean Initiative, illustrate DMV’s commitment to deliver innovative projects that are practical and responsive for today’s consumers and businesses.

 

The Lean principles have been applied to 46 projects at DMV to date. The majority of these projects achieved a 40 percent improvement or better in cycle time (the time to get products or services back to a customer after a request), in addition to reductions in rejection rates and other inconveniences to the customer. DMV continues to examine more processes for the opportunity to eliminate waste and improve the customer experience. Some projects, such as the Vehicle Safety Dealer Applications Project, have improved the business community’s experience with DMV. Improvements to the application form, website information, and communication between central office and field staff have reduced the cycle time to register a motor vehicle dealer from an average of 107 days to 47. Subsequent efforts to improve businesses’ experiences with DMV also reduced repair shop and inspection station application cycle time.

 

In addition to several individual awards for DMV employees for their Lean efforts, DMV received an “Exemplary Agency Award” two years in a row at the 2014 and 2015 New York State Lean Conference.

 

New York State Lean Initiative

 

In 2013, Governor Cuomo implemented the New York State Lean Initiative program at the suggestion of his Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission. Since then, DMV has made countless advances that have directly benefited New Yorkers in recent years. The agency’s Customer Service Initiative, which follows New York’s Lean initiative, looks to increase efficiency and streamline services, which includes improvements to its offices, website, and call centers.

 

In April 2016, New York State’s Lean initiative received a 2016 Citizens Budget Commission’s Prize for Public Service Innovation, awarded annually – in alternating years to either a New York State or a New York City agency – to recognize and promote successful innovations in the delivery of public services. The program engages frontline state employees to improve their own processes to remove unnecessary steps and streamline government services, instead of using expensive outside consultants. 

 

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