Harnessing staff ideas for improving efficiency and quality: CAF-based self-assessments in Hessen in Germany

Costs and savings

We estimate that the CAF self-assessment of 2011 will result, over the next two years, in the following costs for implementing the improvement suggestions:

• c. €250,000  staff costs per year.
• c. €20,000  equipment costs per year.

Here are two examples to demonstrate the costs and benefits of projects resulting from the CAF self-assessment: 

1) The technical implementation of a knowledge management system and the inputting of data and information into the system has required about 1500 staff days/year (although this is now decreasing). The benefit of the system has been that the time taken by the 1600 staff members of the Agency in searching for information has reduced by about 4000 days/year. 

2) The introduction of a process management system meant additional staff costs for improving 15-20 processes. However, the efficiency and efficacy gains expected from those process improvements are expected to reduce costs (staff and equipment) by 5% and process time by 10%.

These examples show that the benefits outweigh the costs of the improvement suggestions resulting from the CAF self-assessment.