A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Six Sigma Approach to Sustainable Institutional Environmental Data Management
The results of a 3-year six sigma evaluation of a centralized corporate remediation data management system are presented. The primary focus of the study is to improve electronic management of remediation data generated for the corporate environmental remediation function. The examination is unique in that no prior body of work has applied six sigma methods to environmental remediation data management. Both qualitative and quantitative six sigma tools have been applied in the study. Metrics are presented illustrating significant improvements in cost, quality, and cycle time since implementation of the system. A cost function is derived to predict normalized costs for data management as a function of the number of records in a database based upon a statistical population of 110 remediation sites and over 11 million records. The importance of remediation data management is examined within the context of process sustainability from the standpoint of protection of human health and environment, improved regulatory compliance, and greater transparency. The study is relevant to the state of environmental remediation within the context of more stringent enforcement through the regulatory agencies and the courts, an intensifying complexity of state and federal electronic data delivery (EDD) requirements, a ratcheting downward of cleanup standards, lower analytical detection levels, increasing requirements for capture and retention of analytical metadata, continued reliance on containment and institutional controls, and a parallel increasing demand for data that quantifies the nature, extent, and temporal variability of contamination. Application of six sigma metrics results in more-effective institutional stewardship manifested by reduced cycle time, significantly reduced cost, and enhanced data quality and defensibility through the long-term remediation lifecycle, which can span decades. A case study is presented for a complex, multimillion-dollar site remediation effort.
Six Sigma Approach to Sustainable Institutional Environmental Data Management
The results of a 3-year six sigma evaluation of a centralized corporate remediation data management system are presented. The primary focus of the study is to improve electronic management of remediation data generated for the corporate environmental remediation function. The examination is unique in that no prior body of work has applied six sigma methods to environmental remediation data management. Both qualitative and quantitative six sigma tools have been applied in the study. Metrics are presented illustrating significant improvements in cost, quality, and cycle time since implementation of the system. A cost function is derived to predict normalized costs for data management as a function of the number of records in a database based upon a statistical population of 110 remediation sites and over 11 million records. The importance of remediation data management is examined within the context of process sustainability from the standpoint of protection of human health and environment, improved regulatory compliance, and greater transparency. The study is relevant to the state of environmental remediation within the context of more stringent enforcement through the regulatory agencies and the courts, an intensifying complexity of state and federal electronic data delivery (EDD) requirements, a ratcheting downward of cleanup standards, lower analytical detection levels, increasing requirements for capture and retention of analytical metadata, continued reliance on containment and institutional controls, and a parallel increasing demand for data that quantifies the nature, extent, and temporal variability of contamination. Application of six sigma metrics results in more-effective institutional stewardship manifested by reduced cycle time, significantly reduced cost, and enhanced data quality and defensibility through the long-term remediation lifecycle, which can span decades. A case study is presented for a complex, multimillion-dollar site remediation effort.
Six Sigma Approach to Sustainable Institutional Environmental Data Management
French, Christopher M. (author) / Duplancic, Neno (author) / Buckle, Greg (author) / Carr, Marian (author) / Jaffe, Josh (author) / Holland, Jennifer (author) / Patel, Dak (author) / Colby-George, William (author) / Surgi, Rene (author) / Drachenberg, Laura (author)
GeoCongress 2008 ; 2008 ; New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
GeoCongress 2008 ; 589-596
2008-03-07
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Six Sigma Approach to Sustainable Institutional Environmental Data Management
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