Design Team Decision Processes in Point of Dispensing Design

Erica Gralla George Washington University

Jeffrey W. Herrmann Michael Morency University of Maryland Funding Source: This project is supported by National Science Foundation grants CMMI-1435074 and CMMI-1435449.

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Research aim and scope • This research studies both how and how well teams of

human designers solve complex system design problems like facility layout problems. • Most design is carried out by teams of bounded rational human

designers • How do teams solve design problems and how do their

decomposition strategies affect solution quality?

• Our research goals: • to understand how design teams decompose complex design

problems into sets of related subproblems and integrate the solutions; and

• to assess the impact of these decompositions on the quality of the solutions that the design teams generate.

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In the POD design process, teams of experts decomposed the design problem.

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Facility layout problem

Team of bounded rational human designers

Decomposed problem Design solution

Research methods • Setting

• During the 2-hour design exercise, each team worked in a separate room. • Teams presented their designs to each other for discussion.

• Characteristics of the five design teams • 20 participants: public health emergency preparedness professionals at county

public health departments, with an average experience of 11 years (min = 1 year, median = 7 years, max = 42 years).

• Data collection • Field observation: recorded activities and collected artifacts.

• Data analysis • Described team activities using relevant “codes” for the variables they were

discussing and setting. • Used association rules learning and timelines to identify variables that were

discussed at the same time.

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The POD design problem was set in the first floor of a local high school.

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Team 1 POD Layout

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Team 1 timeline, sorted by variable categories Seg: 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100

Category # Coded

Additional staffing 2 Calculating Staff Needs 5 Design Drive Through 4 Parking Plan and Vehicle Traffic Flow 4 Drive Through Flow Entry to Greeting 2 Drive Through Flow Med Dsn to Exit 2 Flow Forms Dsn to Screening 2 Flow Screening to Med Dsn 5 Internal Layout Med Dsn 6 Internal Layout Screening 5 Location Behavioral Health 3 Location Flow Control 4 Location Forms Dsn 2 Location Greeting 2 Location Inventory and Supplies 3 Location Med Dsn 1 Location Point of Entry 3 Location Point of Exit 4 Location Screening 2 Location Security 4 Location Staff Break Room 1 Location Triage 2 POD Layout 7 Staffing at Command Post 4 Staffing at Forms Dsn 1 Staffing at Greeting 4 Staffing at Inventory and Supplies 2 Staffing at Med Dsn 3 Staffing at Screening 3 Staffing at Triage 1

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Team 1 subproblems from association rules

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Team 1 timeline, sorted by subproblem Seg: 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100

Category # Coded

Design Drive Through 4 Parking Plan and Vehicle Traffic Flow 4 Drive Through Flow Entry to Greeting 2 Drive Through Flow Med Dsn to Exit 2 Location Point of Entry 3 Location Point of Exit 4 POD Layout 7 Location Behavioral Health 3 Location Inventory and Supplies 3 Flow Forms Dsn to Screening 2 Internal Layout Screening 5 Location Forms Dsn 2 Staffing at Forms Dsn 1 Staffing at Greeting 4 Flow Screening to Med Dsn 5 Internal Layout Med Dsn 6 Location Flow Control 4 Staffing at Med Dsn 3 Staffing at Screening 3 Additional staffing 2 Calculating Staff Needs 5 Location Greeting 2 Location Med Dsn 1 Location Screening 2 Location Security 4 Location Staff Break Room 1 Location Triage 2 Staffing at Command Post 4 Staffing at Inventory and Supplies 2 Staffing at Triage 1

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Team 2 POD Layout

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Team 2 timeline, sorted by variable categories

Seg: 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108 110

Category

# Coded

Additional staffing 2 Include Drive Through 1 Parking Plan and Vehicle Traffic Flow 4 POD Layout 3 Flow Med Dsn to Exit 4 Flow Screening to Med Dsn 8 Flow within Med Dsn 16 Flow within Screening 5 Internal Layout Forms Dsn 1 Internal Layout Med Dsn 16 Internal Layout Screening 5 Location Flow Control 3 Location Forms Dsn 1 Location Inventory and Supplies 2 Location Med Dsn 2 Location Point of Entry 2 Location Point of Exit 2 Location Screening 1 Location Security 2 Location Staff Break Room 2 Staffing at Forms Dsn 2 Staffing at Inventory and Supplies 1 Staffing at Med Dsn 8 Staffing at Screening 4 Visual Aids Residents 1

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Team 2 subproblems from association rules

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Team 2 timeline, sorted by subproblem

Seg: 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108 110

Category

# Coded

POD Layout 3 Location Med Dsn 2 Location Staff Break Room 2 Location Inventory and Supplies 2 Internal Layout Med Dsn 16 Flow Med Dsn to Exit 4 Flow within Med Dsn 16 Location Flow Control 3 Flow Screening to Med Dsn 8 Internal Layout Screening 5 Flow within Screening 5 Additional staffing 2 Include Drive Through 1 Parking Plan and Vehicle Traffic Flow 4 Internal Layout Forms Dsn 1 Location Forms Dsn 1 Location Point of Entry 2 Location Point of Exit 2 Location Screening 1 Location Security 2 Staffing at Forms Dsn 2 Staffing at Inventory and Supplies 1 Staffing at Med Dsn 8 Staffing at Screening 4 Visual Aids Residents 1

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Team 3 POD Layout

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Team 3 timeline, sorted by variable categories Seg: 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60

Category # Coded Calculating Staff Needs 12 POD Layout 2Flow Forms Dsn to Screening 2Flow Screening to Med Dsn 2Flow within Inventory and Supplie2Flow within Med Dsn 2Flow within Screening 2Include Command Post 1Include Flow Control 1Include Medical Mgt 1Internal Layout Med Dsn 3Internal Layout Screening 3Location Command Post 1Location Flow Control 3Location Forms Dsn 1Location Greeting 2Location Inventory and Supplies 2Location Med Dsn 2Location Medical Mgt 1Location Point of Entry 2Location Point of Exit 1Location Screening 2Location Security 1Staffing at Command Post 4Staffing at Flow Control 5Staffing at Greeting 2Staffing at Inventory and Supplies2Staffing at Med Dsn 4Staffing at Parking Control/Mgt 2Staffing at Screening 3

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Team 3 subproblems from association rules

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Team 3 timeline, sorted by subproblem Seg: 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 Category # Coded Calculating Staff Needs 12 Staffing at Parking Control/Mgt 2 Staffing at Med Dsn 4 Staffing at Screening 3 Staffing at Flow Control 5 Location Flow Control 3 Location Greeting 2 Staffing at Greeting 2 Staffing at Command Post 4

Staffing at Inventory and Supplies 2 Location Med Dsn 2 Location Point of Entry 2 Location Screening 2 Internal Layout Screening 3 Internal Layout Med Dsn 3 Flow Forms Dsn to Screening 2 Flow Screening to Med Dsn 2 Flow within Med Dsn 2 Flow within Screening 2 POD Layout 2 Flow within Inventory and Supplies 2 Include Command Post 1 Include Flow Control 1 Include Medical Mgt 1 Location Command Post 1 Location Forms Dsn 1 Location Inventory and Supplies 2 Location Medical Mgt 1 Location Point of Exit 1 Location Security 1

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Team 4 POD Layout

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Team 4 timeline, sorted by variable categories Seg: 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 Category # Coded Parking Plan and Vehicle Traffic Flow 8 Calculating Staff Needs 5 Include Drive Through 3 POD Layout 3 Flow Entry to Greeting 2 Flow Forms Dsn to Screening 5 Flow Med Dsn to Exit 3 Flow through Forms Dsn 2 Flow through Greeting 2 Flow through Inventory and Supplies 2 Flow through Med Dsn 2 Flow through Screening 2 Include Command Post 2 Include Triage 2 Internal Layout Forms Dsn 6 Internal Layout Med Dsn 7 Internal Layout Point of Entry 2 Internal Layout Screening 6 Location Command Post 3 Location Flow Control 3 Location Greeting 3 Location Inventory and Supplies 3 Location Point of Entry 5 Location Point of Exit 2 Location Security 2 Location Staff Break Room 2 Staffing at Behavioral Health 2 Staffing at Command Post 5 Staffing at Forms Dsn 5 Staffing at Greeting 4 Staffing at Inventory and Supplies 3 Staffing at Parking Control/Mgt 5 Staffing at Point of Entry 2 Staffing at Point of Exit 2 Visual Aids Station 3

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Team 4 subproblems from association rules

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Team 4 timeline, sorted by subproblem Seg: 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 Category # Coded Include Drive Through 3 POD Layout 3 Location Point of Entry 5 Staffing at Parking Control/Mgt 5 Parking Plan and Vehicle Traffic Flow 8 Staffing at Point of Entry 2 Location Inventory and Supplies 3 Flow Entry to Greeting 2 Location Greeting 3 Flow through Greeting 2 Staffing at Greeting 4 Staffing at Forms Dsn 5 Flow through Forms Dsn 2 Internal Layout Forms Dsn 6 Visual Aids Station 3 Internal Layout Screening 6 Internal Layout Med Dsn 7 Location Flow Control 3 Flow Med Dsn to Exit 3 Include Command Post 2 Location Command Post 3 Location Security 2 Staffing at Command Post 5 Flow through Med Dsn 2 Flow through Screening 2 Calculating Staff Needs 5 Flow Forms Dsn to Screening 5 Flow through Inventory and Supplies 2 Include Triage 2 Internal Layout Point of Entry 2 Location Point of Exit 2 Location Staff Break Room 2 Staffing at Behavioral Health 2 Staffing at Inventory and Supplies 3 Staffing at Point of Exit 2

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Team 5 POD Layout

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Team 5 timeline, sorted by variable categories Seg: 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108 110

Category # Coded

Calculating Staff Needs 4

Parking Plan and Vehicle Traffic Flow 5

POD Layout 4 Flow Forms Dsn to Screening 3

Flow Med Dsn to Exit 2

Flow Screening to Med Dsn 2

Flow within Med Dsn 2

Flow within Screening 6

Include Data Entry 1

Include Triage 1

Internal Layout Data Entry 3

Internal Layout Med Dsn 4

Internal Layout Screening 11

Location Data Entry 1

Location Flow Control 4

Location Forms Dsn 5

Location Greeting 3 Location Inventory and Supplies 2

Location Med Dsn 2

Location Patient Education 1

Location Point of Entry 2

Location Point of Exit 3

Location Screening 3

Location Security 1

Staffing at Command Post 1

Staffing at Forms Dsn 3

Staffing at Greeting 2

Staffing at Med Dsn 6

Staffing at Point of Exit 1

Staffing at Screening 5

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Team 5 subproblems from association rules

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Team 5 timeline, sorted by subproblem Seg: 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108

Category # Coded

Parking Plan and Vehicle Traffic Flow 5

Location Point of Entry 2

Location Med Dsn 2

POD Layout 4

Location Greeting 3

Location Forms Dsn 5

Location Screening 3

Flow Screening to Med Dsn 2

Internal Layout Screening 11

Flow within Screening 6

Flow Med Dsn to Exit 2

Flow within Med Dsn 2

Staffing at Greeting 2

Staffing at Forms Dsn 3

Staffing at Screening 5

Calculating Staff Needs 4

Staffing at Med Dsn 6 Flow Forms Dsn to Screening 3

Include Data Entry 1

Include Triage 1

Internal Layout Data Entry 3

Internal Layout Med Dsn 4

Location Data Entry 1

Location Flow Control 4 Location Inventory and Supplies 2

Location Patient Education 1

Location Point of Exit 3

Location Security 1

Staffing at Command Post 1

Staffing at Point of Exit 1

The teams’ PODs had different capacity based on staffing at critical stations.

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Team Screening Distribution Greeting Forms POD % of

demand

1 343 660 480 480 343 59%

2 274 600 480 480 274 47%

3 309 270 480 n.a. 270 46%

4 206 180 240 480 180 31%

5 617 600 480 720 480 82%

Capacity is measured in residents per hour. Demand = 583 residents per hour.

Insights into how teams decompose problems • Different decomposition approaches seem to lead to

different types of solutions • Station-based: consider the design of one or two stations at

a time. • The screening and medication distribution stations were often

coupled.

• Category-based: consider one type of variable at a time. • Examples included staffing, location, and flow.

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Conclusions

• Problem decomposition appears to influence the character and quality of design solutions.

• We identified different types of decompositions.

• Future work: • Further investigate the correlation between decomposition

and POD design characteristics. • Compare to results on a factory redesign problem. • Simulate decomposition strategies.

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