Photo By Shannon Moeck | Marcie Piper uses a whiteboard to visualize the Middle East District’s new...... read more read more
What started as a conversation between two process-minded colleagues has evolved into an innovative offboarding system at the Middle East District that’s now serving as a model for other U.S. Army Corps of Engineers districts.
Mary Beth Murray, who leads the Employee Support Cell (ESC), and Marcie Piper, a management analyst and quality management/business process improvement specialist, developed an online offboarding tool in mid-2024 to address long-standing gaps in the employee departure process.
“When I started in 2022, the system in place was just a PDF checklist,” said Murray. “It didn’t match our actual needs, required physical signatures, and wasn’t practical for the then virtual workforce.”
The consequences weren’t small. Forgotten WebEx accounts, security risks, lost equipment, and incomplete knowledge transfer were common.
Working together, Murray and Piper drew on their complementary skill sets, Murray’s big-picture process vision and Piper’s technical expertise in workflow design and Lean Six Sigma, to build a solution using SharePoint and Power Automate. Piper, who is Green Belt certified and working toward her Black Belt, even taught herself Power Automate to bring the idea to life. A Green Belt certification indicates a professional's competency in Lean Six Sigma methodology, enabling them to lead and participate in process improvement projects, focusing on enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.
“This wasn’t just about building a tool,” said Piper. “It was about creating something sustainable, adaptable, and efficient using the resources we had.”
Key support came from Mark Morris, the district’s SharePoint system administrator, who helped integrate the tool into existing systems and ensured technical compatibility throughout the development process.
Now, when a supervisor or employee initiates the offboarding process, tailored emails are automatically sent to the appropriate offices, outlining their specific responsibilities. The system also tracks approvals in real-time, flags delays, and allows for rapid updates as requirements evolve.
“It’s not a set-it-and-forget-it tool,” said Piper. “It takes upkeep. But the return on investment is huge in terms of saved time, increased accountability, and reduced risk.”
The tool’s impact is already being felt by employees.
“I used the automated offboarding system to PCS to another district, it was quick and easy to navigate.” said Lora Carroll. “The handful of forms were simple and didn’t require instructions to complete, and the ethics counseling was scheduled quickly and at my convenience. I received the first email with instructions on a Friday and received confirmation that I was cleared by all parties by the following Tuesday.”
The system’s success has caught attention across USACE. Several districts have adopted it after Murray and Piper presented their work at knowledge management and business process improvement forums. Piper shared the workflow as a reusable template, allowing other teams to customize it to fit their organizational structures.
“We’re proud of how this tool has evolved and how many others it’s helping,” said Murray. “It’s a great example of what can happen when you combine the right people, a shared vision, and a willingness to learn.”
The offboarding tool’s success, and the teamwork behind it, demonstrates that meaningful change doesn’t always require a big budget, just creativity, persistence, and collaboration.
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2025 09:26 |
| Story ID: | 495416 |
| Location: | WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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