FY 2008 Forensic DNA Unit Efficiency Improvement - Denver Police Department

The Denver Police Department (DPD) Crime Laboratory will use an integrated and innovative approach by applying process mapping and simulation to improve DNA laboratory efficiency. Award funds will be used to hire an Information Technology (IT) Project Manager who will gain expertise in our DNA processing flow and use Simul8 software systems to model the DNA analytical process. Simulation of the DNA workflow will allow the laboratory to identify areas for improvement, test new ideas for optimization, and tune the process in silico to achieve optimal performance without taking significant risks. Currently, the crime lab has limited factual evidence and a subjective view of its processes resulting in limitations in how improvements can be made. Process mapping and simulation will allow a true measure of the DNA lab's capacity and deliverables resulting in the derivation of concrete facts and methods to measure improvements prior to implementation. The Police Standards Unit (PSU) in the UK has reported that most solutions they implemented using the nationally implemented Scientific Work Improvement Model (SWIM) and simulation were of no-cost or limited cost.

Simulation enabled them to identify bottlenecks, quantify the resources needed and quantify the benefits of changes discovered by simulation.

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