The SILab Transportation Security Innovation Contest: Keep Calm and Carry On:
Many government agencies are adapting their responses to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), in particular, had to adapt to vetting passengers through checkpoints in a safe, effective way. Fast, practical innovation alongside the necessity for the creation of long-term solutions was critical for the agency as passenger volume increased steadily.
TSA faced a critical problem: ensuring the safety of airline passengers and Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) while prioritizing safety and security. The TSA Innovation Task Force issued a call for white papers on Innovation Demonstrations for Enterprise Advancement, focusing on solutions for safe-distance screening and reducing the spread of infectious diseases.
To spark innovation, foster creative ideas, and encourage collaboration, Arc Aspicio began a company-wide contest to answer TSA’s question: what innovative solutions can drastically reduce the spread of infectious diseases while still prioritizing security? As consultants, we love problem-solving, but especially those arising out of a new necessity, so we took on the challenge of finding a solution.
Nine teams competed in three rounds as a part of the Strategy Innovation Lab (SILab) Innovation Contest to answer TSA’s question. The first round was based solely on the slide-decks each team created to explain their solution, whereas the second and third rounds were presentation-based, which meant teams needed to rework their slide deck to explain their solution for an audience. The final three teams presented to the entire company, including our senior executives to determine a winner with the best solution to TSA’s question. The company selected my team as the winner and integrated our solutions into our white paper submission to TSA.
As a new consultant at Arc Aspicio, this contest allowed me to develop my skills by working as a member of a more experienced team. Additionally, the contest itself was an internal networking opportunity, as the members of my team worked on different projects. The opportunity to present to our leadership team and the company early in my career at Arc Aspicio was a fantastic experience in which I received great feedback from many in attendance to further improve my skills.
Overall, the competition offered me a wonderful learning experience working on one of the biggest disruptions in recent memory; the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As a new consultant, I worked closely with colleagues who shared best practices and tips for a successful presentation. Plus, I was able to highlight my skills to our senior executives and developed an innovative solution, using the critical elements of behavioral science and design thinking.
In a world where COVID-19 deaths increase daily and are beginning to spike again, my contribution to helping stop the spread could not be more important. COVID-19 has required innovation in added safety measures to enable travel nationwide at scale and I am honored to help Arc Aspicio and TSA develop new strategies for stopping the spread.
