Numerous government agencies, ranging from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the States of Iowa and Minnesota, are using Lean to improve the quality, transparency, and speed of government processes. Lean government proponents generally believe that the government should cut out "waste" and "inefficiency" from government organizations, which will result in overall better services and more value for tax-supported programs and services. Proponents also generally see Lean government as a means to expand the capacity of government to provide more services per unit of investment.
I'd like to share an example from my neck of the woods. The Connecticut DEEP is using Lean and Green techniques to become more efficient. Here is a video describing their improvement in their own words:
I like this video because of the application of Lean in government and the fact that it's in the state I work in. Also, the sensei in the video, Fred Shamburg, was one of my sensei's along my journey. In fact, Fred was my first introduction to combining Lean and Green for mutual benefit so it was great to see him in action.
It is wonderful to think that the positive thinking of Lean and Quality improvements that have proven so effective in manufacturing and service industries is now making en roads into the healthcare and government and military sectors. They are in need of so much help and I couldn't think of a better means to do so. I am looking forward to hearing other stories of Quality improvement in government.
I’m part of the ASQ Influential Voices program. While I receive an honorarium from ASQ for my commitment, the thoughts and opinions expressed on my blog are my own.
No comments:
Post a Comment