Improving Service Delivery in Government with Lean Six Sigma S

providing cutting-edge knowledge to government leaders Improving Service Delivery in Government with Lean Six Sigma

John Maleyeff Professor Lally School of Management & Technology Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Hartford Campus Strategy and Transformation Series 2 0 0 7 Strategy and Transformation series

Improving Service Delivery in Government with Lean Six Sigma

John Maleyeff Professor Lally School of Management & Technology Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Hartford Campus

T A BL E o f C o n T e n TS

Foreword...... 4 Executive Summary...... 6 Understanding Lean Six Sigma...... 8 What Is Lean Six Sigma?...... 8 Relationship to Performance Measurement...... 10 Lean Six Sigma in the Public Sector...... 12 Success Factors and Examples...... 12 Using Lean Six Sigma for Improvements...... 15 Unique Organizational Characteristics...... 16 Unique Characteristics of Government Processes...... 17 Starting a Lean Six Sigma Program...... 18 Infrastructure Considerations...... 18 Implementation Considerations...... 20 Implementing a Lean Six Sigma Project...... 24 Project Initiation...... 24 Project Execution...... 26 Project Communication...... 30 The Future of Lean Six Sigma in Government...... 32 Acknowledgments...... 34 Appendix: Research Methodology...... 35 Endnotes...... 36 References...... 38 About the Author...... 39 Key Contact Information...... 40

Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

F o r e w o r d

On behalf of the IBM Center for The Business of Government, we are pleased to present this report, “Improving Service Delivery in Govern- ment with Lean Six Sigma,” by John Maleyeff.

Since the passage of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, there has been increased interest in the federal government on improving service delivery and delivering results. The 2007 Program Assessment Rating Tool scores for 977 agencies indicate that a key improvement area in the federal government is the execution and delivery of results. Dr. Maleyeff’s report is a comprehensive review of how public sector managers can use Lean Six Sigma to improve the Albert Morales execution and delivery of results.

The hallmark of an effective report on a complex topic is that it is written in layman’s terms for practitioners at all levels, particularly those interested in learning more about Lean Six Sigma. Dr. Maleyeff’s report sets forth specific actions that public sector managers can take in starting and implementing Lean Six Sigma projects, and provides the reader with a description of the Lean Six Sigma deployment process from program development to project implementation.

The report highlights the need to translate the Lean Six Sigma methods from applications in manufacturing to the service-oriented environment of the public sector. Specifically, Lean Six Sigma needs to take into account the cross-functional flow of process and information, increased task variability, numerous handoffs, hidden benefits and costs, and the Monica Painter different terminologies that are characteristic of the service environment. The report cites several examples of successful implementation and application of Lean Six Sigma projects in the public sector. It also enumerates key success factors and potential pitfalls. In our research and past experience, we have found that the number one success criterion in deploying Lean Six Sigma is the adamant commitment of senior leadership.

IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

As we head further into the 21st century, we hope that process improvement trends in government transformation, supported by the innovative application of Lean Six Sigma as described in this report, will lead to more efficient and effective use of citizen tax dollars by public sector managers in providing services that meet or exceed the needs of the public.

Albert Morales Monica Painter Managing Partner Associate Partner IBM Center for The Business of Government IBM Global Business Services [email protected] [email protected]

www.businessofgovernment.org Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

E x e cuti v e S umm a r y

Lean Six Sigma provides a means to improve the delivery of services using a disciplined, project-based Definition of Lean Six Sigma approach. It brings numerous advantages if implemented properly, but it also risks being regarded as Lean Six Sigma encompasses many common another management fad. In this report, guidelines features of Lean and Six Sigma, such as an emphasis on customer satisfaction, a culture of continuous are recommended for the application of Lean Six improvement, the search for root causes, and com- Sigma in government. They are targeted to adminis- prehensive employee involvement. In each case, a trators responsible for a wide range of public-sector high degree of training and education takes place, services, including those provided to citizens and from upper management to the shop floor. those provided to internal customers.

As methodologies, both Six Sigma and Lean have inconsistent leadership motivation, union rules and evolved from collections of techniques to compre- regulations, job security concerns, and a prevalence hensive management systems. Both strive to enhance of undocumented processes. Other characteristics customer service leading to sustained organizational unique to the public sector pose an additional success and both require a supporting organizational challenge, including skepticism about government, culture. Their approaches differ somewhat, leading legislative controls, competing special interests, the some to question their compatibility. But by under- election cycle, and term limits. standing their fundamental principles, the combined Lean Six Sigma can be a powerful means to enhance Some governmental entities have managed to sus- customer satisfaction while managing costs. tain a comprehensive improvement program over many years. These organizations possess some Managers of a service organization attempting to commonality, including: (1) they initiated and apply Lean Six Sigma often find their task compli- continue to preach a constancy of purpose based cated by two mitigating circumstances. First, much on a consistent underlying methodology; (2) their of Lean Six Sigma terminology and many of its tech- key leadership positions have been in place for niques were originally intended for manufacturing, lengthy periods of time; (3) they guarantee that and applying them to services has been challenging. employees will not lose their jobs as a consequence Second, services by their nature possess special char- of an improvement project; and (4) they measured acteristics, for example, the importance of informa- their time to success in years rather than weeks tion and the abundance of cross-functional process or months. flows. However, an increasing number of service organizations have applied Lean Six Sigma to their In this report, examples of successful process organizations, including public sector organizations. improvement programs are highlighted at the local, state, and federal levels. A number of Many of the potential barriers could exist in any improvement projects illustrating the range of service organization (public or private) but appear to Lean Six Sigma’s influence are also described. The exist in greater frequency in government, including Lean Six Sigma guidelines are presented as two sets

IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma of recommendations. At the program level, recommendations for creating a supporting infrastructure and organizational culture are presented along with a number of specific action items. At the individual project level, guidelines for structuring a Lean Six Sigma project are detailed.

The creation of an infrastructure that supports the Lean Six Sigma program requires that attention be given to four goals: (1) deploy a sound, consistent, and robust methodology; (2) build trust by removing fear; (3) initiate long-term cultural change; and (4) communicate the vision to all stakeholders. Active commitment of leadership is a must, in both words and action.

To further set the stage for a Lean Six Sigma program, it is recommended that:

• a centralized focal point be created who is dedicated to firmly establishing the program within the organization • departmental involvement be sought to create a working relationship and enhance credibility • Training be focused on a simple toolbox containing basic Lean Six Sigma skills • Skilled facilitators, who are critical to project success, be obtained externally and/or developed internally Within a Lean Six Sigma program, specific projects will be initiated. It is recommended that each Lean Six Sigma improvement project consist of three distinct stages. During the project initiation stage, the guidelines recommend focusing on a structured mechanism for project selection and project team creation. A disciplined project management structure is recommended for the project execution stage that ensures focus on root causes of problems rather than their symptoms. The project communication stage involves delivering project information early and often, using mechanisms that are accessible to as many employees as possible.

www.businessofgovernment.org Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Understanding Lean Six Sigma

In their quest to grow and prosper, many busi- What Is Lean Six Sigma? nesses have combined two popular management Both Lean and Six Sigma have come to be consid- approaches—Lean and Six Sigma—with the inten- ered management approaches rather than a collection of building a more robust version of each. tion of techniques. Some practitioners consider Lean The result is typically referred to as Lean Six and Six Sigma to be mutually exclusive while others Sigma. In this report, the application of Lean Six see more similarities than differences. Either way, it Sigma in government is explored and guidelines is useful for practitioners to understand the origins for its implementation are recommended. These of each approach and their philosophical roots. guidelines will consist of a disciplined, project- based approach that ensures effectiveness of improvement efforts. They will be useful to admin- Lean1 istrators responsible for a wide range of public- Lean can be defined as a management approach sector organizations that range in size from that seeks to maximize value to customers, both federal to local, and in function from revenue internal and external, while simultaneously remov- management to homeland security. ing wasteful activities and practices. It is based on the management system used at Toyota Motor Instituting a formal process improvement program Corporation, with Shigeo Shingo and Taiichi can provide great benefits. It can serve to consis- Ohno generally considered to be its architects. tently reinforce the notion that administrators have Womack, Jones, and Roos,2 in a worldwide study two important jobs—managing and improving. With of automobile manufacturing, used the term “lean” Lean Six Sigma, improvement projects follow a pre- to describe the activities that seek to minimize scribed mandate and structure, guaranteeing that waste, such as excess inventory and defective important problems are attacked using a sound and products.3 Their study concluded that Lean was consistent methodology. It can avoid pitfalls com- preferable to “mass production” prominent in the mon to efforts that address symptoms, rather than United States and Europe. Lean manufacturing causes, of problems and enforce the use of data in gradually found its way in the mainstream jargon decision making. during the mid to late 1990s.

The consistency of approach provided by Lean Six Sigma enhances the effectiveness of project teams Definition of Lean Six Sigma and allows for the sharing of project results across the organization. Disciplined follow-up ensures that Lean Six Sigma encompasses many common project team recommendations are implemented features of Lean and Six Sigma, such as an empha- and tracked. But sustaining Lean Six Sigma requires sis on customer satisfaction, a culture of continuous a culture that actively supports process improvement improvement, the search for root causes, and com- in both words and actions. And the active commit- prehensive employee involvement. In each case, a high degree of training and education takes place, ment of leadership is a must. from upper management to the shop floor.

IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Figure 1: Lean Six Sigma Builds on Practical Lessons Learned from Previous Eras of Operational Improvement

Just in Time (1980s) Lean Production (1990s) (Kanbans, Pull systems, (“Machine that changed the world,” Visual management) “Lean Thinking,” Value stream mapping)

Total Quality Management (1980s) Business Process Reengineering (Statistical Process Control, Quality (1990s) circles, Kaizen, Culture change/bench- (Downsizing, “To be” processes,

Deming/ Ohno Lean Six Sigma (2000s) Juran (1960s/1970s) marking, Baldrige, ISO9000) Process owners) (1950s) (Toyota (14 production Motorola – Six Sigma points, system) (1980s) Statistical quality) GE (1980s-1990s) Six Sigma (Applied method for growth and productivity) Change Acceleration Process (CAP) (Change method and tools) Customer Partnering (GE Toolkit, Customer CAP) Process Improvement (New Product Introduction, Supply chain, Suppliers) Best Practices (Benchmarking, Across and outside of GE, Ending Not Invented Here) Intensity of change Work-out (Kaizen type, Cross functional teams, Boundarylessness, Values) Strategy (Number 1 and Number 2 in each business, Fix, close or sell)

Source: IBM Institute for Business Value, Driving Operational Innovation Using Lean Six Sigma.

Lean Thinking4 introduced many practitioners to Lean, example, Emiliani5 details how a manufacturer including a five-step application guide: (1) specify achieved significant profitability and growth, empha- value from the customer’s perspective; (2) identify sizing that the marketing, accounting, design, and the stream of processes used to provide value; sales departments needed to modify their operations (3) remove non-value-added activities from the value to support Lean. Lean, therefore, cannot achieve stream; (4) create pull by having all work initiated by sustained success unless executives, as well as mid- customer demand; and (5) strive for perfection. dle managers and their staff, are active participants.

The application of Lean principles in healthcare, Six Sigma6 services, and internal business processes is now Six Sigma can be defined as a management approach under way. But since Lean was originally motivated that seeks to maximize profits by systematically by competitive pressures in manufacturing, much applying scientific principles to reduce variation and of its jargon and many of its techniques apply to thus eliminate defects in product and service offerings. manufacturing operations, and special efforts must In 1986, the foundations of Six Sigma were estab- be undertaken to successfully apply Lean to ser- lished by Bill Smith at Motorola Corporation in vices. For example, the relevance of the five-step response to product quality challenges. The applica- guide may not be apparent when applied to a ser- tion of Six Sigma contributed to Motorola winning vice or business process since inventory as such the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award generally would not exist. However, many of the (MBNQA7) in 1988. descriptive and intuitive tools of Lean apply nicely to services, and its overall goals do not conflict with The statistical roots of the term six sigma8 have those of a service manager. become less important as Six Sigma has evolved into a comprehensive management system. Many practitio- Successfully applying Lean requires a long-term ners, however, continue to view Six Sigma as a set of viewpoint that considers all stakeholders. That is, techniques that promote variance reduction. The popu- Lean will only succeed if the organization’s infra- larity of Six Sigma was boosted dramatically when it structure reflects a common focus, which is often was adopted by GE Corporation under the leadership difficult to achieve in a large bureaucracy. For

www.businessofgovernment.org Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Key Definitions

Kaizen (pronounced k ı¯ ´-zen) literally means “change for the better.” It is typically used to denote a short term (one-to-five-day) focused process improvement effort during which a multi-stakeholder project team works full-time on the project, often led by a professional facilitator known as a “sensei.”

DMAIC is an acronym for “Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control” and refers to a systematic five-step approach to running a process improvement project; its origins would be found in early quality programs such as the Plan-Do-Study-Act structure developed by Walter Shewhart in the 1930s.

of Jack Welch. While Six Sigma is most easily under- But it is equally clear that differences exist. Lean stood in a manufacturing context, it can and has been managers tend to be somewhat holistic, satisfied applied to healthcare and other services. But it is not with removing wasteful activities that hinder their clear that all of the Six Sigma tools, particularly the ability to serve customers. Six Sigma managers tend statistically based methods, are necessary in services to be financially driven, focusing directly on cost or that professional service employees would be able savings or revenue increases as the criteria for success. to apply them as well as their more technically sophis- The similarities and differences of Lean and Six Sigma ticated counterparts in manufacturing. are listed in Table 1.

Six Sigma projects are formalized and highly struc- It is easy to envision several varieties of Lean Six tured, making use of scientific approaches in the Sigma. A version offered here would be character- selection and management of projects. Six Sigma ized as follows. The Lean influence would cause projects use a DMAIC structure, considered by the organization to: (1) maintain an understanding many practitioners to be the primary reason for Six of both internal and external customers’ needs Sigma’s success. DMAIC enforces a high degree of and desires; (2) seek to maximize the value-added discipline and commonality in project organization, content of all processes; (3) constantly evaluate problem-solving tools, software, and terminology. employee incentives to ensure their alignment with systemwide performance objectives; and (4) look Six Sigma implementation would begin with execu- beyond strictly financially quantifiable cost savings. tive education followed by extensive training through- The Six Sigma influence would cause the organiza- out the organization. Typically, formalized levels of tion to: (1) stress data-driven decisions that are training would be established, with project and men- based on facts rather than opinions; (2) devote toring roles often defined by a “belt” level (for exam- resources to solving problems that present signifi- ple, master black belt, black belt, green belt, and so cant challenges to business success; and (3) imple- on). The tools of Six Sigma include well-known ment a consistent, highly structured project-based problem-solving techniques and popular statistical improvement regimen. approaches, and a common software platform would usually be integrated to achieve a consistent means Relationship to Performance of internal communication. Six Sigma black belt certification is becoming a standard by which many Measurement quality practitioners are judged. Confusion often exists concerning how process improvement relates to performance measurement, Lean Six Sigma which many governmental entities have embraced as an important component of their management Despite their disparate roots, it is clear that Lean and system. Performance measurement can and possibly Six Sigma encompass many common features, such should play a key role in an effective process as an emphasis on customer satisfaction, a culture of improvement program. But process improvements continuous improvement, the search for root causes, are not a natural consequence of effective perfor- and comprehensive employee involvement. In each mance measurement. That is, a process improve- case, a high degree of training and education takes ment mentality will not take root without additional place, from upper management to the shop floor.

10 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Table 1: Comparison of Lean and Six Sigma

Focal Point Lean Six Sigma Similar Tendencies Main goal Organizational survival and/or growth through superior and improving customer satisfaction. Executive Must be committed and actively involved in the program’s implementation and operation. influence Tools and Include basic root cause analysis, problem solving, process analysis, and data analysis techniques techniques. Employee Employees are trained and encouraged to contribute to problem solving and to identify involvement problems as they occur. Application Initially focused on manufacturing but can and has been applied to other industries, areas including service, healthcare, and education. Potential Differences Project Tend to be expeditious Kaizen projects Tend to be deliberate projects consuming management completed in a few days with the team multiple months using a disciplined structure. working full-time on the effort. Project Tend to focus on improving customer service Tend to focus on improving customer service focus by minimizing wasteful practices. by minimizing variation and reducing errors. Project Tend to be based on removing significant Tend to be based on a quantitative analysis selection waste and/or adding more value for custom- of cost savings and/or revenue enhancements. ers, with multiple criteria used as justification. Analysis Tend (traditionally) to be geared toward descrip- Tend (traditionally) to be geared toward statisti- techniques tive displays (e.g., process maps), root cause cal data analysis, controlled experimentation, analysis, and mistake proofing. and optimization. commitment and resources. In fact, performance • Understanding variation is crucial measurement systems can pose a barrier unless Contemporary quality management offers a administrators are cognizant of the following: “process oriented” viewpoint, where the goal of data is to create a fundamental understanding • Recognizing the value of performance of the process that generated the data. This goal measurement data in process improvement cannot be achieved unless the existence of vari- Most performance data are designed to evaluate ation is understood. For example, the number of effectiveness by focusing on metrics that repre- phone calls received by a municipality will vary sent how well and how efficiently services are from month to month, even if all of the service provided. While these “outcome” data can be processes remained unchanged. An appropriate valuable in highlighting areas of concern, their phrase would be “the data changed but the role is often less valuable during improvement process remained the same.” projects that require “process” data. An important administrators who do not appreciate variation reason for this disconnect is that most service will often react to changes in the data even processes flow across departments and it is diffi- when no important process changes have cult to attribute overall performance to any single occurred. These reactions waste time and result department. For example, a finance department in frequent priority adjustments as new data may experience complaints about the accuracy arrive followed by the inevitable over-reaction. of bills, but the root cause of the inaccuracies Employees grow frustrated and frequently resort could be found in another department that pro- to the well-known practice of gaming perfor- vides the finance department with billing-related mance data. information. An added data collection effort would be required to determine the root cause of the department’s billing inaccuracies.

www.businessofgovernment.org 11 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Lean Six Sigma in the Public Sector

Today, many public sector managers are well aware • They began by employing a full-time administra- of quality and process improvement methodologies. tor to oversee the program’s implementation, but The government division of the American Society this position was often considered temporary for Quality, for example, includes about 1,000 until the program was up and running so as not members in the United States and Canada.9 to create an unnecessary bureaucracy. However, a champion for the effort will continue to be Many such managers across the nation are now needed in the organization. applying various process improvement methodolo- They offer a guarantee to employees that no gies within the public sector. Most have met with • layoffs will result from a process improve- mixed success, in many cases applying proven ment project. methods periodically but not systematically. Readers interested in the research methodology, including • They make conscious efforts to communicate how many of these individuals participated in the program successes internally, such as posting effort, should refer to the Appendix of this report. project results electronically or placing story- boards in prominent locations. Success Factors and Examples • They face similar challenges, revealed by Organizations that have maintained a long-standing responses to a question asking respondents to and comprehensive process improvement program consider a list of 20 potential organizational bar- such as Lean Six Sigma possess many common fea- riers, where most respondents chose the majority tures. It is clear that these features enhance their of the list as at least somewhat troublesome. ability to sustain the efforts over a period of time. • They did not achieve success overnight, with • They have been inspired by influences emanat- most taking several years to create a culture that ing outside of the public sector, usually a leader characterizes and sustains their program. with business experience. City of Fort Wayne • They have experienced little leadership turnover. Since his election in 2000, Mayor Graham Richard • They paved the way for the program’s imple- of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has led a Lean Six Sigma mentation by removing organizational barriers effort. The result is savings estimated to be about and modifying its culture. $11 million, with no tax increases and increases • They focus on certain underlying principles in citizen satisfaction. The mayor attributes his and maintain a consistent conceptual frame- 16-percentage-point re-election in 2004 to enhanced work, based on Lean and/or Six Sigma, or alter- customer service. While working in the private sector, natively Total Quality Management (TQM),10 the Richard founded the TQM Network and had firsthand MBNQA guidelines, or the family of standards experience with Six Sigma. He brought an entrepre- set by the International Organization for neurial spirit to the city and has devoted consider- Standardization (ISO).11 able energy to the Lean Six Sigma efforts.

12 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Lean Six Sigma in the Department of Defense

In the public sector, the Department of Defense (DoD) has been a leader in the implementation of Lean Six Sigma. The summary below offers an overview of activities now in DoD.

In the Office of the Secretary of Defense In April 2007, the Office of the Secretary of Defense publicly articulated the need to institute a framework to support the acceleration of transformation throughout the department. The initiative was called Continuous Process Improvement and Lean Six Sigma (CPI/LSS). Supporters of the transformation initiative include DoD senior leaders who have experience within the private sector and who have seen firsthand the success experienced with the use of continuous process improvement and Lean Six Sigma.

The CPI/LSS initiative includes the CPI/LSS Senior Steering Committee, which will guide the development of a new CPI/LSS Program Management Office. The new Program Management Office (PMO) will lead DoD-wide CPI/LSS activities by tracking progress and results, as well as formulating an incentives program to encourage further use of CPI/LSS methods throughout DoD. The PMO is also planning to issue DoD-wide CPI/LSS goals, including using CPI/LSS in individual performance objectives.

Currently, efforts are under way to complete an initial set of CPI/LSS projects and refine priorities that establish an increased number of targets of opportunity within DoD.

In the United States Army The challenge for the United States Army now is to broaden the number of adopters within the service. The Army is increasing the number of CPI/LSS projects within the service. As a key first step in gaining wider acceptance of the use of the CPI/LSS tools, the Army recently issued a single large contract to support the deployment of Lean Six Sigma.

In the United States Air Force The United States Air Force has been involved with Lean since 1983. In the early 1980s, the Air Force established the Lean Aerospace Initiative (LAI), which had been fostered by industry leaders. The Air Force now has several “islands of excellence” in regard to CPI/LSS, particularly in the depot and maintenance areas. Lean Six Sigma has not yet been fully used in the Air Force’s administrative and transactional processes. With the successes of CPI/ LSS achieved at Tinker Air Force Base and Warner Robbins Air Logistics Center, there is now broader acceptance of the approach. Air Force senior leadership strongly supports the use of the CPI/LSS approach and has com- municated the importance of the use of these tools throughout the Air Force in several memorandums from the Secretary of the Air Force.

In addition to their communications strategy, the Air Force also created the Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century (AFSO21) initiative, which has given an overall organization focus and direction to further drive the deployment of CPI/LSS methods across the entire Air Force. With several large contracts now in place to provide funding to receive advice and assistance, it is expected that the Air Force will quickly spread this approach across all areas within the service.

In the United States Navy The United States Navy is further along than either the United States Army or the United States Air Force in the adoption and use of CPI/LSS tools. They now have built an extensive knowledge and experience base on the use of CPI/LSS. There are currently major Lean Six Sigma deployments running in Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), and the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).

Deployment of CPI/LSS in NAVSEA and NAVAIR has demonstrated clear success in developing the internal capability to train and execute projects within those commands. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard is now expanding its use of Lean Six Sigma.

— Monica Painter and Mark McDonald IBM Global Business Services

www.businessofgovernment.org 13 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

The program includes a part-time program man- action plan to the department’s senior leaders. ager, in place since the program’s inception, who After the course, they work to complete the action is certified as a Lean Six Sigma master black belt. plan and report the results. For every dollar invested Thirty employees are trained as black belts and in the training program, the department is seeing a about 100 more are trained as green belts; they $23 benefit. all work on improvement projects along with hold- ing full-time operational or managerial positions. National Nuclear Security Administration Green belts are trained in the same tools as black As a separately organized (semi-autonomous) belts, with the latter receiving more in-depth train- agency within the U.S. Department of Energy, the ing, particularly in statistical techniques. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has accomplished its missions of nuclear weapons The program manager works with the administration stewardship, nuclear nonproliferation, and providing to choose projects, target candidates for training, the Navy with nuclear propulsion, using a group of and mentor individuals during the training process. independent private-sector contractors who provide He has also developed and, until recently, delivered both managerial and operational services. Through the green belt training program. Results of projects benchmarking of these contractors and other public and information on the program are available to and private organizations, the NNSA identifies best employees in their departments and available to practices in terms of not only what activities take the public on the city’s website.12 place but also how internal processes are managed. In particular, NNSA has adapted the practice of Florida Department of Revenue nurturing an environment that encourages processes The Florida Department of Revenue initiated “Six to change over time through formal process Sigma Light” in 2003. “Light” refers to the depart- improvement mechanisms. ment’s effort to customize the program by beginning with basic Six Sigma and Lean tools. They also intro- While NNSA and its predecessors have employed duced the program gradually so it would not appear various business process methodologies over the last to be a heavy-fisted corporate mandate. The depart- two decades, their Lean Six Sigma initiative is rela- ment emphasizes category 6 (process management) tively new and has been aggressively pursued, with of the MBNQA criteria, which includes how an about four to six projects being performed at any organization maintains a sustainable system of one time. Application areas include procurement, process design, management, and improvement. finance, hiring, complaint resolution, travel management, and processing security clearances. The focus A major emphasis involves benchmarking other public- of the projects tends to be reducing delays in service and private-sector entities to find ideas, tools, tech- delivery while maintaining strict quality require- niques, and business practices that can be adapted ments. Projects generally result in the development to the organization, focusing on a formal structure of standard operating procedures in ISO format that and the use of basic tools. Their internal newsletter include helpful mechanisms such as flowcharts, contains information on improvement projects, and checklists, standard data entry sheets, and informa- an internal web page communicates program initiation handoff forms. tives to employees. These communication mechanisms are designed to encourage learning and best The organizational commitment is evident in their practice sharing. senior management performance standards that include requirements for championing, implement- The department’s training program is designed to ing, and conducting process improvement projects. be results-oriented, with education and application Lean Six Sigma and process improvement require- performed concurrently. Each participant in the six- ments cascade through the management review month training program attends classes one or two process down to the line management level. Formal days each month. Simultaneously, they each join a quarterly briefings monitor progress on each project, team to define a real-world problem, collect data and semi-annual or annual briefings are held for to validate the extent of the problem, analyze root follow-up of completed projects. causes, propose potential solutions, and present an

14 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Using Lean Six Sigma for Improvements Similar features were also noted in successful individual projects, even in organizations that would not be characterized as progressive. The projects tended to employ a formalized project structure, similar to DMAIC, at times with minor modifications. The tools used during the project were very basic techniques that are easy to apply by non-technical employees. These methods included many root cause analysis tools and some very basic statistical tools.

Lean Six Sigma to Improve Tax Collection The city of Hartford, Connecticut, successfully reduced the processing time for checks in their tax collection office. Most checks are now processed in less than one working day, resulting in significantly higher interest earned by the city. After creating and studying a display of the workflow, project team members were able to remove redun- dant tasks along with tasks that currently have no real value. More specific job responsibilities were also assigned and the resulting work activities were standardized.

Administrators cite the generation of an “elevator speech” early in the project as an important communication mechanism. This short and simple statement summarized the project’s goals and benefits to the city. It was used by team members to communicate a consistent message to fellow employees, ensuring transparency and heading off potential misperceptions.

Lean Six Sigma to Improve Classified Information Review Process Based on feedback from customers and management that the review process for classified information was complete and accurate but not always Source: IBM Institute for Business Value, Driving Operational timely, a team of NNSA staff members requested Innovation Using Lean Six Sigma. and received approval to initiate an improvement project. Using the DMAIC methodology, the project After making process modifications, standard operat- team employed process mapping and an associated ing procedures were developed and implemented. analysis of potential failures to describe the current While doubling the information available to manage‑ process and highlight causes of delays. ment for tracking customer requirements and for resource leveling work, the completeness of system The team found that inconsistent use of a tracking data improved dramatically as did overall cycle time. database, informal prioritization, inconsistent documentation, inter-agency delays, and unclear follow- up activities hampered the process’s effectiveness. Lean Six Sigma to Improve Pothole Repair A significant number of pothole complaints received

www.businessofgovernment.org 15 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

in Fort Wayne, Indiana, motivated a project in the which increased employee satisfaction and motivated Street Department. The project team employed basic more employees to help with future projects. tools, mainly the creation and analysis of process flow diagrams, along with a simple analysis of data Lean Six Sigma to Improve Vehicle using dot plots and Pareto analyses. The team stud- Maintenance ied the current process by identifying unnecessary In Oregon’s Lane County, a process improvement steps and generating ideas on how inefficient project was initiated after a fatal accident that resulted activities could be done more effectively. in an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and subsequent citation for non-compli- The data, organized by location, highlighted that ance with safety requirements. During early stages of repair time delays were weather-related and ran- the project, a systematic audit was performed to iden- domly spread across the city, rather than isolated tify gaps between the county’s safety procedures and in particular areas. Changes were made to the the corresponding regulatory requirements. Based on complaint-receipt and repair-order distribution this audit, it was discovered that no standards existed activities, the workforce was redistributed to for pre-trip vehicle inspection of heavy equipment. respond more quickly, and various other wastes were removed from the process. Average repair The resulting improvement effort focused on improved time was decreased from about four days to at most safety rather than achieving a more narrow compli- three hours using the same number of employees. ance to regulatory guidelines. The project studied current practices, identified areas for improvement, and Lean Six Sigma to Improve Licensing Services created standard procedures for pre-trip inspections. The Washington State Department of Licensing iden- The project team included the county’s safety commit- tified those offices having excessive customer wait tee along with operational personnel from multiple times for obtaining or renewing a driver’s license. divisions, including landfill and roads maintenance. Starting at the office with the longest waits, project teams were formed at each location. By focusing data Unique Organizational collection on finding process bottlenecks, solutions were implemented that included changes to software, Characteristics queue organization, and equipment layout. Implementing Lean Six Sigma always requires careful consideration of the special organizational fac- Most offices achieved a 50 percent or more wait time tors that may work for or against its success (see reduction along with an increase in customer satis- Table 2). Some of the potential barriers that could faction. During the projects, many quality-of-work- occur in the private sector are found with greater life issues were identified and changes were made frequency in the public sector: (for example, installing a new office refrigerator),

Table 2: List of Potential Challenges

Challenges Consistent with the Private Sector Challenges Unique to the Public Sector • Inconsistent leadership motivation • Unique human resource practices • Management competency in process • The election cycle and term limits improvement • Attitude of employees regarding stability and • Culture that considers time devoted to job security improvement less valuable than time devoted to “real work” • Legislative controls • Union rules and relations • Competing special interests • Technical skill of employees • Revenue not directly linked to value provided • Many undocumented processes

16 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

• Inconsistent leadership motivation due to • Significant task variability. The duration of ser- competing priorities, personal goals, or polit vice tasks (e.g., repairing a pothole, renewing a ical realities. license) is usually variable, making the control of workflow difficult. • Management ignorance of, or experience with, process improvement. • Cross-functional process flows. Service processes typically flow across departments within • A culture that considers time devoted to an organization where employees work under improvement much less important than time competing incentives and often suffer from devoted to normal work activities. long-standing rivalries or other conflicts that • The existence of union rules and relations that hinder their coordination. hinder the modification of work assignments. • Many handoffs of information. The importance • Service employees that are typically not trained of information and a cross-functional process flow or experienced in applying sophisticated quanti- often leads to mistakes or miscommunications, tative methods. such as use of a term or phrase that has different meanings to workers in different departments. • Many undocumented processes that preclude a consistent, organization-wide understanding of • Numerous management or technical reviews. how a service should be provided. Due to the need to seek approval or to have text or figures verified, many services include Several additional challenges particularly unique to “inspections” by technical staff or management, the public sector include distinctive human resource which increases the cost of providing the ser- practices; the election cycle and term limits; stability vice and delays service completion. and job security concerns; legislative controls; and • Hidden benefits and costs. While non-financial competing special interests. Additionally, revenue is performance metrics are common, quantifying typically not directly linked to value, since most of the financial benefit of improved service deliv- the funding of services derives from tax revenue ery that results in better customer satisfaction paid by citizens, who traditionally have low expec- is difficult. tations, making them relatively apathetic and therefore not likely to routinely complain or offer • No explicit motivation for urgency. Employees suggestions for improvement. may unwittingly cause serious delays by being unaware of the overall service process and Unique Characteristics of therefore not cognizant of task priority, or they may simply be unmotivated to sacrifice their Government Processes comfort for the good of the organization. To understand how Lean Six Sigma should be applied in government, it is important to describe Some of the pitfalls that could result from ignoring a public-sector service process in conceptual terms. these characteristics include: (1) focusing an To this end, the results of a prior study are useful. improvement effort on speeding up document This study by the author concluded that most flow, when the effort may be better focused on service processes share a number of common improving the quality of the information contained structural characteristics and many of these on, or missing from, the documents; (2) creating a characteristics would not be found to the same process improvement team without membership extent in manufacturing.13 They are: from all departments involved in service delivery; (3) solving local problems that are impacted by • Importance of information. Either the service cross-departmental miscommunication; (4) allow- itself consists of information (e.g., tax advice) ing employees to remain ignorant of overall process or the service includes important information flow; (5) creating inspections in response to prob- (e.g., instructions on a utility bill), and this lems, a discredited industrial practice, rather than information should be measurable, complete, finding ways to eliminate the need for these reviews; and understandable. and (6) using financial justification alone to decide on resource allocation to improvement projects.

www.businessofgovernment.org 17 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Starting a Lean Six Sigma Program

The premise that Lean Six Sigma can form the basis Deploy a sound, consistent, and robust of a systematic and disciplined process improve- methodology. ment program in government has been supported. The establishment of a consistent philosophical It is clear, however, that the program will not be foundation, supported by an accompanying method- effective without considerable employee involve- ology, is critical. Leadership is best advised to focus ment from top leadership to frontline employees. on the methodology with which they are familiar, They must all believe that a personal benefit will as the specific methodology is less important than result from their active involvement. As such, Lean a consistent and viable implementation strategy. Six Sigma will not be effective if used as a mecha- The research has shown that Lean Six Sigma can nism for cutting short-term direct payroll costs be effective, along with other methodologies such through layoffs. as the MBNQA criteria or TQM.

The goal of Lean Six Sigma should be to improve The foundation must be easy to understand but not service and ultimately lower the cost of its deliv- be reduced to clichés. The research has found that ery. But this goal should be accomplished through successful programs share not a methodology but a a combination of employee attrition, workforce common set of principles. For example, they con- reallocation, and contractor attrition, so that addi- sider citizens to be customers rather than nuisances. tional services are provided to the public. In this And they also believe that individual employees can way, newly elected leaders may be motivated by a make a difference, especially in terms of their ideas desire to enhance their status in the community in that can help management make positive change. a very visible way. To achieve these ends, Lead Six Sigma should be implemented in a carefully Outside consultants can be helpful during early thought-out manner. stages of program implementation. But they can also be a hindrance when their approach is incon- Infrastructure Considerations sistent with the organization’s culture or when they are seen as being held solely responsible for the Management commitment to a Lean Six Sigma program’s success. process improvement program must go beyond slogans, banners, or motivational speeches. The Training needs to be consistent with the methodol- leadership team should exude a constancy of ogy and provided in a just-in-time manner, allowing purpose, along with discipline and patience that employees to immediately apply the concepts and allows the program to take root. The management techniques covered. The creation of a common team must be made responsible and accountable language, approach, and toolbox will enhance for both managing the organization and improving communication across the organization. The meth- its effectiveness. The creation of an infrastructure odology, however, cannot be viewed as inflexible. that sustains requires attention be given to the It should be allowed to evolve as circumstances following four actions, which are summarized in change, such as during times of leadership turnover. Table 3.

18 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Table 3: Elements in Developing a Lean Six Sigma Program

Infrastructure Deploy a sound and robust methodology • Consistent philosophical framework • Easily understood but no clichés • Consistent just-in-time training • Flexibility to allow evolution Build trust by removing fear • Employee involvement critical • No layoff guarantee • Celebration of success Initiate culture change • Gradual implementation • Focus on “process,” not blame • Priority to improving and doing work • Tangible benefits for all employees Communicate with stakeholders • Early and continuing awareness • Tangible benefits to be realized • Progress documented visibly • Top leader involvement Implementation Create a centralized focal point • Needed to maintain persistence • Skilled, enthusiastic, and impartial • Best if temporary Ensure departmental involvement • Liaison or similar relationship • Supports credibility and awareness • Eliminates repeated use of personnel Focus on a basic toolbox • Basic tools of Lean Six Sigma • Understanding and transparency • Enhanced employee motivation Obtain externally and/or develop • Critical to project success skilled project facilitators • Assertive, competent, and impartial • Ensures project timeline met

Build trust by removing fear. process improvement activity. However, some To obtain and maintain organization-wide support, reassignments (either more or less individuals leaders should address the fear that will inevitably assigned to a specific task) might result from a Lean accompany Lean Six Sigma initiation. This fear is Six Sigma project. In some cases, for example, for- mainly due to job insecurities, including the possi- mal agreements between union and management bility of layoffs or punishment for speaking honestly were modified to contain the no-layoff guarantee. during project sessions. Leadership should be cognizant of the very real need for employee involve- Over time, it will become apparent to union mem- ment. So while it may appear that lowering costs bers and other employees that indeed they can through improvement will only occur with layoffs benefit from Lean Six Sigma. In particular, their job or other payroll cuts, successful programs focus on satisfaction will increase as they are allowed to par- using normal attrition to reduce operating costs. ticipate in determining how their job is done. Another benefit to both management and staff would be con- The author believes that a clear statement must be fidence that the efficiency and effectiveness of their made by the leadership team guaranteeing that no operations compares favorably with those in the pri- reductions in force will take place as a result of a vate sector, eliminating concerns of privatization.

www.businessofgovernment.org 19 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

likely, especially miscommunicating the program’s Staying the Course intentions. In one case when Lean was introduced into an organization, a rumor began that Lean meant When a new leader is elected, it is incumbent “Less Employees Are Needed.” In such cases, lead- upon remaining administrators to work early and ership needs to take quick and decisive action. aggressively to maintain the Lean Six Sigma effort, especially when the new leader lacks business experience or possesses a general skepticism of Communicate the vision to all stakeholders. government’s effectiveness. One useful mechanism Since stakeholder involvement is critical, all affected would be the utilization of process maps, standard procedures, and process data during briefing ses- constituencies should be kept abreast of the program’s sions so that their value, and in turn the value of development early and often. This communication the Lean Six Sigma program, becomes evident. should also address the tangible benefits that should accrue to each stakeholder, while avoiding promises that may not be realized. The phrase “under promise Transparency is critical so that employees understand and over deliver” is appropriate. that Lean Six Sigma will provide a benefit rather than a threat. To this end, it is recommended that sugges- Early communication with employees is a must. But tions made during project meetings that affect quality management should be aware that not all employees of work life be taken seriously. One example was have access to the same communications mechanisms noted where employees asked for and received a new as management. For example, certain employees may office refrigerator, initiated by a suggestion made dur- not be assigned an e-mail account, and some employing a process improvement project, even though this ees may not have been assigned a mailbox. Once the action would not improve the service being analyzed. communication is begun, feedback from employees should be encouraged, since in many cases an implementation detail is easily changed to accommodate Initiate long-term cultural change. the needs of a constituency group. Gradual but steady implementation is generally preferred over a massive rollout that can give rise The leadership team should be involved in a to a “this too shall pass” passive-aggressive reaction. clear, convincing, and vocal way. Making site visits, During this time, management at all levels must spending time in each training wave, and dropping continuously reinforce a focus on “process” by in on project meetings are examples of leadership avoiding the practice of assigning blame for prob- action that signals their commitment. Monitoring lems that occur. Supervisors must allow workers to progress on a monthly basis through Lean Six Sigma devote attention to improving their work in addition status meetings may also be considered. to doing their work. And workers should see that tangible benefits can be derived from their participa- As projects commence, presenting the results inter- tion in improvement efforts. nally using posters or other visible media, placed prominently in a common work area, is worthwhile. When management and staff on a project team Certain external customers, such as contractors, are treated as equals, the line separating their advocacy groups, and ordinary citizens, can help responsibility blurs. Staff appreciate being able spread the message if they can be convinced that to control how their work is done. Managers the program is in their self-interest. appreciate having staff members that are motivated to provide excellent service to customers. Employees at all levels who are members of a Implementation Considerations process improvement team that makes improve- The implementation of Lean Six Sigma should be ment suggestions have a natural desire to see undertaken in ways consistent with the traditions of that their ideas produce favorable results. the organization and the personality of its leaders. Certain actions could be considered essential for Maintaining momentum is critical since the culture effective implementation: should be allowed to evolve naturally. Mistakes are

20 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Create a centralized focal point. While the chief executive will be called upon to The Tortoise Wins provide visible leadership, he or she will be unable to manage detailed implementation activi- When establishing a Lean Six Sigma program, ties. Creating a steering committee or assigning a persistence is vital. Terms such as “diligence,” “resolve,” “discipline,” “tenacity,” and “patience” high-level executive to this task should be consid- have been applied to a leader who will not let the ered, but it is important to avoid establishing a program “die” even when the inevitable crises, or new bureaucracy. other changes and distractions, occur.

The organization may wish to assign a program administrator who would be dedicated to firmly Or a department may include one or two supporters establishing the program within the organization. who participate repeatedly in improvement proj- This position would work closely with the chief ects. When this occurs, two potential effects are executive. He or she should be skilled and enthusi- likely that decrease the chance of long-term viabil- astic. Excellent interpersonal and communication ity. First, those few individuals will eventually find skills are also critical. And the program administra- that their workload increases or their merit rating tor should be viewed across the organization as an suffers due to their participation in improvement impartial arbitrator. projects. Second, due to transfer or retirement, these individuals will eventually leave the department Ideally, a full-time program administrator will main- and their replacements will likely not be encour- tain the position for as long as it takes, since the ulti- aged to participate. mate goal is to infuse a process improvement culture throughout the organization. Ultimately, Lean Six Focus on a basic toolbox. Sigma efforts would be decentralized and become a It would be rare for a governmental entity beginning routine component of each department’s activities. a process improvement effort to require more than Organizations that have decentralized from the start the basic tools of Lean Six Sigma. Further, keeping have noticed that lack of a standard project structure, the tools simple will enhance its acceptance among training program, and communication mechanism both managers and staff, creating a sense of mutual has hindered cross-departmental communication. understanding and transparency. The training of project management and project communication skills Ensure departmental involvement. should also be included. And the training should It is helpful to create a working relationship between always occur on a just-in-time basis to prevent the the program administrator and each department or entropy that often accompanies training programs. operating unit. For example, each department may wish to appoint a process improvement liaison, or “cham- Table 4 on page 22 presents elements that could form pion.” The liaison will serve as a useful communication the basis of a training program for public-sector link so that information from the leadership team is employees. Ideally, the training program will be spread presented to employees via a trustworthy source. over a period of time and include an application project so that students apply the tools as they learn them. A liaison can help present the program as valuable For example, the students could meet two consecutive to the department rather than pushed onto the days, every second or third week, while working on a department from headquarters. He or she can also project. This program could continue until six to eight act as mentor for employees just getting involved full days of training have been completed. in project improvement teams. And a liaison can be very helpful in identifying projects that can When employees experience firsthand the effect the solve important problems while having a good tools can have on improving their work, motivation chance of success. to take an active part in future projects increases. Other employees viewing project results will under- When departmental involvement is inconsistent, stand the tools being applied and become less several risks are created. Some departments may intimidated and often volunteer for membership on simply not take part in the improvement activities. subsequent project teams. An additional advantage is

www.businessofgovernment.org 21 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Table 4: Elements of a Lean Six Sigma Training Program

Main Topic Coverage Introduction to • Customers (constituency receiving value from a service process) Lean Six Sigma and • Stakeholders (organizations that are involved with a service process) Definitions • Value-added activity (task for which a customer is willing to pay) • Waste (time spent in other than value-added ways) • Green and black belts (classification of employees based on their level of expertise in Lean Six Sigma principles and tools) • Project team roles (management, administrators, and staff) DMAIC Project • Define (create problem statement and customer value definition) Structure • Measure (map the process and collect associated data) • Analyze (identify problems and significant waste) • Improve (find ways to eliminate waste and/or add value) • Control (develop implementation and follow-up plan) Process Mapping • Flowchart (basic display of service process flow) • Spaghetti chart (display of facility layout with process flow) • Time value map (timeline showing lead time and value-added time) • Value stream map (display of a process with supporting data) • Consumption map (map of customer interaction with a service) Root Cause • Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (or FMEA, prioritizes causes of poor Analysis Tools performance) • Five Whys (method that moves from symptoms to root cause) • Affinity building (brainstorming activity to quickly organize details) • Cause-and-effect diagram (display of potential problem causes) Data Analysis Tools • Data collection basics (check sheets, surveys, data entry forms) • Pareto analysis (ranking of problem importance) • Run charts (simple plot of process data over time) • Calculations (average, standard deviation, etc.) • Scatter plot (display to determine if a relationship exists) Improvement • Five S (methods for organizing a workplace) Techniques • Mistake proofing (mechanism to prevent problems and errors) • Standard work (consistent structuring of a work task) • Standardization (consistent operation of a service process) • Visual workplace (highly visible communication mechanisms)

that training costs are allocated over a larger number customer satisfaction analysis, or revenue manage- of employees. ment. They are called upon to contribute to improvement projects on an as-needed basis. In some organizations, a few specialized internal or external experts can be developed or made Obtain externally and/or develop internally available when their need arises. For example, the skilled project facilitators. Florida Department of Revenue includes personnel The importance of skilled project facilitators cannot with expertise in statistical modeling in their various be overemphasized. Their function includes teaching, offices that do forecasting, measurement analysis, coaching, and mentoring, while guiding the team at

22 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma a suitable pace. They must be assertive in order to overcome challenges such as dominant personalities and reluctant participants. For example, the facilitator must mitigate the effect of powerful team leaders whose “pet” ideas may not represent effective solutions. Other situations that must be avoided include the acceptance of opinions as facts, groupthink, feuding, rushing, digressions, and tangents.

Facilitators must be assertive but impartial, so that team meetings move along at a steady pace with minimal diversions. Facilitators should possess breadth so that they understand the broad range of issues relevant to policy and administrative matters. They should have effective communication skills, and be able to work comfortably with both management and staff.

In some organizations, external consultants have been used as facilitators with some success. In these cases, care must be taken to ensure consistency from project to project. Generally this can be achieved by forming a long-term relationship with a contractor so that their involvement is more one of partnership than supplier. If facilitators are to be developed internally, each must be chosen carefully since not every enthusiastic, technically competent employee will make an effective project facilitator.

www.businessofgovernment.org 23 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Implementing a Lean Six Sigma Project

Lean Six Sigma would be characterized by a strategic plan and that the anticipated benefits consistent and disciplined project methodology. outweigh the associated costs. Personnel and other Consistency is valuable because it creates: costs to execute a project would typically be (1) constancy of purpose, (2) the perception of understood. But estimating the benefits of improve- competency, (3) an environment where similar ment is difficult since they include some that are tools are applied in similar ways, (4) advanta- tangible and some that are intangible. Given the geous training conditions, and (5) effective com- difficulty in quantifying intangible benefits, it is munication across the organization. The project recommended that project approval be a leader- methodology detailed below incorporates the best ship decision, supported by an analysis that con- facets of Lean and Six Sigma. But it is not meant siders three sets of potential benefits: to be complete in all details, allowing for some local customization to fit the needs of specific 1. Financially quantifiable benefits can be pro- organizations. jected in monetary terms. Cost reductions such as labor, equipment, and material would Each Lean Six Sigma project should include three typically be included as well as revenue stages—Project Initiation, Project Execution, and increases such as taxes, interest, and fees. Project Communication—detailed below and For example, decreasing the lead time for summarized in Table 5. processing checks will result in increased interest earned. Project Initiation 2. Non-financially quantifiable benefits cannot “Preparation, preparation, and preparation” may be projected monetarily but can be quantified be thought of as the three things to remember when in other ways. This category is broad but initiating a process improvement project. Key suc- would include the projected number of cus- cess factors include involving key stakeholders on tomers (e.g., taxpayers, contractors) affected the project team, soliciting support from administra- in a positive way if the service were improved. tors, addressing political sensitivities, employing a For example, decreasing the wait time for skilled facilitator, consulting with customers, and license renewal will result in more drivers ensuring that the problem warrants commitment of who are able to renew their license in an the organization’s resources. An improvement proj- acceptable period of time. ect should be initiated based on a structured project 3. Intangible benefits cannot be quantified selection procedure and begun with careful selec- precisely, either financially or otherwise. They tion of the project team. include higher customer or employee satisfaction, better chance of re-election, and more Selection and Justification participation from employees in future proj- A decision to devote resources to an improvement ects. For example, among the benefits to con- project should be preceded by confirmation that sider may be the creation of a better employee the effort is consistent with the organization’s work environment.

24 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Table 5: Lean Six Sigma Project Implementation

Project Initiation Selection and justification • Financially quantifiable • Non-financially quantifiable • Intangible Team creation • Trained facilitator • Cross-functional representation • Administrator(s) and frontline staff • Internal customers • Various experience with process • Various experience with DMAIC • Support group representatives Project Execution Define • Problem statement • Review of stakeholders • Identification of customers • Customer value definition Measure • Complete and accurate process maps • Multiple process maps • Data collection Analyze • Waste identification • Data analysis • Root cause analysis Improve • Generation of ideas • Rating of ideas • Improvement recommendations Control • Implementation plan • Performance tracking plan • Ongoing feedback plan Project Communication Prior to and during • Elevator speech project execution • Status meetings After project completion • Final presentation • Visible communication mechanisms

The establishment of performance targets is useful. At times, projects may be initiated due to a periodic or These targets create a focus on either incremental or an extraordinary event that itself creates justification. substantial performance improvements. But many For example, a municipality may routinely initiate a projects should be considered successful even if the project when a retirement or transfer from a depart- target improvement is not achieved. Therefore, care ment occurs. In these cases, the goal would be to must be taken to eliminate any sense of punishment improve the process so that the remaining employees or disappointment if targets are not met. Otherwise, could provide the service without a decrease in perfor- to avoid failure, the team may resort to artificial mance. Or a city may initiate a project when poor manipulation of the numbers. In fact, administrators performance is noted in a very visible way, such as in should be careful not to classify any project as a a newspaper or television investigative study. These failure as long as the project team worked diligently projects often benefit by having a project team that on the improvement effort. possesses a common motivation.

www.businessofgovernment.org 25 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

its Department of Licensing & Inspections, one city Counting What Hurts, Part I consulted with building contractors, restaurant staff, and food vendors. Customers will generally be A city’s safety department is responsible for tabulat- thankful for the opportunity to participate and are ing and reporting OSHA-recordable accidents and a source of enhanced public relations. After project injuries, as well as providing expertise to improve completion, it is imperative that participants be safety. The reporting activity is likely to include time wasted tracking down late or inaccurate data, informed of the project’s outcome. While it is tempt- dealing with a disorganized IT system, and creating to consider the creation of a standard group of ing ad hoc reports for specific administrators. If this taxpayers to call upon for assistance, this practice is activity were improved, the tangible financial bene- not recommended since the services offered by fits would include lower OSHA fines and decreased government will serve many different constituencies costs paid to safety consultants. Tangible non- financial benefits would include more man-hours and diverse ideas are useful. devoted to improving safety. Intangible benefits would include a more challenging and interesting Project Execution work environment for skilled employees, leading to higher satisfaction levels. The planned project timeline would be based on the team’s availability and the problem scope. The project may follow a kaizen format, completed in Team Creation one to several days with the team devoted full-time Each member of the team should be trained in Lean to the project. Or the project may be executed over Six Sigma methodology. The project team should be weeks or months with the team devoted part-time large enough to encompass key stakeholders of the to the project. A third alternative that combines the service process but not so large as to hamper its first two options would consist of embedding a effectiveness. Among the group of about six to kaizen activity within each phase of DMAIC. This 12 members, the project team should include: alternative allows for the gathering of information between sessions and can maximize the effective- 1. an experienced facilitator ness of each project phase.

2. at least one representative from each depart- Many practitioners in both the public and private ment through which the service flows sectors consider DMAIC to be the major strength of 3. Frontline employees who understand how the Six Sigma. It is imperative that a project execution process currently operates structure similar to DMAIC be followed that makes sense given conditions that exist in the public sector. 4. one or more administrators who understand the context within which the service operates, including organizational, financial, legal, envi- Define—Create Problem Statement and ronmental, and political contexts Customer Value Definition An improvement project should not proceed until 5. at least one customer, if customers are internal a precise project definition or problem statement is developed. Here, the problem is defined and the Inviting at least one employee who is new to the project objectives are delineated. The scope of the service helps to infuse fresh ideas. To help support process under study is also specified at this time future projects, it is useful to include at least one (i.e., where it starts and ends). Using a standard newly trained employee without experience with format, the problem statement would also include improvement projects. Consideration could also major constraints, key metrics, improvement targets, be given to including a representative from each and the role of each team member. It is useful to department that provides the service with informa- review the list of stakeholders and modify the team’s tion systems or other support. composition if necessary to remove future barriers.

External customers cannot participate fully in project The team needs to develop a concise understand- team activities but should be asked to provide input. ing of the so-called “voice of the customer.” But For example, when considering the improvement of customers will often consist of more than one

26 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma constituency, each defining value based on their needs, desires, or expectations. Typically, value Who Pays the Bill? is multi-dimensional in that customers may be concerned with one or more of the following: A tax collection process would have two main quality (accuracy, dependability, completeness, customers. The first customer is the taxpayer, who conformance); speed (delivery, responsiveness); judges performance based on accuracy (an error- access (availability, options, convenience); security free tax bill), timeliness (receiving the bill in time to make a payment), convenience (a pay- (personal, informational); competency (knowledge, ment option that suits his or her needs), courtesy consistency, integrity); communication (clarity, (pleasant interactions when calling or visiting the customization, flexibility); and empathy (cour- office), and responsiveness (quick question resolu- tesy, friendliness). tion). A second customer is the governmental entity, which judges performance based on speed (prompt deposit) and accuracy (error-free processing). To define value accurately, it is sometimes necessary to speak with a sample of external customers. One- on-one or small group sessions are typically more Womack and Jones15 suggest the use of a process effective than surveys, which require brevity to be map to create an understanding of how customers completed in sufficient numbers and can add devel- interact with the service process, referring to the dis- opment time to the project. More open-ended infor- play as a “consumption map.” Consumption maps mation also allows for the uncovering of issues with can be very helpful when the project team has little which the team was unaware. For example, a per- understanding of customers, especially in cases mitting office improvement project may invite a where the interaction is relatively complex. They are group of external contractors for lunch and ask for similar but more comprehensive than a traditional their input. These sessions would not require the service blueprint, which separates front-office interac- entire project team. The facilitator must be careful tions from back-office functions. to keep the discussion focused on defining value and exposing problems, while exploring gaps in The creation of a process map will change the focus the present service offering. of a project team discussion from finger-pointing at each other (to assign blame) to finger-pointing at the Measure—Map the Process and Collect display (to understand the process). A process map Associated Data14 also highlights the interaction among stakeholders The team must develop a common and complete during service delivery, which is not always obvi- understanding of the service process. This objective ous to a worker focused on performing a specific is best achieved using one or more displays. Each task. The project team members will begin to display, generically referred to as a process map, appreciate that they indeed work together and that shows the service process flow in a visual and intui- the service will be enhanced if they work together tive manner. It is important that each process map more effectively. The value of a process map can- include every activity that takes place, including not be overstated. those that are undesirable such as returning incomplete paperwork to a sender. The complexity of the It is generally true that as process improvement process map should be kept manageable and not programs mature, their use of data increases. include, for example, activities that rarely occur. Without the benefit of data, a project team risks making recommendations based on inaccurate Multiple process maps are often helpful to under- perceptions. For example, during a project to stand the service from various perspectives, includ- reduce late trash pickups, a data set may be used ing cross-functional interactions, physical movement to provide their location, while another data set within a building, lead time breakdown, and may be used to calculate average duration of each processing times for each activity. Various types of process step (e.g., how long trucks wait at the process mapping methods that should be included landfill). Data will help determine if a problem is in a Lean Six Sigma training program are listed and systematic (requiring a systemwide solution) or described in Table 4 on page 22. sporadic (requiring a solution focused on a specific time or place).

www.businessofgovernment.org 27 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

6. Processing inefficiency: Performing a task in an Counting What Hurts, Part II ineffective manner (e.g., “reinventing the wheel” every time a report is generated or punching For a process that reports OSHA-recordable data, holes in paper after copying) waste could include: late delivery of information (delay); management check of a report (review); 7. Resource inefficiency: Ineffective management reworking an incorrect data analysis (mistake); of personnel, equipment, materials, or capital entering written data into a computer (duplication); (e.g., idle workers or using workers for tasks not employees walking to pick up forms (movement); requiring their skills) generating ad hoc reports by hand (processing inefficiency); and having technically experienced employees perform mundane tasks (resource inefficiency). Once a significant form of waste is identified, the project team must be careful to address its cause rather than its symptoms. A method of identifying root cause, Analyze—Identify Problems, Value-Added known as the Five Whys, is very helpful for “drilling Activities, and Non-Value-Added Activities down” to root cause. As an example, consider the case The process maps and associated data will often of excessive errors in documents sent to federal regula- highlight areas of concern without excessive analy- tors. A response to a symptom would be having a sis. But the project team should ensure objectivity manager check all documents prior to their submission by systematically identifying the process steps that to the regulator. But this inspection will add cost and add direct value to customers and highlighting those time, and may not significantly improve quality. steps that do not add value. The non-value-added Consider the application of the Five Whys: activities would collectively be called waste. While some Lean practitioners refer to seven traditional 1. Why are there errors? Usually because the categories of waste,16 an alternative list that applies document is incomplete. 17 to services has been developed. The seven service 2. Why are documents incomplete? Usually process waste categories are: because writers forget to include all necessary information. 1. Delay: Time spent in a visible queue (e.g., paperwork in an in-box) or time spent waiting for infor- 3. Why do they forget? Because they are trained to mation (e.g., a voice-mail message response) focus on accuracy, not completeness. 2. Review: Inspection of completed or partially 4. Why aren’t they trained to check for complete- completed work to check for errors or omissions ness? Because the regulators frequently make (e.g., confirming conformance with standard changes to the reporting requirements after the accounting procedures or checking work of a training is completed. new employee) Note that the number five in Five Ways is arbitrary 3. Mistake: Redoing work because of errors or since the root cause may be found after any num- omissions identified internally (e.g., correcting ber of iterations, in this case four. Based on this data entry errors) or noticed by external custom- root cause, recommendations may include the ers (e.g., resending a bill originally mailed to an creation of a standard reporting template or the incorrect address) implementation of a checklist, along with proce- 4. Duplication: Activities that are done elsewhere dures for updating the template or checklist as in the system or that can be done more easily requirements change. in another part of the system (e.g., writing data onto a form prior to computer entry Improve—Find Ways to Eliminate Waste and/ or making a hard copy of a form that is or Add Value saved electronically) To ensure objectivity, each idea for improvement 5. Movement: Physical transport of information, should be geared toward removing a specific waste personnel, or equipment (e.g., traveling to attend or adding value where gaps in customer service a meeting or mailing reports to a customer) were noted. A challenge often faced by the facilitator is keeping each team member engaged and actively

28 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma participating, while at the same time focusing the discussion on relevant ideas. Picking the Fruit

Narrowing down a large number of improvement For most government services, basic improve- ideas requires evaluating or rating each idea based ment techniques often provide great opportunity for significant performance enhancement due to on two sets of criteria. One set of criteria would the prevalence of “low hanging fruit.” Some of the concern the projected benefits. The benefits of each popular techniques include mistake proofing (i.e., idea should be projected for all customers across creating a mechanism to prevent a problem from every dimension of value. The second set of criteria occurring); Five S (i.e., organizing a workplace to would concern projected costs. The costs of each reduce wasted time); standard work (i.e., finding idea would include implementation time, ease of the best way to complete a task); and other forms of standardization (i.e., creating a standard set of implementation, risk of creating new problems, internal processes). required resources, implementation cost, complexity of operation, required training, probability of stakeholder acceptance, and required computer procedures. Ideally, ideas suggested by the team to system modifications. prevent problems, such as flowcharts to illustrate workflow, checklists to ensure completeness, and It is tempting to consider improvement ideas that standard forms to guarantee accuracy, would be involve the use of information technologies, such included in the procedures. as handheld devices, personal computers, or software modifications. But the project team must be Data on performance may take as many as three careful to avoid the automation of waste. If auto- forms. First, metrics could be placed within the mation is considered, it is imperative that represen- system to measure, internally and objectively, how tatives from departments that would be responsible well the system performs. Second, customer surveys for its creation and maintenance be consulted. could be developed and used to measure customer Indirect costs such as training and maintenance perspective on performance. And third, a feedback must be considered as well as the capability of the mechanism could be initiated to highlight problems users, including customers. as they arise.

Often, improvement projects focus on streamlining The feedback mechanism for identifying problems paperwork flow. In these cases, the project team should be quick, easy, and non-judgmental. Highly should recognize that the purpose of the service visual means are useful to communicate the exis- is not to transmit paper but to transmit information. tence of problems to employees and managers, and Problems can be mitigated by considering redesign to separate recurring problems from isolated events. of the paperwork to serve two purposes: reduce For example, employees would write problems they waste in the service process and provide better see onto a card or sticky note, which is then placed value for customers. As an example, a real estate onto a centrally located display board. It is impor- tax bill may be redesigned to make instructions tant that the note contain a problem, not a solution simpler and simultaneously provide taxpayers and not an assignment of blame. Periodically, the with additional information such as their property’s notes would be retrieved, the problems tabulated, appraised value. and the staff would meet to discuss fixes as a form of continuous improvement. Control—Develop Implementation and Follow- Up Plan Actions taken during this phase help to sustain pro- The control phase of DMAIC is often overlooked but cess improvement efforts by ensuring project closure extremely critical. It involves the development of and by guaranteeing that the project team’s efforts plans to track implementation progress, collect data have produced change for the better. Two recom- on subsequent performance, and identify the return mendations should be considered: (1) a follow-up of previous problems or the creation of new unan- six-month or one-year project team meeting could ticipated problems. A useful starting point is the be scheduled for each improvement project, where documentation of a revised set of standard operating recommendations would be revisited, their success

www.businessofgovernment.org 29 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

thoroughly (by including all key constituency Counting What Hurts, Part III groups). At a minimum, the communication should be targeted to the project team, to administrators When a project is initiated, the champion of the responsible for the service process, to employees project is likely to launch the project with remarks affected by the project, and to other administrators such as those below: indirectly affected by the project. “The project’s goal is to increase the speed with which the safety department collects monthly data on OSHA-recordable accidents Prior to and During Project Execution and injuries. Timely collection of these data Early in the project, the creation of an “elevator will enable the department to spend more speech” is recommended so that the project team time working to improve safety for employ- communicates a common theme to co-workers and ees. The city will also pay less in OSHA fines and would be able to save money by using others. It would be a less formalized version of the fewer outside consultants. problem statement, but brief and written in conver- sational form. The elevator speech can help to serve Members of the project team will be observ- ing the data collection process, listening to an internal public relations purpose by exposing all those involved with data collection, and employees to ongoing projects and reinforcing their objectively analyzing the workflow to see usefulness and transparency. where mistakes occur and delays in obtaining data are common. The team will report Periodic status meetings are also recommended. their progress on a monthly basis to all levels Such meetings could serve as “tollgate” meetings of management. Everyone will need to help with implementing the team’s recommenda- in which the project sponsors and champions assess tions, so if anyone doubts the objectivity of progress and provide guidance for the next phase. the team or wishes to get involved in the They should be targeted to key leaders and affected project, they should contact the team leader, administrators who are not members of the project Michael Smith.” team. Keeping all decision makers informed is critical. For example, it eliminates unfortunate “surprises” by identifying challenges with which analyzed, and modifications considered; or (2) a the project team is unaware. The status meetings centrally located database or spreadsheet could be also help support cultural change within the maintained that contains important information for organization. each project, such as its goals, results, and implementation timeframe. Minutes of team meetings need not be excessively long, but should include action items for the team. When waste is removed from a service process, the Experience has shown that unless each team mem- lead time will almost always decrease and problems ber is given a specific task for which he or she is will become more obvious than they were in the responsible, it is likely that the task will not be past. For example, in a wasteful process, paperwork completed. Usually peer pressure and disappoint- returned to the sender for correction may not be ment with letting down the team will motivate team noticed as obviously as it would be if the process members to complete their “homework” assignment. were streamlined. The analogy often employed is relating the level of waste to a brook’s water depth and relating problems to rocks beneath the water’s After Project Completion surface. As process waste is removed, the lead time The final project results should be delivered to (water level) decreases and more problems are key leaders and affected administrators. But it is noticeable (the rocks break the water’s surface). also helpful to expose as many employees as possible to the project and its results. In addition, Project Communication communication with taxpayers and other external stakeholders may be considered to promote a It is recommended that sharing information about sense of progressive and competent government. each project be done early (before the project For example, the city of Fort Wayne organizes an begins), often (during the project execution), and annual forum in September for the presentation

30 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma of their improvement projects. Businesses in and around the region are also invited to participate. Several hundred presenters and other visi- tors attend.

The specific forms of communication should vary depending on the targeted group or individual. Communication to the leadership team would typically involve both an oral presentation and a written report. It is also recommended that content of the final presentation be made more widely available in a visible and convenient way. Options include physical placement prominently in the facility, placement on the organization’s computer system, placement on a public Internet site, and inclusion in the organization’s internal newsletter. A large storyboard, for example, could be displayed prominently in a cafeteria or another popular location routinely visited by employees.

www.businessofgovernment.org 31 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

The Future of Lean Six Sigma in Government

A disciplined process improvement methodology, quality initiatives while incorporating an improved such as Lean Six Sigma, can benefit any organiza- implementation structure. It is hard to imagine a new tion, from large corporations to small municipalities. and substantially improved methodology. The onus is By focusing on intuitive techniques such as process squarely placed on leadership—there needs to be maps, mistake proofing, and standardization, Lean real understanding of the requirements for success Six Sigma is easily understood and highly transpar- and there needs to be real commitment to making the ent, enhancing communication and participation. If changes necessary to achieve a transformation. implemented wisely, Lean Six Sigma can be robust and adaptable. Lean Six Sigma supports the ongoing changes in government that are expected to accelerate as we Those programs that have managed to sustain suc- move into the 21st century. For example, a 2006 cess in process improvement possess similar char- report by the IBM Center for The Business of acteristics. Their early attention to the development Government highlighted six trends that are trans- of a solid organizational foundation was crucial. forming government,18 three of which are directly The implementation of highly structured improve- related to process improvement efforts such as Lean ment projects provides confidence that each Six Sigma. In particular: improvement effort will be justified. But their success may also be attributed to some level of happen- • The use of performance management systems stance, such as leaders re-elected for multiple terms will accelerate. If these systems are to support and leadership teams with private-sector experience the improvement of services, an accompanying or access. process improvement methodology needs to be implemented. There must be an understand- For public-sector entities, the opportunities are ing that managing performance is equal parts great, but only if the obstacles to implementation measuring performance and improving perfor- are well understood. Employees at all levels must mance. In particular, services do not improve participate, and therefore leaders need to appreciate on their own, even within a strong performance- that each employee needs to personally benefit from measurement environment. Lean Six Sigma. Creating another bureaucracy or • The tendency toward higher levels of citizen another mandate from headquarters must give way engagement is beginning. Citizen involvement to an organization-wide attitude that fosters a focus clearly fits into a Lean Six Sigma framework, where on customers and their satisfaction. As such, the citizens are considered customers and treated that integration of Lean Six Sigma within the organiza- way. In fact, a Lean Six Sigma effort that does not tion must be carefully nurtured. include significant customer (and other stakeholder) involvement is doomed to failure. As we look into the future of process improvement in government, two things are clear: We know what • One-size-fits-all approaches will give way to to do and we know how to do it. The methodology an emphasis on managerial flexibility within of Lean Six Sigma has borrowed freely from past departments and agencies. Lean Six Sigma can

32 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

support this concept, referred to as “changing the rules,” due to its implementation structure combined with its adaptability. But this support needs to originate and be fostered at the high- est levels. That is, the organization as a whole must be committed to the infrastructural and cultural transformations that are needed for Lean Six Sigma to take hold. While it is hard to predict the future, Lean Six Sigma is likely to be viewed as a valuable approach in the portfolio of management improvement programs that can be undertaken by government executives. And the citizenry may begin to believe that their tax dollars, at least relatively speaking, are well spent.

www.businessofgovernment.org 33 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Acknowledgments

Many individuals helped with this project by com- pleting written questionnaires, participating in live interviews, or identifying useful contacts. The author is grateful to the following individuals: Mark Abramson, Randy Allen, James Cavanaugh, Barry Crook, Lee Erdmann, Janice Gloster, Guy Gordon, Barbara Heller, Roger Hirt, Albert Ilg, Kirk Jaeger, Frank Kaminsky, Harry Kenworthy, Tony Kirby, Lynn Lachance, William Mee, Becky Meyers, Howard Schussler, Don Shaw, Joseph Smith, Dale Weeks, and Dave Yoest. The author also expresses his grati- tude to the Government Division of the American Society for Quality.

34 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Appendix: Research Methodology

The activities employed to create the Lean Six Sigma to initiate a comprehensive process improve- implementation guidelines consisted of the follow- ment effort. ing three activities: 3. extensive follow-up interviews with 15 public- sector administrators currently or previously 1. an analysis of how public-sector services differ involved in process improvement efforts were from private-sector services was conducted. This conducted. These audiotaped interviews lasted work was a natural extension of recent work on anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, and service processes existing primarily in private- allowed participants to elaborate on their expe- sector companies.19 A key conclusion was that riences, specific projects, and the advice they unique characteristics found in services must be chose to offer. Participants were also asked to taken into account when considering their man- respond to hypotheses offered by the author agement and improvement. These characteris- pertaining to Lean Six Sigma guidelines under tics, however, may not be evident to an observer consideration. These sessions helped to validate given the myriad of diverse activities that take the guidelines presented in this report. place when delivering a service. To understand the uniqueness of public-sector services, a list of Among the myriad of advice offered by question- services offered by governments was developed naire participants and interviewees, no one and analyzed. The list was derived from reviews suggested that implementing a comprehensive of budgets and other strategic and operational program for process improvement would be easy. planning documents, as well as meetings with On the other hand, no one suggested that an administrators. effort not be made. 2. The development and analysis of open-ended written questionnaires was completed. Twenty- five questionnaires were completed by experienced public-sector administrators identified through professional organizations. Questions related to where improvement efforts were focused; how projects were chosen; project teams’ average size, level of commitment, and overall project durations; the project management structure; the main process improvement techniques used during typical projects; and the improvement projects that were the most successful and why. In addition, potential barriers were listed and participants were asked to indicate which gave them the most challenge. Finally, each participant was asked to provide specific advice to a public administrator wishing

www.businessofgovernment.org 35 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

Endnotes

1. During 1949 to 1975, the Toyota Production 8. The term “sigma” refers to a statistical measure of System (TPS) gradually evolved into what is generally con- variation and the number “six” refers to the relationship sidered the gold standard of manufacturing effectiveness. between process variation and product specifications. Consequently, it has been the focus of many academic When used as a metric, six sigma quality is achieved studies. During the 1980s, the phrase “just-in-time” (JIT) when each potential defect would have a very small was used in the United States to denote manufacturing chance of occurrence, usually expressed as 3.4 defects approaches, based on the TPS, that minimized queue time per million opportunities. of parts waiting for each operation, thus speeding the flow 9. http://www.asq.org/government/why-quality/ of production. The phrase JIT was gradually replaced by the overview.html term “Lean” to denote a more encompassing system that 10. TQM (Total Quality Management) was arguably fosters the removal of all wasteful activities and practices. the first comprehensive quality management program that 2. James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, and took the responsibility of quality control from the qual- Daniel Roos, The Machine That Changed The World, ity department and placed it into the hands of employees HarperCollins Publishers, 1991. throughout the organization. It included a significant . The term “waste” is often used in the public sec- amount of training albeit in ways that were not always tor to define programs or services that do not contribute to consistent across or within organizations. the overall well-being of society and therefore constitute a 11. The International Organization for Standardization waste of taxpayer money. In Lean, waste is used to denote (ISO) is an international body that produces standards for specific non-value-added activities that take place during business operation. In North America, many practitioners the delivery of a service, such as errors and delays. are familiar with the ISO 9000 family of standards that 4. James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones, Lean concern the management of quality. Thinking (2nd Edition), Free Press, 2003. 12. http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/index.php?option= 5. Bob L. Emiliani, Better Thinking, Better Results, com_content&task=view&id=1014&Itemid=1158 Center for Lean Management, 2003. 13. John Maleyeff, “Exploration of Internal Service 6. While in many ways the study of Lean has its Systems Using Lean Principles,” Management Decision roots in academe and therefore possesses a relatively 44-5 (2006), pp. 679–682. consistent definition, Six Sigma, with its roots firmly in 14. In most standard applications of DMAIC, pro- industry, includes a more diverse set of definitions and cess mapping takes place during the define phase. It is viewpoints. Therefore, readers should consider this intro- presented here as the initial step in the measure phase duction to be the author’s informed opinion. since, for many services, the process map acts as both 7. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award a description of the process and a means for initiating (MBNQA) is generally considered the most prestigious data collection. award for businesses, education, and healthcare orga- 15. James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones, Lean nizations. Companies apply for consideration based on Solutions, Simon & Schuster, 2005. seven sets of criteria. The award is judged by the U.S. 16. At Toyota, Taiichi Ohno developed a classifica- Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards tion system consisting of seven waste categories to ana- and Technology (NIST) and presented by the president of lyze manufacturing processes: defective material, excess the United States. employee movement, material transport, processing

36 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

delays, processing inefficiency, overproduction to account for yield losses, and inventory beyond what is presently needed. Some of these categories do not apply directly or obviously to service processes. 17. Maleyeff, pp. 683–684. 18. Mark A. Abramson, Jonathan D. Breul, and John M. Kamensky, “Six Trends Transforming Government,” IBM Center for The Business of Government, Washington, D.C., 2006. 19. Maleyeff, pp. 674–689.

www.businessofgovernment.org 37 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

References

Abramson, Mark A., Jonathan D. Breul, and John M. Ohno, Taiichi. The Toyota Production System. Kamensky. “Six Trends Transforming Government,” Productivity Press, 1998. IBM Center for The Business of Government, Washington, D.C., 2006. Parasuraman, A., V. A. Zeithaml, and L. L. Berry. “A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Cunningham, J., and O. Fiume. Real Numbers: Implications for Future Research.” Journal of Management Accounting in a Lean Organization. Marketing 49 (1985), pp. 41–50. Managing Times Press, 2003. Rother, M., and J. Shook. Learning to See Deming, W. E. Out of the Crisis. MIT Center for (Version 1.3). Lean Enterprise Institute, 2003. Advanced Engineering Study, 1986. Spear, S., and H. K. Bowen. “Decoding the DNA Emiliani, Bob L. Better Thinking, Better Results. of the Toyota Production System.” Harvard Business Center for Lean Management, 2003. Review 77-5 (1999), pp. 96–106.

Emiliani, Mario L. “Lean Behaviors.” Management Womack, James P., and Daniel T. Jones. Decision 36-9 (1998), pp. 615–631. Lean Solutions. Simon & Schuster, 2005.

George, Michael L. Lean Six Sigma for Service. Womack, James P., and Daniel T. Jones. Lean McGraw-Hill, 2003. Thinking (2nd Edition). Free Press, 2003.

Hammer, Michael. “Deep Change: How Womack, James P., Daniel T. Jones, and Daniel Operational Innovation Can Transform Your Roos. The Machine That Changed the World. Company.” Harvard Business Review 82-4 (2004), HarperCollins Publishers, 1991. pp. 84–95.

IBM Institute for Business Value. Driving Operational Innovation Using Lean Six Sigma, January 2007.

Imai, M. Kaizen. McGraw-Hill, 1986.

Maleyeff, John. “Benchmarking Performance Indices: Pitfalls and Solutions,” Benchmarking: An International Journal 10-1 (2003), pp. 9–28.

Maleyeff, John. “Exploration of Internal Service Systems Using Lean Principles.” Management Decision 44-5 (2006), pp. 674–689.

38 IBM Center for The Business of Government Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

a B o ut th e a uth o r

John Maleyeff is a professor in the Lally School of Management & Technology on the Hartford, Connecticut, campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Dr. Maleyeff teaches graduate courses to working professionals in operations management and quantitative methods. His research focuses on applying analytical and management methodologies, such as Lean and Six Sigma, to manufacturing, service, healthcare, and educational entities, including their internal business processes. He also consults with a number of businesses, mostly in the areas of Lean management, operations planning and control, and statistical modeling.

Dr. Maleyeff has held professional positions at RCA’s David Sarnoff Research Center in New Jersey, LEGO Group A/S in Denmark, and the U.S. Department of Defense. He was previously on the faculty of industrial and manufacturing engineering at Western New England College, where he developed a reputation for leading-edge interdisciplinary curricula development in conjunction with industrial interaction.

His publications have appeared in a diverse set of international journals, including Management Decision, Quality Engineering, International Journal of Educational Management, The TQM Magazine, Benchmarking: An International Journal, Journal of Management in Engineering, and The Journal of Healthcare Risk Management. He is a member of the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) and the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

Dr. Maleyeff received his Ph.D. in industrial engineering and operations research from the University of Massachusetts.

www.businessofgovernment.org 39 Improving Service Delivery in Government with lean six sigma

K e y c o n t a ct I n f o rm a ti o n

To contact the author:

John Maleyeff, Ph.D. Professor, Lally School of Management & Technology Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hartford Campus 275 Windsor Street Hartford, CT 06120 (860) 548-7870 fax: (860) 548-5322 e-mail: [email protected]

40 IBM Center for The Business of Government CENTER REPORTS AVAILABLE

competition, choice, Implementing Alternative Sourcing Federal Intranet Work Sites: An and incentives Strategies: Four Case Studies (2004) Interim Assessment (2002) Edited by Jacques S. Gansler and Julianne G. Mahler and Priscilla M. Determining a Level Playing Field for William Lucyshyn Regan Public-Private Competition (1999) Designing Competitive Bidding for The State of Federal Websites: The Lawrence L. Martin Medicare (2004) Pursuit of Excellence (2002) Implementing State Contracts for John Cawley and Andrew B. Whitford Genie N. L. Stowers Social Services: An Assessment of International Experience Using State Government E-Procurement the Kansas Experience (2000) Outsourcing, Public-Private in the Information Age: Issues, Jocelyn M. Johnston and Barbara S. Partnerships, and Vouchers (2005) Practices, and Trends (2002) Romzek Jón R. Blöndal M. Jae Moon A Vision of the Government Effectively Managing Professional Preparing for Wireless and Mobile as a World-Class Buyer: Major Services Contracts: 12 Best Practices Technologies in Government (2002) Procurement Issues for the Coming (2006) Ai-Mei Chang and P. K. Kannan Decade (2002) Sandra L. Fisher, Michael E. Jacques S. Gansler Wasserman, and Paige P. Wolf Public-Sector Information Security: A Call to Action for Public-Sector Contracting for the 21st Century: CIOs (2002, 2nd ed.) A Partnership Model (2002) Don Heiman Wendell C. Lawther E-Government The Auction Model: How the Public Franchise Funds in the Federal Sector Can Leverage the Power of Government: Ending the Monopoly Supercharging the Employment Agency: An Investigation of the Use E-Commerce Through Dynamic in Service Provision (2002) Pricing (2002, 2nd ed.) John J. Callahan of Information and Communication Technology to Improve the Service David C. Wyld Making Performance-Based of State Employment Agencies The Promise of E-Learning in Africa: Contracting Perform: What the (2000) The Potential for Public-Private Federal Government Can Learn from Anthony M. Townsend Partnerships (2003) State and Local Governments (2002, Norman LaRocque and Michael Latham 2nd ed.) Assessing a State’s Readiness for Lawrence L. Martin Global Electronic Commerce: Lessons Digitally Integrating the Government from the Ohio Experience (2001) Supply Chain: E-Procurement, E- Moving to Public-Private J. Pari Sabety and Steven I. Gordon Finance, and E-Logistics (2003) Partnerships: Learning from Privacy Strategies for Electronic Jacques S. Gansler, William Experience around the World (2003) Lucyshyn, and Kimberly M. Ross Trefor P. Williams Government (2001) Janine S. Hiller and France Bélanger Using Technology to Increase Citizen IT Outsourcing: A Primer for Public Commerce Comes to Government Participation in Government: The Managers (2003) Use of Models and Simulation (2003) Yu-Che Chen and James Perry on the Desktop: E-Commerce Applications in the Public Sector John O’Looney The Procurement Partnership (2001) Seaport: Charting a New Course for Model: Moving to a Team-Based Genie N. L. Stowers Professional Services Acquisition for Approach (2003) America’s Navy (2003) Kathryn G. Denhardt The Use of the Internet in Government Service Delivery (2001) David C. Wyld Moving Toward Market-Based Steven Cohen and William Eimicke E-Reporting: Strengthening Government: The Changing Role of State Web Portals: Delivering and Democratic Accountability (2004) Government as the Provider (2004, Mordecai Lee 2nd ed.) Financing E-Service (2002) Jacques S. Gansler Diana Burley Gant, Jon P. Gant, Understanding Electronic Signatures: and Craig L. Johnson The Key to E-Government (2004) Transborder Service Systems: Stephen H. Holden Pathways for Innovation or Threats Internet Voting: Bringing Elections to to Accountability? (2004) the Desktop (2002) Measuring the Performance of Alasdair Roberts Robert S. Done E-Government (2004) Genie N. L. Stowers Competitive Sourcing: What Happens Leveraging Technology in the to Federal Employees? (2004) Service of Diplomacy: Innovation in Jacques S. Gansler and William the Department of State (2002) Lucyshyn Barry Fulton

To download or order a copy of a report, visit the IBM Center for The Business of Government website at: www.businessofgovernment.org 41 CENTER REPORTS AVAILABLE

Restoring Trust in Government: Using Activity-Based Costing to Managing Telecommuting in the The Potential of Digital Citizen Manage More Effectively (2000) Federal Government: An Interim Participation (2004) Michael H. Granof, David E. Platt, Report (2000) Marc Holzer, James Melitski, Seung- and Igor Vaysman Gina Vega and Louis Brennan Yong Rho, and Richard Schwester Audited Financial Statements: Using Virtual Teams to Manage From E-Government to M- Getting and Sustaining “Clean” Complex Projects: A Case Study of Government? Emerging Practices Opinions (2001) the Radioactive Waste Management in the Use of Mobile Technology by Douglas A. Brook Project (2000) State Governments (2004) Samuel M. DeMarie M. Jae Moon An Introduction to Financial Risk Management in Government (2001) A Learning-Based Approach to Government Garage Sales: Richard J. Buttimer, Jr. Leading Change (2000) Online Auctions as Tools for Asset Barry Sugarman Management (2004) Understanding Federal Asset David C. Wyld Management: An Agenda for Reform Toward a 21st Century Public (2003) Service: Reports from Four Forums Innovation in E-Procurement: The Thomas H. Stanton (2001) Italian Experience (2004) Mark A. Abramson Mita Marra Efficiency Counts: Developing the Capacity to Manage Costs at Air Labor-Management Partnerships: Computerisation and E-Government Force Materiel Command (2003) A New Approach to Collaborative in Social Security: A Comparative Michael Barzelay and Fred Management (2001) International Study (2005) Thompson Barry Rubin and Richard Rubin Michael Adler and Paul Henman Federal Credit Programs: Managing Winning the Best and Brightest: The Next Big Election Challenge: Risk in the Information Age (2005) Increasing the Attraction of Public Developing Electronic Data Thomas H. Stanton Service (2001) Transaction Standards for Election Carol Chetkovich Administration (2005) Grants Management in the 21st R. Michael Alvarez and Thad E. Hall Century: Three Innovative Policy A Weapon in the War for Talent: Responses (2005) Using Special Authorities to Recruit Assessing the Impact of IT-Driven Timothy J. Conlan Crucial Personnel (2001) Education in K–12 Schools (2005) Hal G. Rainey Ganesh D. Bhatt Performance Budgeting: How NASA and SBA Link Costs and Performance A Changing Workforce: The Blogging Revolution: (2006) Understanding Diversity Programs in Government in the Age of Web 2.0 Lloyd A. Blanchard the Federal Government (2001) (2007) Katherine C. Naff and J. Edward David C. Wyld Transforming Federal Property Kellough Management: A Case for Public- Bridging the Digital Divide for Private Partnerships (2007) Life after Civil Service Reform: Hard-to-Reach Groups (2007) Judith Grant Long The Texas, Georgia, and Florida Heike Boeltzig and Doria Pilling Experiences (2002) Jonathan Walters Can Governments Create Universal Internet Access? The Philadelphia Human Capital The Defense Leadership and Municipal Wireless Network Story Management Program: Taking Career (2007) Management Development Seriously (2002) Abhijit Jain, Munir Mandviwalla, Joseph A. Ferrara and Mark C. Rom Results of the Government and Rajiv D. Banker Leadership Survey (1999) The Influence of Organizational Mark A. Abramson Commitment on Officer Retention: A 12-Year Study of U.S. Army Profiles in Excellence: Conversations Officers (2002) Financial with the Best of America’s Career Stephanie C. Payne, Ann H. Huffman, Executive Service (1999) Management and Trueman R. Tremble, Jr. Mark W. Huddleston Credit Scoring and Loan Scoring: Human Capital Reform: 21st Reflections on Mobility: Case Tools for Improved Management of Century Requirements for the United Studies of Six Federal Executives Federal Credit Programs (1999) States Agency for International (2000) Thomas H. Stanton Development (2003) Michael D. Serlin Anthony C. E. Quainton and Amanda M. Fulmer

42 To download or order a copy of a report, visit the IBM Center for The Business of Government website at: www.businessofgovernment.org Modernizing Human Resource Religious Organizations, Anti-Poverty Managing for Management in the Federal Relief, and Charitable Choice: A Performance and Government: The IRS Model (2003) Feasibility Study of Faith-Based James R. Thompson and Hal G. Rainey Welfare Reform in Mississippi (1999) Results John P. Bartkowski and Helen A. Regis Mediation at Work: Transforming Corporate Strategic Planning in Workplace Conflict at the United Business Improvement Districts and Government: Lessons from the States Postal Service (2003) Innovative Service Delivery (1999) United States Air Force (2000) Lisa B. Bingham Jerry Mitchell Colin Campbell Growing Leaders for Public Service An Assessment of Brownfield Using Evaluation to Support (2004, 2nd ed.) Redevelopment Policies: The Performance Management: A Guide Ray Blunt Michigan Experience (1999) for Federal Executives (2001) Richard C. Hula Kathryn Newcomer and Mary Ann Pay for Performance: A Guide for Scheirer Federal Managers (2004) San Diego County’s Innovation Howard Risher Program: Using Competition and a Managing for Outcomes: Milestone Whole Lot More to Improve Public Contracting in Oklahoma (2001) The Blended Workforce: Maximizing Services (2000) Peter Frumkin Agility Through Nonstandard Work William B. Eimicke Arrangements (2005) The Challenge of Developing Cross- James R. Thompson and Sharon H. Innovation in the Administration of Agency Measures: A Case Study of Mastracci Public Airports (2000) the Office of National Drug Control Scott E. Tarry Policy (2001) The Transformation of the Patrick J. Murphy and John Carnevale Government Accountability Office: Entrepreneurial Government: Using Human Capital to Drive Change Bureaucrats as Businesspeople (2000) The Potential of the Government (2005) Anne Laurent Performance and Results Act Jonathan Walters and Charles Rethinking U.S. Environmental as a Tool to Manage Third-Party Thompson Protection Policy: Management Government (2001) David G. Frederickson Designing and Implementing Challenges for a New Administration Performance-Oriented Payband (2000) Using Performance Data for Systems (2007) Dennis A. Rondinelli Accountability: The New York City James R. Thompson Understanding Innovation: What Police Department’s CompStat Inspires It? What Makes It Model of Police Management (2001) Managing for Better Performance: Paul E. O’Connell Enhancing Federal Performance Successful? (2001) Management Practices (2007) Jonathan Walters Moving Toward More Capable Howard Risher and Charles H. Fay Government Management of Government: A Guide to Information Mega-Technology: Organizational Design (2002) Seven Steps of Effective Workforce Thomas H. Stanton Planning (2007) Lessons from the Internal Revenue Service’s Tax Systems Modernization Ann Cotten The Baltimore CitiStat Program: (2002) Performance and Accountability Barry Bozeman (2003) Advancing High End Computing: Lenneal J. Henderson Innovation Linking to National Goals (2003) Strategies for Using State Information: Juan D. Rogers and Barry Bozeman Managing Workfare: The Case of the Measuring and Improving Program Work Experience Program in the New The Challenge of Innovating in Performance (2003) York City Parks Department (1999) Government (2006, 2nd ed.) Shelley H. Metzenbaum Steven Cohen Sandford Borins Linking Performance and Budgeting: New Tools for Improving A Model for Increasing Innovation Opportunities in the Federal Budget Government Regulation: An Adoption: Lessons Learned from the Process (2004, 2nd ed.) Assessment of Emissions Trading IRS e-file Program (2006) Philip G. Joyce and Other Market-Based Regulatory Stephen H. Holden Tools (1999) How Federal Programs Use Outcome Gary C. Bryner Information: Opportunities for Federal Managers (2004, 2nd ed.) Harry P. Hatry, Elaine Morley, Shelli B. Rossman, and Joseph S. Wholey

To download or order a copy of a report, visit the IBM Center for The Business of Government website at: www.businessofgovernment.org 43 CENTER REPORTS AVAILABLE

Performance Management for Applying 21st-Century Government The E-Government Collaboration Career Executives: A “Start Where to the Challenge of Homeland Challenge: Lessons from Five Case You Are, Use What You Have” Guide Security (2002) Studies (2006) (2004, 2nd ed.) Elaine C. Kamarck Jane Fedorowicz, Janis L. Gogan, Chris Wye and Christine B. Williams Assessing Partnerships: New Forms Staying the Course: The Use of of Collaboration (2003) From Forest Fires to Hurricane Performance Measurement in State Robert Klitgaard and Gregory F. Katrina: Case Studies of Incident Governments (2004) Treverton Command Systems (2007) Julia Melkers and Katherine Donald P. Moynihan Willoughby Leveraging Networks: A Guide for Public Managers Working across Moving from Outputs to Outcomes: Organizations (2003) Practical Advice from Governments Robert Agranoff presidential Around the World (2006) Burt Perrin Extraordinary Results on National transitions Goals: Networks and Partnerships in Using the Balanced Scorecard: the Bureau of Primary Health Care’s The President’s Management Lessons Learned from the U.S. Postal 100%/0 Campaign (2003) Council: An Important Management Service and the Defense Finance John Scanlon Innovation (2000) and Accounting Service (2006) Margaret L. Yao Nicholas J. Mathys and Kenneth R. Public-Private Strategic Partnerships: Government Reorganization: Thompson The U.S. Postal Service-Federal Express Alliance (2003) Strategies and Tools to Get It Done Performance Leadership: 11 Better Oded Shenkar (2004) Practices That Can Ratchet Up Hannah Sistare Performance (2006, 2nd ed.) The Challenge of Coordinating “Big Performance Management for Robert D. Behn Science” (2003) W. Henry Lambright Political Executives: A “Start Where Performance Accountability: You Are, Use What You Have” Guide The Five Building Blocks and Six Communities of Practice: A New (2004) Essential Practices (2006) Tool for Government Managers (2003) Chris Wye Shelley H. Metzenbaum William M. Snyder and Xavier de Souza Briggs Becoming an Effective Political Implementing OMB’s Program Executive: 7 Lessons from Assessment Rating Tool (PART): Collaboration and Performance Experienced Appointees (2005, Meeting the Challenges of Integrating Management in Network Settings: 2nd ed.) Budget and Performance (2006) Lessons from Three Watershed Judith E. Michaels John B. Gilmour Governance Efforts (2004) Mark T. Imperial Getting to Know You: Rules of The Philadelphia SchoolStat Model Engagement for Political Appointees (2007) The Quest to Become “One”: An and Career Executives (2005) Christopher Patusky, Leigh Botwinik, Approach to Internal Collaboration Joseph A. Ferrara and Lynn C. Ross and Mary Shelley (2005) Russ Linden Six Trends Transforming Government What All Mayors Would Like to (2006) Know About Baltimore’s CitiStat Cooperation Between Social Security Mark A. Abramson, Jonathan D. But Were Afraid Someone Might and Tax Agencies in Europe (2005) Breul, and John M. Kamensky Actually Tell Them: Frequently Bernhard Zaglmayer, Paul Reflections on 21st Century Asked Questions About the CitiStat Schoukens, and Danny Pieters Government Management (2007) Performance Strategy (2007) Leveraging Collaborative Networks Donald F. Kettl and Steven Kelman Robert D. Behn in Infrequent Emergency Situations (2005) The Management of Regulation Donald P. Moynihan Development: Out of the Shadows (2007) networks and Public Deliberation: A Manager’s Cornelius M. Kerwin partnerships Guide to Citizen Engagement (2006) Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer and Lars Leveraging Networks to Meet Hasselblad Torres National Goals: FEMA and the Safe Social Services Construction Networks (2002) A Manager’s Guide to Choosing William L. Waugh, Jr. and Using Collaborative Networks Delivery of Benefits in an Emergency: (2006) Lessons from Hurricane Katrina (2007) H. Brinton Milward and Keith G. Thomas H. Stanton Provan

44 To download or order a copy of a report, visit the IBM Center for The Business of Government website at: www.businessofgovernment.org Strategy and Managing “Big Science”: A Case Improving Service Delivery in Transformation Study of the Human Genome Project Government with Lean Six Sigma (2002) (2007) The Importance of Leadership: The W. Henry Lambright John Maleyeff Role of School Principals (1999) The Power of Frontline Workers Paul Teske and Mark Schneider in Transforming Government: Leadership for Change: Case Studies The Upstate New York Veterans SUPPLY CHAIN Healthcare Network (2003) in American Local Government (1999) MANAGEMENT Robert B. Denhardt and Janet Timothy J. Hoff Vinzant Denhardt Making Public Sector Mergers Enhancing Security Throughout the Supply Chain (2004) Managing Decentralized Work: Lessons Learned (2003) Peter Frumkin David J. Closs and Edmund F. Departments: The Case of the U.S. McGarrell Department of Health and Human Efficiency Counts: Developing the Services (1999) Capacity to Manage Costs at Air Investing in Supply Chain Security: Beryl A. Radin Force Materiel Command (2003) Collateral Benefits (2005, 2nd ed.) James B. Rice, Jr., and Philip W. Spayd Transforming Government: The Michael Barzelay and Fred Thompson Renewal and Revitalization of the Managing the New Multipurpose, RFID: The Right Frequency for Federal Emergency Management Multidiscipline University Research Government (2005) Agency (2000) Centers: Institutional Innovation in David C. Wyld R. Steven Daniels and Carolyn L. the Academic Community (2003) Benchmarking Procurement Clark-Daniels Barry Bozeman and P. Craig Boardman Practices in Higher Education Transforming Government: Creating The Transformation of the (2007) the New Defense Procurement Government Accountability Office: Richard R. Young, Kusumal System (2000) Using Human Capital to Drive Ruamsook, and Susan B. Purdum Kimberly A. Harokopus Change (2005) Trans-Atlantic Experiences in Health Jonathan Walters and Charles Reform: The United Kingdom’s Thompson National Health Service and the Transforming the Intelligence United States Veterans Health Community: Improving the Administration (2000) Collection and Management of Marilyn A. DeLuca Information (2005) Transforming Government: The Elaine C. Kamarck Revitalization of the Veterans Health Executive Response to Changing Administration (2000) Fortune: Sean O’Keefe as NASA Gary J. Young Administrator (2005) The Challenge of Managing Across W. Henry Lambright Boundaries: The Case of the Ramping Up Large, Non-Routine Office of the Secretary in the U.S. Projects: Lessons for Federal Department of Health and Human Managers from the Successful 2000 Services (2000) Census (2005) Beryl A. Radin Nancy A. Potok and William G. Creating a Culture of Innovation: Barron, Jr. 10 Lessons from America’s Best Run The Next Government of the United City (2001) States: Challenges for Performance Janet Vinzant Denhardt and Robert B. in the 21st Century (2005) Denhardt Donald F. Kettl Transforming Government: Dan Reforming the Federal Aviation Goldin and the Remaking of NASA Administration: Lessons from (2001) Canada and the United Kingdom W. Henry Lambright (2006) Managing Across Boundaries: A Clinton V. Oster, Jr. Case Study of Dr. Helene Gayle and the AIDS Epidemic (2002) Norma M. Riccucci

To download or order a copy of a report, visit the IBM Center for The Business of Government website at: www.businessofgovernment.org 45 BOOKS

Collaboration: Using Networks and Managing for Results 2002 Partnerships (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2001) Inc., 2004) Mark A. Abramson and John M. John M. Kamensky and Thomas J. Kamensky, editors Burlin, editors Managing for Results 2005 Competition, Choice, and Incentives (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, in Government Programs Inc., 2004) (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, John M. Kamensky and Albert Inc., 2006) Morales, editors John M. Kamensky and Albert Morales, editors Memos to the President: Management Advice from the E-Government 2001 Nation’s Top CEOs (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000) Inc., 2001) James J. Schiro, editor Mark A. Abramson and Grady E. Means, editors Memos to the President: Management Advice from the E-Government 2003 Nation’s Top Public Administrators (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2002) Inc., 2001) Mark A. Abramson and Therese L. Mark A. Abramson, editor Morin, editors New Ways of Doing Business Human Capital 2002 (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2003) Inc., 2002) Mark A. Abramson and Ann M. Mark A. Abramson and Nicole Kieffaber, editors Willenz Gardner, editors The Procurement Revolution Human Capital 2004 (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2003) Inc., 2004) Mark A. Abramson and Roland S. Jonathan D. Breul and Nicole Harris III, editors Willenz Gardner, editors Transforming Government Supply Innovation Chain Management (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2002) Inc., 2003) Mark A. Abramson and Ian Littman, Jacques S. Gansler and Robert E. editors Luby, Jr., editors Integrating Performance and Transforming Organizations Budgets: The Budget Office of (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Tomorrow Inc., 2001) (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Mark A. Abramson and Paul R. Inc., 2006) Lawrence, editors Jonathan D. Breul and Carl Moravitz, editors Leaders (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2002) Mark A. Abramson and Kevin M. Bacon, editors Learning the Ropes: Insights for Political Appointees (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Note: Rowman & Littlefield books Inc., 2005) are available at bookstores, online Mark A. Abramson and Paul R. booksellers, and from the publisher Lawrence, editors (www.rowmanlittlefield.com or 800-462-6420).

46 About the IBM Center for The Business of Government Through research stipends and events, the IBM Center for The Business of Government stimulates research and facilitates discussion of new approaches to improving the effectiveness of government at the federal, state, local, and international levels.

The Center is one of the ways that IBM seeks to advance knowledge on how to improve public sector effectiveness. The IBM Center focuses on the future of the operation and management of the public sector.

About IBM Global Business Services With consultants and professional staff in more than 160 countries globally, IBM Global Business Services is the world’s largest consulting services organization. IBM Global Business Services provides clients with business process and industry expertise, a deep understanding of technology solutions that address specific industry issues, and the ability to design, build and run those solutions in a way that delivers bottom-line business value. For more information visit www.ibm.com.

For additional information, contact: Jonathan D. Breul Executive Director IBM Center for The Business of Government 1301 K Street, NW Fourth Floor, West Tower Washington, DC 20005 (202) 515-4504, fax: (202) 515-4375 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.businessofgovernment.org