1st Edition

Lean for the Public Sector The Pursuit of Perfection in Government Services

By Bert Teeuwen Copyright 2011
    224 Pages 84 B/W Illustrations
    by Productivity Press

    224 Pages
    by Productivity Press

    Packed with international case examples and clearly delineating principles as they apply to public sector organizations, Lean for the Public Sector: The Pursuit of Perfection in Government Services demonstrates that Lean in the public sector is neither rocket science nor a typical profit-driven improvement program.

    The book begins with coverage of the basic philosophy of Lean before detailing specific methods for improving processes in the public sector. It addresses concerns specific to the public sector environment and considers the role of the citizen, not only as customer, but as a voter, taxpayer, and community participant. The author provides a clear explanation of methods such as 5S, kaizen, standardization techniques, and Value Stream Mapping shaped to Lean Government. His approach provides a reality-based view of value-added services and waste in the public sector.

    Written specifically to address the application of Lean practices in government and the public sector, this how-to workbook gives you the wherewithal to combat the 'We don’t make widgets' mentality. Providing the tools to manage the entire Lean transformation process, the book helps you immediately integrate the Lean way of thinking and its tools into your improvement program.

    Introduction to Lean Management
    Improvement in the Public Sector
    Lean: That’s about Cars, Right?
    Five Basic Principles in Lean

    Adding Value: Who Is the Customer?
    Portrait of a Citizen
    Critial Quality Parameters

    Determine Value
    The Eight Deadly Wastes
    Avoidable and Unavoidable Waste
    Action Time and Lead Time
    Action Time for the Citizen
    Creating Value in the Public Sector

    Mapping the Value Stream
    Mapping the Current State
    Mapping the Future State

    Flow and the Pull Principle
    Strive for Continuous One-Piece Flow
    Application for Facilities: Working in Cells
    Takt Time
    Pull Principle
    Sometimes Push Is Better
    The Road to Flow and Pull

    Mobilize Employees
    Ownership
    Should Work Be Fun?
    Improvement in Kaizen Teams
    Everyday Lean

    Continuous Improvement with Kaizen Teams
    Step 1: Choose a Subject
    Step 2: Set a Goal
    Step 3: Analyze the Current State
    Step 4: Find Solutions, Draw the Future State
    Step 5: Prepare the Action Plan
    Step 6: Implement the Action Plan
    Step 7: Measure the Effects
    Step 8: Accommodate Standardization and Compliance

    Standardization and Compliance
    Compliance
    Conscious and Subconscious Actions
    Why Operating Instructions and Procedures Don’t Always Work
    The Compliance Pyramid

    The Perfect Public Service Provider
    Road to Perfection
    Cases of Process Improvement

    The Process-Oriented Organization
    Reorganization and Lean
    Task-Oriented Versus Process-Oriented
    Vertical Start-Up
    Case of the Social Services Department in the Town of Oldambt
    Fundamentals

    Lean and Cost Savings
    Benefit from Time Gained
    The Government Unable to Cut Costs
    Cost-Saving Strategies
    The Turkey

    Workplace Organization Based on the 5Ss
    Search Time: 30 Seconds Maximum
    The Practical Method
    First S: Sort
    Preparation for 5S
    Starting 5S: The Clean-Out
    Clean Desk and the Paperless Office
    A Practical Restart
    Digital 5S
    Practical Case: Tax Department of the Municipality of Dordrecht
    Appendix A: Process Activity Sheet
    Appendix B: Project Letter
    Appendix C: 5 × Why Diagram
    Appendix D: Proposal for Improvement
    Appendix E: Example of a 5S Audit
    Bibliography
    Index

    Biography

    Bert Teeuwen