If Fort Wayne City in Indiana is a Six Sigma city, then Iowa State is the Lean State. Iowa began using lean as a business improvement methodology in 2004.
Two years later, the State established the Office of Lean Enterprise within the Iowa Department of Management. The office is to promote and facilitate continuous improvement in Iowa state government through the use of a specific set of proven tools and methodologies collectively known as Lean.
Since then the Iowa has transformed service agencies by achieving double-digit improvements in time savings, quality, costs, and service levels.
According to a recent press release:
Iowa Governor Chester J. Culver has declared October 2nd as “Lean Government Day” to raise public awareness of the benefits of “Lean” productivity improvement techniques for state government agencies and to acknowledge the State of Iowa’s commitment to streamlining public services through the Lean culture. The proclamation will be presented on October 2nd in Des Moines during the Lean Government Exchange, hosted jointly by the State of Iowa and Guidon Performance Solutions, a TBM Consulting Group company.
Other cities and states or governments in general can learn from Fort Wayne and Iowa. It’s time that governments be run systematically and eliminate bureaucratic red tape.
