Lean

Lean Government Resources

EPA Publications

Cover of Lean Government Starter KitLean Starter Kit
(en español)
Helps government agencies plan and implement successful Lean events. Answers questions to help agency managers determine whether Lean is right for their agencies and presents ideas for agencies interested in expanding their Lean initiatives.

Cover of Lean Government Methods GuideLean Methods Guide
(en español)
Helps environmental agencies better understand the array of Lean methods and when to consider using each method.

Cover of Lean Government Scoping GuideLean Scoping Guide
Helps government agencies select, scope, and charter successful Lean events.

Cover of the Lean Government Metrics GuideLean Metrics Guide
Government agencies understand and select metrics to support their implementation of Lean and Six Sigma—two powerful and proven methods to improve organizational performance.

Cover of Lean Government Leadership GuideLean Leadership Guide
Defines 8 critical steps project Sponsors should take to successfully lead process improvement initiatives.

Lean Primer CoverLean CPA Training and Capacity Building Strategy
Presents a framework that outlines a body of Knowledge (education/content), a body of Experience (application of tools and demonstrating results), and Continuous Learning (coaching, mentoring and specialized courses) for Lean and continuous process improvement (CPI) practitioners who wish to apply their skills at EPA.

Lean Replication CoverEPA Lean Government Initiative: How to Replicate Lean Successes
Describes how EPA Offices and Regions can identify and adapt successful practices from previous Lean projects to “replicate” their successes and generate further improvements.

Lean IT ToolkitLean and Information Technology Toolkit
Helps environmental agencies use Lean Startup, Lean process improvement, and Agile tools to streamline and automate processes.

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Presentations and Videos

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS). Working Smart for Environmental Protection: State Efforts to Improve Permitting Processes Using Lean and Six Sigma Exit. Presentations from the ECOS Annual Meeting on 27 August 2006 in Portland, Oregon. (Presentations include an overview of the Working Smart for Environmental Protection primer and case studies of agency process improvement efforts in Iowa, Delaware, Michigan, and Virginia.

Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Green and Lean Exit  (Windows Media Video).

Pension Benefits Guaranty Corporation. BAPD Data Acquisition, Analysis, and Reporting Process Kaizen Event. January 2008.

TBM Lean Six Sigma. Transforming Government:  The Challenge and Opportunity of the 21st Century (PDF)(73 pp, 6.8 MB, About PDF) Exit. Presentation from the 2008 Symposium on Innovating for Sustainable Results Workshop on January 8, 2008, Chapel Hill, NC.  

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Articles & Reports

Maleyeff, John. Improving Service Delivery in Government with Lean and Six Sigma (PDF)(48 pp, 766 K, About PDF) Exit. Strategy and Transformation Series, IBM Center for the Business of Government.

"‘Lean’ Principles Cut Wasted Time from State Processes Exit." Times Argus. N.p., n.d. Web.

Books

Ahlstrom, Joakim. How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015.

Association for Manufacturing Excellence. Lean Administration: Case Studies in Leadership and Improvement. New York: Productivity Press, 2007.

George, Michael L. Lean Six Sigma for Service: How to Use Lean Speed & Six Sigma Quality to Improve Services and Transactions. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003.

Fabrizio, Tom and Don Tapping. 5S for the Office: Organizing the Workplace to Eliminate Waste. New York: Productivity Press, 2006.

Flinchbaugh, Jamie and Andy Carlino. The Hitchhikers Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road. Dearborn, MI: Society for Manufacturing Engineers, 2006.

Keyte, Beau and Drew Locher. The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping for Administrative and Office Processes. New York: Productivity Press, 2004.

Martichenko, Robert O. Everything I Know About Lean I Learned in First Grade. Massachusetts: Lean Enterprise Institute, 2007.

Martin, James William. Lean Six Sigma for the Office. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2009.

Martin, Karen. Kaizen Event Planner: Achieving Rapid Improvement in Office, Service, and Technical Environments. New York: Productivity Press, 2007.

Martin, Karen. The Outstanding Organization. (An electronic copy of this book is available in Skillport. You can search for this title in the library.)

Miller, Joyce A., Bogatova, Tania, and Carnohan, Bruce. Improving Performance in Service Organizations: How to Implement a Lean Transformation. Illinois: Lyceum Books, Inc., 2011.

Miller, Ken. We Dont Make Widgets: Overcoming the Barriers that Keep Government from Radically Improving. Washington DC: Governing, 2006. 

Productivity Press Development Team. The Lean Office: Collected Practices and Cases. New York: Productivity Press, 2005.

Rajesh, Jugulum and Phillip Samuel. Design for Lean Six Sigma: A Holistic Approach to Design and Innovation. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2008.

Richard, Graham. Performance is the Best Politics: How to Create High-Performance Government Using Lean Six Sigma.Fort Wayne: HPG Press, 2006.

Sharma, Anand and Gary Hourselt. The Antidote: How to Transform Your Business for the Extreme Challenges of the 21st Century.  Durham: Managing Times Press, 2006.

Tapping, Don. The Lean Office Pocket Guide XL: Tools for Elimination of Waste in Administrative Areas! New York: MCS Media, 2006.

Tapping, Don and Tom Shuker.Value Stream Management for the Lean Office: Eight Steps to Planning, Mapping, and Sustaining Lean Improvements in Administrative Areas. New York: Productivity Press, 2003.

Thompson, Jim. Lean Production for the Office: Common Sense Ideas to Help Your Office Continuously Improve. Toronto: Productive Publications, 2009.

Venegas, Carlos. Flow in the Office: Implementing and Sustaining Lean Improvements. New York: Productivity Press, 2007.

Womack, James P. and Daniel T. Jones. Lean Solutions: How Companies and Customers Can Create Value and Wealth Together. New York: Free Press, 2005.

Womack, James P. and Daniel T. Jones. Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.

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Websites

The following links exit the site Exit

American Society of Quality (ASQ) — ASQ (American Society for Quality) is a global community of people dedicated to quality who share the ideas and tools that make our world work better. With individual and organizational members around the world, ASQ has the reputation and reach to bring together the diverse quality champions who are transforming the world’s corporations, organizations and communities to meet tomorrow’s critical challenges. ASQ offers Lean and Lean Six Sigma training and Certification for Lean Six Sigma practitioners.

Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) — ECOS is an organization that supports strategic initiatives for state environmental agencies.

Evolving Excellence — Weblog that discusses Lean government topics.

The Karen Martin Group — The Karen Martin Group helps organizations—from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies, government agencies and non-profits—deliver higher quality goods and services faster and at lower cost, while creating safe and stimulating work environments.

Lean Enterprise Institute — LEI is a non-profit research and training organization focused on value stream mapping and Lean principles. Check out LEI’s “Lean Government” forum.

Leanovations — Leanovations consulting firm specializes in teaching and coaching companies to compete worldwide with Lean to Green (L2G) operational excellence, and to win profitable growth through innovations.  Leanovations mission is to promote, teach and coach a Lean to Green culture that focuses on the processes and innovations that create economic growth, jobs and fosters environmental improvement.

Maryland World Class Consortia — MWCC is a non-profit organization offering performance improvement tools, educational resources, networking and implementation support.

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Manufacturing Extension Partnership — NIST MEP centers are non-profit Lean technical assistance providers.

Productivity Press — Productivity Press is a private Lean publishing company.

Shingo Institute — The Shingo Institute is a not-for-profit organization housed at Utah State University. The Shingo Institute’s mission is to guide leaders in creating sustainable cultures of excellence based on principles.

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