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Lean Roanoke
The City of Roanoke, Virginia recognizes the importance of change and how embracing change improves business processes. Citizens expectations are rising and municipalities are being forced to do more with less. The City of Roanoke has forward thinking leaders that have aspired to make the organization more efficient using Lean methodology.
Lean training has helped city employees improve processes using technology and other improvements to achieve a more efficient work environment benefiting it's customers.
Lean training has helped city employees improve processes using technology and other improvements to achieve a more efficient work environment benefiting it's customers.
Definition
Lean is an overall business methodology that strives to deliver the most value to the customer in the most effective way.Lean Project Goals
- Eliminate waste
- Improve quality
- Improve services
- Minimize cost
- Reduce time
- Remove activities that don't add value and continual improvement
Partnership with Virginia Tech
During the summer of 2012, the City of Roanoke entered into a 2 pronged partnership with Virginia Tech involving the school’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) in Blacksburg, Virginia and its Center for Higher Learning in Roanoke, Virginia.
During the summer of 2012, the City of Roanoke entered into a 2 pronged partnership with Virginia Tech involving the school’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) in Blacksburg, Virginia and its Center for Higher Learning in Roanoke, Virginia.
Annually, the ISE (Industrial and Systems Engineering) Department solicits Lean capstone projects for its students to complete as a graduation requirement. In September 2012, city projects were submitted, and ISE selected 4 projects in the following areas: Police Department, Social Services, Building Inspections, and Planning. In August 2013, two additional projects from the City’s Transportation Division and the Greater Roanoke Transit Company were chosen and evaluated by a new class of students. And in August 2014, four additional projects were selected – three from the Police Department and one from the Facilities group at our City Schools.
These ten projects provided the students an opportunity to apply classroom training to real world situations while providing a significant benefit to the city departments and ultimately, to citizens and businesses. At the end of each school year, city staff met with the Virginia Tech faculty coordinator to critique the process and make tweaks for the upcoming year. We anticipate continuing this partnership in 2015 and subsequent years.
These ten projects provided the students an opportunity to apply classroom training to real world situations while providing a significant benefit to the city departments and ultimately, to citizens and businesses. At the end of each school year, city staff met with the Virginia Tech faculty coordinator to critique the process and make tweaks for the upcoming year. We anticipate continuing this partnership in 2015 and subsequent years.
City staff worked with Virginia Tech management staff located at Roanoke Center for Higher Learning to develop 2 internal Lean management education programs. In January 2013, Lean Management for Executives was launched to introduce basic Lean principles to senior leaders. In February and March, Lean Management for Practitioners, a 4 day course on the Lean principles and application, was rolled out to 18 mid-level managers. Graduation from the program required the successful completion of two projects by each participant. In November 2013, the Center awarded 9 participants with a Certificate in Lean Management for Practitioners.
A second Lean Management for Practitioners class was held in October and December 2013 for 18 additional City staff members. Twelve members of that group completed their projects and graduated on October 3, 2014. Four members from the first group also graduated at that time.
A second Lean Management for Practitioners class was held in October and December 2013 for 18 additional City staff members. Twelve members of that group completed their projects and graduated on October 3, 2014. Four members from the first group also graduated at that time.
As these first 2 cohorts were completing their projects, the City worked with Virginia Tech to develop a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) training curriculum that combined both quality and efficiency. A 1 day LSS Executive Overview for department Directors was conducted in mid-September 2014. That was followed by a 2 day yellow belt training course for division heads in order to provide them with a high level overview of the LSS tools and techniques.
In mid-October, nationally recognized LSS green belt training was offered. This was an in-depth 5 day training course that included an exam and the requirement of completing a LSS project within a 9-12 month time frame. Graduation from this class occurred in June of 2015. Participants in this training consisted of several members from the first 2 Lean Management for Practitioners classes as well as staff who have not previously been exposed to Lean principles. Overall, nineteen people went through this training with five graduating in June; many of the others are expected to complete their projects by the end of October. In 2016, the City plans to offer additional Lean and/or Lean Six Sigma training classes.
Lean and Six Sigma management practices are not a substitute for proper planning or leadership. Here in southwest Virginia, the region works best when institutions work together. A combination of the city’s customer-focused, outcome-oriented culture plus the first-rate training that Virginia Tech offers has produced a win-win situation for everyone in this time of constrained resources and increased needs, especially Roanoke’s residents.
In mid-October, nationally recognized LSS green belt training was offered. This was an in-depth 5 day training course that included an exam and the requirement of completing a LSS project within a 9-12 month time frame. Graduation from this class occurred in June of 2015. Participants in this training consisted of several members from the first 2 Lean Management for Practitioners classes as well as staff who have not previously been exposed to Lean principles. Overall, nineteen people went through this training with five graduating in June; many of the others are expected to complete their projects by the end of October. In 2016, the City plans to offer additional Lean and/or Lean Six Sigma training classes.
The Star City Innovators does not look at continuous improvement as a means to eliminate positions. We embrace the process improvement tools that we have learned to transform our organization by removing red tape and unnecessary steps that can make our jobs frustrating so that we can work more effectively. This helps improve our work environment, provides opportunities for staff to focus on priorities and their own development, and ultimately provide better service to our community.
Our Role:
We are a volunteer, grass roots group that is committed to providing a high level of service to each other and our community, in the simplest manner possible. We want to encourage others to embrace continuous improvement and help the organization meet its goal of the city providing best-in-class service.
To do this we will:
- Reinforce a culture of staff empowerment - we will provide introductory training on continuous improvement to new employees to promote critical analysis of our business processes, efficient use of staff and resources, allowing staff to focus on priorities.
- Assist you with your own efforts - we are available to help you work through process issues, problems or challenges to help improve your work environment and reduce unnecessary steps and unnecessary effort. We will conduct workshops to help staff develop Lean solutions to challenges in their workplace.
- Support ongoing Lean and Lean Six Sigma Training - we will be available to act as mentors and offer support to staff participating in the formal Lean and/or Lean Six Sigma programs.
If we all make small incremental changes to improve our practices, we will have a big impact on our overall work environment, our ability to provide services to our community, and alter common misconceptions of how government performs.
For more information about Lean Roanoke, contact Angie O'Brien at: [email protected]