Improvement is top goal with state agency leaders
Finding points of agreement rather than contention is important in tense circumstances such as our current budget situation. I know Oklahomans are as frustrated as I am with the bleak outlook for our state budget. Reading through the suggestions presented in “A way to get more bang for state’s buck” (Point of View, Oct.
6), I found that we agreed more than we differed. The idealism of recent college graduates can be advantageous at times, but it can also cause one to fall into the trap of trying to solve complex problems with cookie-cutter solutions.
One point on which I find common ground with the author is the effectiveness of the Lean Six Sigma methodology. In fact, my agency, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, has been using Lean Six Sigma practices for the past six years, and by applying this methodology has successfully consolidated IT for 74 state agencies with projected savings of more than $328 million. Currently, OMES has 50-plus Lean Six Sigma-certified staff members.
Other agencies in state government have also benefited from the principles of Lean Six Sigma, like reducing waste and promoting a lean and efficient operation.
In 2014, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board implemented a new workflow for the state parole process. The entire parole, pardon and revocation process now provides elements of transparency, open government and instant access to information. As a result of this effort, docket preparation time went from four weeks to three days; results notification has reduced from approximately two weeks to process and verify results to only two days; and parole processing time has decreased from 30-90 days to only 5-10 days. These combined benefits resulted in an estimated cost savings of $13.4 million in fiscal year 2014.
Another example of Lean Six Sigma principles in action comes from the Department of Human Services Aging Services Division. By completing the Electronic Benefits Transaction initiative, DHS modernized and streamlined claims payment processing and reporting for the adult day health program. It also ensured DHS only paid for actual usage and reduced human billing error and fraud.
An additional point of agreement is that the focus on efficacy leads to more sustainable outcomes than just efficiency. The example of eliminating personal printers in favor of a centralized printing system is a great example of that principal in action. When OMES implemented the same mandate five years ago, we saw an immediate return on our investment and have seen this initiative implemented in other state agencies with the same success.
One of the main tenets of Lean Six Sigma is continuous improvement, and this goal is forefront in the minds of state agency leaders all the time. Putting forth revenue-raising proposals isn’t something I take lightly, but agencies have seen $725.6 million in cuts over seven years, and many of them have already undergone these processes faced with no other choice but to find ways to become more efficient and reduce spending.