Oregon's Improved Operations
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Reduced Time and Cost to Test Environmental Samples
Industry:
Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality
Problem
Water, soil and other environmental samples must be tested within a reasonably short period of time after they are collected—some as short as 48 hours—before the sample is no longer viable. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) competes with private laboratories for this testing business. Therefore, Oregon DEQ experiences considerable pressure to keep turnaround times short and its costs competitive within this marketplace.
Approach
To find ways to improve overall efficiency, Oregon DEQ used two proven Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methods—a formal Kaizen event and implementation of several “quick win,” easy-to-implement solutions. The Kaizen event involved a cross-functional team made up of DEQ employees from across the state and three external experts who were selected for their individual areas of expertise. The team began by mapping the current testing process and finding that it involved 93 individual steps. Each step was discussed and several were judged to be redundant or unnecessary. Brainstorming was then used to find ways to eliminate the steps that were not needed.
The Kaizen also identified the “quick win” projects. These are obvious, simple improvements that can be enacted relatively easily. Oregon DEQ found eight of these projects which were:
** Adding bar codes to samples to minimize data entry time and errors
** Implementing a standardized form to improve accuracy
** Establishing a due date-driven prioritization scheme to ensure timely analysis
** Implementing electronic approval signatures for quicker processing
** Creating communication boards to improve internal communications
** Establishing error tracking to identify error-prone areas for follow-on work
** Creating performance measures and turnaround time reports to help managers monitor efficiency
** Standardizing work to facilitate its flow
Results
Based on the process streamlining from the Kaizen event and the above “quick win” projects, substantial improvements in the ability of Oregon DEQ to remain competitive with private labs were achieved. Foremost, the number of steps in the overall testing process was reduced by 42 percent (93 reduced to 54). This reduction was achieved by reducing physical handoffs by 85 percent and electronic handoffs by 60%. Further, waiting periods were reduced by 38 percent; loop-backs by 56 percent and decision points by 53 percent.
The Kaizen team also identified several long-term improvements such as eliminating redundant quality control checks, defining customer turnaround expectations and enhancing the functionality of the laboratory. Finally, the Oregon DEQ experienced a change in mind-set. Comments from employees involved in the improvement projects were heard such as, “I was struck by the number of good ideas people already had that just needed a vehicle to make them stick” and “I was amazed at how much we could accomplish without spending a penny.” (1)
Case Study: Utilizing Lean Six Sigma to Reduce Time & Cost in Testing Environmental Samples, Guidon Performance Solutions, LLC, 2009
