Lean in Government Starter Kit
Drawing from the experiences of several state and federal agencies, Ross & Associates helped EPA develop the Lean in Government Starter Kit: How to Plan and Implement Successful Lean Initiatives at Environment Agencies, Version 3.0. The Starter Kit is designed to help government agencies plan and implement successful Lean events. The underlying goal of this Starter Kit is to provide information, tools, and downloadable resources that agencies can use to develop or incorporate into a Lean continual improvement system.
Lean Government Initiative Support
Ross & Associates has supported EPA’s Lean Government Initiative since its inception in 2005, facilitating the expanded use of Lean and Six Sigma among environmental agencies to improve diverse processes, ranging from permitting to standard setting. We have developed several practical resources on the application of Lean methods to government, such as The Lean in Government Starter Kit, which has been used by government agencies across the U.S. and in several other countries. Other products have included the Lean Government Primer, Lean Leadership Guide, Lean Government Metrics Guide, Lean in Air Permitting Guide, Lean Government Event Scoping Guide, and numerous case studies and presentations.
Lean and Environment Initiative
As a national expert on the integration of Lean manufacturing and environmental considerations, Ross & Associates has provided research, tool development, and communications support to EPA’s Lean and Environment Initiative since its inception in 2003. Working with EPA’s Lean and environment partners, Ross & Associates has developed a series of “toolkit” publications that provide Lean practitioners with practical strategies for enhancing the environmental results of Lean methods
Lean Government Primer: Working Smart for Environmental Protection
Ross & Associates worked with EPA and state environmental agencies from Iowa, Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska to develop a primer on government agency use of Lean and Six Sigma called, “Working Smart for Environmental Protection: Improving State Agency Processes with Lean and Six Sigma.” These five state environmental agencies were among the first to implement Lean, seeing results such as significantly reduced permit application backlogs, decreased times for permit reviews by more than 50 percent, simplified permit application forms, improved consistency of permit applications, and increased staff time available for “mission critical” work.
Lean, Energy & Climate Toolkit
Ross & Associates wrote and produced EPA’s Lean, Energy & Climate Toolkit, which offers Lean implementers practical strategies and techniques for improving Lean results—waste elimination, quality enhancement, and delivery of value to customers—while reducing energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, costs, and risk. The toolkit also introduces Lean practitioners to the extensive array of energy management and greenhouse gas reduction resources available from EPA, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and other organizations.
Washington Lean and Green Manufacturing Assistance Program
Since 2006, Ross & Associates has provided strategic and technical support to an innovative partnership between the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) and Impact Washington (formerly Washington Manufacturing Services) and a series of Lean and green manufacturing projects with facilities in Washington State. In these projects, Ecology and Impact Washington have integrated environmental considerations and pollution prevention (P2) tools into Lean manufacturing practices to deliver better operational and environmental results.