Our journey to excellence through continuous improvement.

The County of Ventura has embarked on a deliberate detour from traditional approaches in its stand against waste using a continuous improvement model known as Lean Six Sigma. 

Over the last decade, a number of government entities have employed Lean Six Sigma with substantially convincing results to demonstrate that the concept of effectively creating lean systems in government is not only possible, but probable and attainable.

Lean can be defined as a management approach that seeks to maximize value while removing wasteful activities and practices. Six Sigma can be defined as a management approach that seeks to systematically apply scientific principles to reduce variation and eliminate defects in service offerings.

'Lean Thinking' is a concept for government whose time has come. County staff who have participated in improvement actions report that they experience a sense of renewed energy, team-building, inspiration and excitement when they are able to correct long-standing process problems. Continuous improvement as a way of business has arrived and is here to stay.