Patrick W. Shannon1, Russell Barron2

(1. Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83706, USA; 2. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, USA)

 

 

Abstract: Building off of lessons learned from the Toyota Production System (TPS), many North American manufacturers have successfully implemented lean business practices. For these organizations, the lean philosophy has resulted in improved competitive positions by eliminating and reducing waste, driving down costs, reducing lead times, and improving quality. The lean trend has also taken hold in non-manufacturing, private sector organizations, and even more recently in public sector organizations. This paper presents a case study of a successful lean implementation at the Food Stamp Program in the State of Idaho. Prior to the lean implementation, Idaho’s Food Stamp program ranked near the bottom of the 50 U.S. states on virtually every key metric and was not meeting the needs of the Idaho citizens. The article discusses the lean strategies used by Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) leaders to transform the Food Stamp Program into one that now ranks at or near the top of all states with respect to key performance metrics. The lean implementation approach implemented by the IDHW leaders demonstrates the power of the lean management philosophy.

 

 

Key words: food stamp program; lean; process improvement; public sector; value stream map

 

JEL codes: I3, L3