Lean Deployment in

a Mature Start-Up

Michael L. Grezlik

Transformation Director,

Great Lakes Water Authority

January 1, 2016 marked the launch of a regional water authority in Southeast Michigan. The City of Detroit, the counties of Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne, and the State of Michigan have officially united to form the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA).

The Great Lakes Water Authority: A New Era Begins

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The Lean Challenge: A Tale of Two Cities

Downtown Headquarters• A completely new

start-up entity requiring legal set up

• All-new processes requiring separation from legacy ties as a Department of the City of Detroit

• Inherited processes clearly not capable of supporting the new entity

Processing Facilities• Five water

treatment plants with a well established recipe for world-class potable water

• The largest U.S. wastewater treatment plant, operating since 1940

Vs.

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Process MaturityHigh:

Well Established and Repeatable

Low:Start-up or Non-existent

Improvement Methods

• Design for Six Sigma or similar

• Six Sigma or similar

• Leanor similar

• Kaizen Blitz, 8D, Work-out or similar

• Hire someone who knows how this process should work

Continuum of Improvement Tools

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• Keep message simple• Leadership Driven• Strategic Focus

• Mission> Vision

> Goals• Training Delivery• Project Tracking by

Phase

Challenge of Two Maturity Extremes

Disrupts Deployment Success Factors:

• “Why can’t everything be fixed with Kaizen Events?”

• “Lean is not for startups”• “Lean is separate from our

normal departmental activities”

• “None of these projects look alike”

• “DMAIC is overkill for some projects”

Distorts Perceptions:

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Barriers

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Solutions and Learnings

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Standing up a new entity is an “all hands on deck” scenario. Improvement resources are scarce and volatile but there is never a good reason to delay Lean deployment, so:

• Let leadership know that resource availability will be a greater risk with projects during start-up

• Target mature areas of the organization for early projects

• Select pre-existing executive improvement priorities rather than new

Solutions and Learnings

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Typical Lean Kickoff: Leadership and Champion workshops used to set Lean strategy and best projects

During a Start-Up:Leadership and Champions are swimming with alligators

SOLUTION:• ‘Locally Strategic’ Wave 1 project selection• Lighten leadership’s load rather than add projects• Identify Green Belt from existing process owners

Solutions and Learnings

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Typical Training Model: Project leads execute a live project during training and with Master Black Belt coaching outside of classroom

During the Start-Up:Rapid personnel changes created a 12-month gap between training and Wave 1 projects

SOLUTION:• Limit Wave 1 and Delay Wave 2 to allow heavier MBB coaching• Provide a refresher and ‘just-in-time’ modules for Green Belt

and project teams• *Bonus: Heavy MBB coaching allowed Green Belts to conduct

projects having full Black Belt scope and complexity

Solutions and Learnings

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Typical Training Course: Most practitioners have combined Lean and DMAIC to support a wider range of process maturity

GLWA Course:Almost pure DMAIC, some Lean, and no mention of the more rapid improvement methods

SOLUTION:• ‘Just-in-Time’ Lean modules for Green Belt and project teams• Supplied Lean “Pocket Guides” for all Green Belts• Brought training inside• Expanded Transformation Team to have experienced Lean

practitioners facilitate rapid improvement opportunities

Solutions and Learnings

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Toughest Challenge of All! • Basic continuous improvement concept new to many• Needed to ‘Keep it Simple” even though our solution

set was most complex• Project tracking would have different milestone

structure based on methodology

SOLUTION:• Forget methodologies, they are all ‘LEAN PROJECTS’• Outlined a “Define” phase that works for any project type• Universal Define Phase determines best approach and sets up

correct set of project milestones

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Thoughts, Ideas, Questions?

- The End -

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Thank You So Much!

Mike Grezlik, MBA, MBBTransformation DirectorGreat Lakes Water Authority • 735 Randolph • Detroit, MI 48226

P: 313.964.9904

E:Michael.Grezlik@glwater.org

General Information: 844.455.GLWA (4592)