Learning

In crafting a culture of Operational Excellence, two general philosophies are often discussed: Lean & Six Sigma. Lean is a set of techniques and methods targeted to eliminating waste in a process. Reducing wait and lead times, eliminating unnecessary or redundant steps or streamlining work as it moves from person to person are all examples of Lean measures. As a complementary philosophy, Six Sigma encompasses a set of tools and principles that focus on improving processes from the ground up. This approach is used to define problems or opportunities in a process, breaks down process improvement into core elements and sets clear paths forward to accurately measure and monitor a process after it’s been revised. Together, these methodologies allow team members to continually measure, monitor and improve on the processes they interact with on a daily basis.

The trainings highlighted in this section will help you grasp how Lean and Six Sigma techniques can be applied to your organization.

An Initiative is the term used by the State of Missouri to denote large scale projects that executive agencies and offices drive to improve their operations. These Initiatives can vary in scale and can have impacts that focus on an individual program, division, department or even have cross agency impacts.  To effectively manage these Initiatives, a team member needs to be able to assess and define a project’s scope, manage scheduling and available resources, as well as diagnose and solve problems as they might occur.

The trainings offered in this section have been curated to give you background knowledge in project management, Initiative project basics, as well as fundamental skills needed to begin managing your team’s Initiatives at any scale.

After you’ve gained knowledge on how OpEx philosophies and project management skills can benefit your teams, the next step is putting those skills to use as a Facilitator. This could mean managing projects, coordinating process improvement efforts, leading meetings to ensure productive and efficient uses of time and especially helping your fellow team members on their OpEx journey. To do this you will need to enhance your skills in scheduling, managing conflict, problem solving and communication to name a few.

The trainings highlighted in this section have been selected to allow you to choose from these and other topics to enhance the skills you already possess on your path as a facilitator & coordinator.

As you continue to define and map your OpEx journey, you may find yourself desiring to grow in other facets of your professional life. Do you want to increase your ability to analyze and interpret data? Could opportunities to learn more about time management help improve your scheduling and coordination skills? Are you interested in advanced certifications in Six Sigma and other OpEx related programs?

The training opportunities highlighted in this section have been collected to provide you inspiration in considering the many avenues available to you as you progress in your understanding of OpEx. Be sure to reach out to your supervisor and agency’s human resources if a specific opportunity requires approval to pursue. And if you know of a training opportunity that could benefit other team members of the State of Missouri, feel free to submit your suggestions below at any time!