Gilbert Reinvents Open To Business
Source: Town of Gilbert – December 17, 2010
By: Town of Gilbert – Gilbert, Arizona
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Gilbert, Ariz. – Gilbert is reinventing the Town’s commercial application procedures to create a new streamlined process that is expected to allow businesses to open in Gilbert from one to three months faster.
The extensive Lean Six Sigma Kaizen event, of Gilbert’s business application process, will cut the number of individual steps, from pre-application to the issuance of a commercial building permit, by more than 44 percent (68 days). Every step of the Town’s process was put under scrutiny, down to the hand-offs between staff members and positioning of staff offices and desks.
The session was facilitated by Brent Jameson of Guidon Performance Solutions. This event resulted from discussions with Councilman John Sentz, a Six Sigma green belt.
“Goals set by this group of Gilbert visionaries include maximizing the use of technology, simplifying the process and increasing revenue by reducing process lead time and bringing businesses online more quickly,” Jameson said. “By laying things out in a step by step process, staff was able to make innovative improvements that will not only give Gilbert an edge in assisting new business openings, but also help staff and applicants understand and track their progress through the process with more ease.”
The end result is an estimated savings that amounts to one to three months in speedier opening for businesses, which translates into real savings and gain to those companies coming to the Town – and for the Town itself.
The new process that staff is putting in place will reduce the time Town staff spends working on the application process by 46 percent (Days), by creating new efficiencies and consolidating staff efforts. The overall process from pre-application to license will be cut by 22 percent (Days).
“This is a unique opportunity for Gilbert. This shorter process will help us to position ourselves to attract the high-wage jobs and the new revenue our Town needs to sustain our quality of life,” Sentz said. “Gilbert is already a prime location for businesses with an educated workforce, beautiful and clean surroundings. We are the safest community in the state and have good schools and amenities. Now, we can add the fact that we have a uniquely streamlined process that reduces the time required to open a business in Gilbert.”
Kaizen is a management philosophy that seeks continuous quality improvement, and seeks to find new efficiencies and eliminate anything that could be a delay. The event in Gilbert involved a cross-functional group from a variety of departments who play a role in the process of opening a business.
All contents © 2010 Town of Gilbert – Gilbert, Arizona. All Rights Reserved.
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