Operations and Process Improvement
What the exam tests
Operations and Process Improvement tests process analysis, Lean thinking, root cause analysis, performance measurement, and continuous improvement in public services. Expect questions on cycle time, waste, PDCA and DMAIC, benchmarking, and service-level design.
Core rules and concepts
- Map the process from the customer's request to delivery; count handoffs, approvals, and wait time.
- Lean identifies waste: defects, overproduction, waiting, nonused talent, transportation, inventory, motion, and excess processing.
- DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) suits problem solving; PDCA suits rapid cycles.
- Root cause tools include 5 Whys and fishbone diagrams; do not stop at the first symptom.
- Measure outcomes and cycle time, not just activity counts.
- Standard work and visual controls sustain gains after the project ends.
Worked example
A permit office takes 30 days for a residential deck permit. Mapping shows 19 days are waiting for a zoning review triggered on every application. Analysis finds only 12% need zoning review. The team creates a screening checklist, routes exceptions only, and sets a 10-day standard. Reasoning: the constraint is a policy-driven handoff, not staff effort. Cycle time drops to nine days without adding staff.
Traps that cost marks
- Jumping to solutions before measuring the current state.
- Optimizing one silo while pushing delays downstream.
- Confusing outputs (permits issued) with outcomes (compliance and safety).
- Ignoring capacity and demand variation.
- Declaring victory without a control plan.