I spent the bulk of my career improving quality and efficiency for a wide range of industries and functional areas. For that reason, the formation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) hits close to home.
I have seen and been a part of many successful quality improvement efforts, and have also seen and been a part of some woeful failures. Successful quality improvement efforts reduce waste and cost, while also increasing customer satisfaction. Experience has shown it's a tricky balance.
There is little debate that our government is living well beyond its means, as evidenced by the huge budget deficits we accrue on an annual basis. Meaningful cost reductions, driven by well-executed efficiency improvements, would be hugely beneficial. In a best-case scenario, efficiency improvements could eliminate as much as 60% of our annual budget deficit! Unfortunately, most efficiency or operational excellence efforts fall far short of this best-case scenario, and many ultimately increase cost and/or reduce the quality of goods and services provided to customers.
I've found that the most successful efficiency improvement efforts involve a systematic approach, where operational processes are thoroughly observed and analyzed, leveraging the expertise of those doing the work. It is also important to engage customers in these efforts to ensure their expectations are taken into account. Working with employees and customers helps "efficiency experts" resist the temptation to jump to conclusions, and prevents them from making impulsive changes that can lead to unintended outcomes.
We are the primary "customers," or benefactors, of our government and its services, so it's reasonable to expect that resulting efficiency improvements should increase our satisfaction.
I have no doubt that the Department of Government Efficiency will provide taxpayers with significant short-term savings, however, the long-term impact of their actions remains to be seen.
This recent article from The Fulcrum puts the work of DOGE into perspective and highlights some of the challenges they'll have in achieving meaningful and lasting efficiency improvements.
I am paying very close attention to the work of DOGE, and I strongly encourage others to do the same.
Here are some related resources on this topic:
Have a great month!
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