Transforming School Business Office Operations

Byron discusses the various wastes that can eat up revenue and resources in a school system. Participants later worked in small groups to identify waste and variation in their office processes.

The Alabama Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) convened Tuesday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for their Chief School Financial Officer (CSFO) Certificate Program and their Payroll/Personnel Certificate Program. LEAN Frog President and co-founder Byron Headrick led a “Lean Office” workshop entitled “The Lean Six Sigma Office Advantage: Transforming School Business Office Operations” for the 160 participants who selected the “Lean Office” elective continuing education credit option.

Tying into the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO Intl.) guiding principle to “make the well-being of all students, staff and fellow members a fundamental value in all decision-making and actions,” the workshop addressed how school business management offices can consistently apply lean six sigma (LSS) thinking, systems and tools to 1) improve the speed and quality of their work 2) reduce team member stress and 3) better allocate resources.

During the interactive workshop, participants worked in small groups to identify waste and variation in their office processes and discuss the impact on the team, the school system as a whole and on the students and parents of the school system. Participants also identified which LSS tools would be most beneficial to them on an individual basis and to their department as a whole. As Avery Embry, CFSO of Talladega County Schools remarked, “Bryon’s presentation is thought provoking, refreshing, and concise. Lean Six Sigma is needed in order to move your (departments/school districts) in the right direction of streamlining your processes.”

From L to R: Jason Taylor (CFSO, Huntsville City Schools), Barbara Locke (CSFO, Barbara Locke) and John Jones (Personnel Director, Madison City Schools) share how lean six sigma thinking, systems and tools have helped their school systems improve operational efficiency.

The interactive workshop also featured panelists from Alabama schools who shared how implementing the “lean office advantage” has helped their school systems improve operational efficiency in specific departments. Barbara Locke (CSFO, Wilcox County Schools), Jason Taylor (CSFO, Huntsville City Schools) and John Jones (Personnel Director, Madison City Schools) shared the benefits they experienced with this approach, discussed how the lean six sigma tool set worked in comparison to other school office improvement approaches, and answered audience questions about implementing the tool set.

Headquartered in Huntsville, AL, LEAN Frog’s mission is to help public schools succeed through increasing the value they deliver to students, parents and communities while fully engaging employees, reducing costs, and building a spirit of continuous improvement. LEAN Frog offers various training opportunities such as DISC leadership team training, Yellow Belt and Green Belt Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Certifications to help public schools solve problems and help their team members discover and implement sustainable improvements in their non-instructional departments.