What if the biggest improvement to a complex process wasn't changing the requirements—but making the work visible? Faced with a Vendor Risk Assessment (VRA) process that could be difficult to navigate, Naomi Silguero and the AdminIT team reimagined the customer experience through clearer communication, interactive process maps, and standardized guidance.
What started as a frustrating email synchronization issue became a lesson in Lean problem solving. Through persistence, curiosity, and a commitment to understanding the full process, Valerie Orick connected the dots across teams and systems, turning a problem nobody fully owned into one that could finally be addressed.
Facilities Management, leaders built on an existing Green Belt Committee by aligning it to strategic priorities and connecting staff across teams to drive improvement. The result is a coordinated, sustainable approach to continuous improvement, where staff-led initiatives consistently deliver meaningful operational impact.
At the UC Davis Health Clinical and Translational Science Center, staff applied Lean tools to investigate and reduce clinical trial invoice denials, uncovering root causes like training gaps and unclear workflows. By mapping the process and engaging stakeholders, they implemented practical fixes such as clearer checklists and better system use. The effort shows how small, curiosity-driven actions can lead to meaningful, cross-team improvements.
The "5S Your Outlook Inbox" workshop is a powerful example of how Lean thinking can be applied to the digital workspace to make everyday work easier and less overwhelming.
