State of Nebraska
Belt Certification Numbers

These numbers reflect results of total certifications for the current year and since the program began.

Legend White BeltsWhite Belt Yellow BeltsYellow Belt Green BeltsGreen Belt Executive Green BeltsExecutive Green Belt Black BeltsBlack Belt Certified Lean LeaderCertified Lean Leader
2023, only 638 52 20 25 1 330
2016-2023 28,560 6,544 47 394 12 400

COE Network

2023
Certified Lean Leaders
Executive Green Belts

 

 

Agency Projects

Listed are examples of Agency improvement projects within the State of Nebraska.

Agency Project
Nebraska Department Environment and Energy Waste Tire Hauler Permits
Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs: CNVH and NNVH Displaying Employee Merchandise
Banking and Finance Notice of Registration
Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Alliance 5S Project
Nebraska Department of Agriculture Airpark Storage Facilities

 

 

Nebraska Department Environment and Energy
Waste Tire Hauler Permits

Current Process

Waste tire haulers are required to obtain individual permits annually using a paper driven process per Title 132. There are currently 22 approved waste tire haulers in Nebraska who are required to renew annually. In addition, approximately a dozen new applications are received each year with several denied or the applicant opting to drop out of the process. NDEE Waste Team Engineers spend 70-80 hours/year managing and reviewing permit applications, which are frequently incomplete, requiring rework from the applicant. Most applications are for renewals. Applications are received in the mail by the records team, which processes the paper by scanning the information into a digital format, uploading into the ECM (Electronic Content Manager) system, then finally routing the information to NDEE Waste Team Engineers. Engineers review the information and contact the applicant via phone or letter for other information as necessary.

Improved Process

Before

After

The new process utilizes an online system for application submission and review. Austen Green, an application developer at NDEE, developed online screens that replicate the paper process, so renewal applicants are more comfortable with the paper to online change. Validation rules within the system help applicant’s complete applications and ensure they are submitting all the necessary information. The information is received electronically and available for review immediately in addition to being stored as a permanent record automatically. In the event additional information is needed, email is used to expedite the process and the additional information is also submitted electronically to complete the electronic application record.

Citizen/Teammate Impact
  • Applicants can now submit their applications in 15-20 minutes with confidence that it is complete and received by NDEE. Applicants can also receive approval via email within a day or two instead of a week or more with the paper process and paper applications will no longer have the potential to be lost or misplaced in any of the physical mail processes. In the event additional information is needed, email will speed up contact with the applicant so they can quickly supply the necessary information. The Records team no longer needs to process documents with the change to electronic applications. Waste Team Engineers can process applications that are complete, saving them time and frustration contacting the applicant for additional information. In the unlikely event additional information is needed, email will speed that process for both the applicant and State teammate.

 

 

Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs: CNVH and NNVH
Displaying Employee Merchandise

Current Process

Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affair has an employee program for new as well as current employees which can receive employee merchandise. A brand new employee will receive a fleece jacket, as where a current employee who has perfect attendance will receive a t-shirt or hat. Having the ability to display these items gives a great visual for employees who are interested in learning how to achieve a jacket, hat, mug, sweater, and/or beanie.

Improved Process
Displaying Employee Merchandise Before
Before
Displaying Employee Merchandise After
After

By rearranging office space adding a book case as well as a large shelf provided CNVH staff the ability to display the employee merchandise. Utilizing the large glass display at NVH provide the administration staff the ability to display their employee merchandise. Both projects took several hours to fold as well as arrange t-shirts, hats, sweaters, and drinking mugs to fit neatly in on the shelves.

Citizen/Teammate Impact
  • The goal is to have one central location for all the employee merchandise, so administration staff can quickly locate any employee merchandise.
  • Create enough space to have all the merchandise displayed will provide an exciting visual picture for teammates who might be interested in the merchandise.
  • Displaying the merchandise will help with the visual process when it comes time to reorder hot items, or tracking not so popular items as well.

 

 

Banking and Finance
Notice of Registration

Current Process

The order is created and run through legal team. DocuSign envelope is created by administrative assistant and routed through legal to create the order and then to director of banking and finance, and then forwarded to the firm where it goes. Time to set up each envelope and for routing, opening, dating, signature and forwarding copy.

Improved Process

Instead of creating envelopes, the renewal is finalized and automatically generates license and notification to be emailed out in a large batch. The designed template has the necessary signatures and information that is pulled in from MLO. This year, 85 emails/licenses sent for our Non-FINRA BDs. 25 firms and 60 agents in total! Instead of Notices of Registrations sent through DocuSign, NDBF sent out notices on the new templates in MLO with 85 firms and agents, we saved $425 in DocuSign fees plus work time to set up each document. Also, now that new templates are in use, NDBF can use this going forward for any new/renewing non-FINRA Broker-Dealers and agents in the future. Overall, it was a good collaboration between department’s IT team and securities registration team.

Citizen Impact

The firm receives the notice quicker and through a digital format. This allows them to track their renewal date better and access to their documentation with ease. No follow up is necessary because the new process is efficient and trackable.

Teammate Impact

Director, securities, admin specialist and legal teams are impacted by the new process. Instead of creating envelops and routing them, a license is created, and batch email is sent out. This new process saves time and resources.

 

 

Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs
Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Alliance 5S Project

Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Alliance 5S Project Before
Before
Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Alliance 5S Project After
After

Current Process

The Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Alliance's main equipment shop houses a number of different lawn/shop equipment which include: several gator trailers, dirt compactor, gas powered weed eaters, floor jack, power forklift, snow blowers, lawn mowers, rototiller, wheelbarrow, seed spreader, and a variety of smaller lawn tools. All tools and equipment are used to help maintain the cemetery grounds throughout the year. In the past, shop equipment along with lawn tools were randomly stored throughout the shop making it difficult for teammates to quickly locate tools and/or equipment. Some tools and equipment were stocked behind other larger shop equipment making it impossible to quickly locate. Other lawn tools, which were stored on the west side of the shop wall were not easily accessible either due to several piles of wood being placed in front of the wall, making it extremely unsafe for teammates to walk and balance their way around the wood piles to retrieve a lawn tools.

Improved Process
  • Clean and Pleasant Working Environment: The 5S created a well-organized and clean working environment. Teammates now feel 100% comfortable locating any tool or shop equipment very quickly.
  • Create More Space: With the removal of unwanted items and organizing the necessary tools/shop equipment has created more space in the shop.
  • Improvement in Safety: The 5s shop project has significantly increased a safe workplace by reducing clutter that could lead to accidents by 100%.
  • Efficiency: The 5S project will help eliminate time wasted from teammates trying to move several pieces of equipment to locate a tool, or simply unable to locate an item because the shop is too messy.
  • Company image: Finally, a well-organized workplace equals a better image of the agency is generated.
Citizen/Teammate Impact

The benefit of the 5S shop project will deliver outstanding results in the areas of quality, productivity, cost, efficiency, as well as safety. The 5S project will also help in boosting teammate morale and improving the agency’s image. Another benefit is to get rid of clutter and unused items, tools, and equipment by putting everything that is important in the right place.

 

 

Nebraska Department of Agriculture
Airpark Storage Facilities

Current Process

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) had two storage facilities at the Rogers Building on North 14th St in Lincoln, NE and at the Department of Administration Building (DAS) at 1526 K St. It was decided, by leadership, to make things easier for the agency, we found a storage facility at Airpark in Northwest Lincoln, NE. This new facility is large enough to house all of the material from both locations. Operations Director Brent Davis commissioned each Focus area administrator to visit The Rogers Building and the DAS storage area to mark their items that need to be moved out to our new storage facility at Airpark and the items that can be disposed or sent to surplus. Over three days the focus area marked their items while Director Davis contacted Office Innovations to move the items out of each location and have them sent to Airpark and to surplus.

Improved Process

The process was improved by moving all of the agency's items, that need to be in storage, out of 2 different locations into one consolidated location and we were able to sort through everything at each location, set in order what we wanted to keep and dispose of the items that were trash and identify items that we did not need but can be sent to surplus. We cleaned up the 2 locations and made sure the new location was marked so that when someone goes out to the new facility they know exactly where there items are located.

Citizen Impact

Having items in one central location will create a more efficient agency since we do not have to go to two different locations to get something out of storage.

Teammate Impact

And it will improve the safety for our teammates since we have a standardized process in place for when folks need to get something out of storage it will also cut down travel time for our teammates because the Airpark facility is a lot closer to the agency's offices.