Kern County, in Bakersfield, California, is embarking on their new Lean Six Sigma journey to dig out of the fiscal hole drilled into it’s tax revenues by the decrease in gas and oil properties. Funded and hired by Kern County’s Behavioral Health Department, the top managers have been introduced to the process improvement system, led by Master Black Belt Scott Thor, in an effort to identify waste, eliminate it and deliver better service for less money. Using ping pong balls, a catapult and a target, Thor introduces Lean Six Sigma by way of a fun, time-paced, team activity to help “catapult” their process improvement efforts and understanding.
