The nature of any aspect in today’s world is rapidly evolving or ever-changing, which applies likewise when it comes to the economy. The economy, especially in this modern and globalized era requires swift response at times of fluctuation especially when it comes to a downturn or a recession. Governments, namely the small or local ones are in dire need of fiscal injection to bail their conditions out if the impact is severe and as part of contingency plan, borrowing increases in large sums to fund large scale projects as the governments feel the sudden need to react to the slump (Public Sector Digest, 2012). This eventually leads to a national economic agenda on an alarming debt where both the private and public sector had to endeavor.
Times change, things change, and we need to change, and we need to improvise. Since the 1990s and lately, studies have evidenced that continuous improvement methodologies have been rigorously and widely look into especially in the form of Lean Six Sigma Malaysia. What sparked a revolutionary development in the way business are managed and strategized in the manufacturing sector had marched into the study of philosophy and conceptual framework of any organization. Lean and Six Sigma Certification Malaysia turned out to be a great deal of success in the private sector and adopted worldwide. In spite of this success, it triggered a question on why shouldn’t it be utilized in the public sector as well? After all, it is a management philosophy coherently. Governments of developed economy with reference to the United States in particular had been engaged heavily in the idea of the adoption of Lean Six Sigma Courses methodology into the public sector to spur economic growth and sustainability.
The employment of Lean Six Sigma in Malaysia has been popular equally and is largely industry oriented and emphasized more towards the private sector. But there is increasing intention and efforts of local government in engaging and embracing the philosophy proportionately. The change is necessary for local government to align themselves to process excellence that enables them from evading draconian repercussion and transform the way local government reacts at times of economic adversity which may well reap private sector-like prevalence.
Lean and Six Sigma Malaysia Training methodology in the public sector in Malaysia is particularly an infant. Given the fact, not many state government or government agencies are holistically into it thereby not many cross comparisons could be done about it, needless to say about the data associated with it. Inadequacy of information on the projects related to Lean Six Sigma is a possibility whereby it is subject to disclosure of certain information. As such, there might be reliance- on external parties such as consultants engaged in the projects of the state to retrieve information and data.
By: Dr. Satnam Singh, PhD (Managing Director MBizM Group) & Muraliraj Jagantheran (M.Ec, ICBB) (PhD Candidate – PhD (Economics), University Malaya)