Shrinking Cycle Times And Shifting Mindsets Through Metrics That Matter

Engaging with stakeholders is essential for driving improvements within any organization. It fosters open communication and collaboration, allowing teams to identify challenges and develop effective solutions. The City of Austin Development Services Department’s (DSD) faced challenges like increasing lag times, disengaged partners, and legacy mindsets. This session detailed how the DSD used a simple model to shift mindsets, overhaul the KPI system, and engage partners in continuous improvement meetings.

Attendees learned about the strategy behind the KPI overhaul, including assembling a cross-departmental team, using an AQI (Activity, Quality, Impact) framework, and setting and testing targets. They discovered how the DSD moved from old measures to a more nuanced and holistic picture and how continuous improvement meetings helped troubleshoot issues and solve challenges. 

This is a summary of the session; click here to access the presentation slides.