Wisconsin Releases Continuous Improvement Report: 104 Employee-Led Projects Save $7.75 Million a Year
MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Tony Evers and Department of Administration Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld on Oct. 12 released the state's 2026 Continuous Improvement Program Report, summarizing process-improvement projects led by frontline state employees. In fiscal year 2026, agencies completed 104 projects — 22% more than the year before.
The projects generated about $378,000 in one-time savings and $7.75 million in recurring annual savings, while freeing up more than 18,000 staff hours. Improvements ranged from streamlined approvals and digitized forms to better cross-agency coordination. The report also notes the state's first Continuous Improvement Forum, attended by 75 agency leaders, and recognition for teams at the departments of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; Revenue; Safety and Professional Services; and Transportation.
Evers said the results come from state employees identifying problems and solutions in their own work, showing that public-service efficiency can be built from steady internal improvements. Blumenfeld said completions of the state's lean-improvement training have doubled over three years, with a 90% satisfaction rate.
The administration says the program will continue expanding, with employee-led improvements embedded in agency management and results published annually.
The full report and project-by-project savings details are posted on the state website. The Department of Administration said data analysis and automation tools will be added to next year's improvement training, and more frontline employees will be encouraged to submit proposals, with the aim of growing annual savings while maintaining service quality.
Source: Office of the Governor of Wisconsin, Oct. 12, 2026
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 威斯康星州议会大厦（麦迪逊），CC BY-SA 4.0，摄影：Michael Barera（Wikimedia Commons）
