Madison, Wis. – Today, Governor Tony Evers and Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld announced the release of the 2026 Enterprise Continuous Improvement (CI) Program Report, compiled by the Strategic Management and Planning (SMP) team, to celebrate the impact innovation and continuous improvement has on state resources. The report details how data-driven methodologies have resulted in positive outcomes for state employees and Wisconsin citizens, including a record $7.75 million in annual savings.  

“Continuous improvement is an ongoing commitment to better government, a commitment led by the dedicated public servants working every day to improve the systems, services, and experiences that matter to Wisconsin,” said Governor Evers. “We remain dedicated to fiscal stewardship and proud to see the demonstrated resourcefulness and ingenuity of state employees through continuous improvement projects.” 

The latest report covers fiscal year 2026, highlighting 104 projects implemented across state agencies, a 22 percent increase from FY25. These employee-led efforts generated $378,000 in one-time savings and $7.75 million in annual cost savings, the highest reported thus far, while repurposing more than 18,000 staff hours to reinvest into increasingly complex government operations and services.

“Together, the Enterprise Continuous Improvement Program and participating agencies continue to demonstrate Wisconsin’s commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and fiscal stewardship,” added Secretary Blumenfeld. “Wisconsin state employees are using continuous improvement to make government more efficient and responsive while saving taxpayers millions of dollars and building a culture of learning and innovation across state government.”

The FY2026 Enterprise CI Program Report celebrates achievements from across the state, including: 

  • 104 projects implemented statewide.
  • 18,000 staff hours re-invested.
  • Inaugural Enterprise CI Forum brought together 75 state leaders and innovators for cross-agency learning, collaboration, and recognition of best practices. 
  • Inaugural Enterprise CI Project Awards recognized project teams from the Departments of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Revenue, Safety and Professional Services, and Transportation, for excellence in innovation, servant leadership, and stewardship.
  • 127% increase in employees completing Continuous Improvement training.
  • 50% increase in earned Yellow Belt certificates.
  • 90% overall satisfaction with the program’s training offerings.

Over the last three years, the Enterprise CI program has increased agency engagement, reflecting renewed momentum among state employees to identify opportunities, solve problems, and improve government processes. Beyond statewide measures of cost and time savings, the state’s reported projects demonstrate improvements in quality, efficiency, stakeholder experience, and employee adoption resulting in fewer errors, reduced customer frustration, streamlined processes, increased stakeholder satisfaction, and greater public use of services. This drive toward service excellence is supported by the program’s engagement channels and made possible by dedicated state employees whose commitment to continuous improvement helps move Wisconsin services forward.