Maple Ridge, B.C., May 25, 2026 — The City of Maple Ridge is reporting significant results from its Continuous Improvement Centre of Excellence, with more than $342,000 in estimated savings generated through innovation and process improvements across municipal operations since June 2024.
A staff report presented to Council last month outlines how the City’s investment in continuous improvement is helping streamline services, reduce costs, improve response times, and enhance the customer experience for residents and businesses.
“The innovation work happening is transforming how the City delivers services and our organizational culture,” said Zvi Lifshiz, Chief Strategy Officer. "Staff are encouraged to try new ways of working and these improvements are creating tangible results and value for taxpayers by reducing waste, improving efficiency, and helping staff focus more time on delivering quality service to the community.”
The report highlights measurable outcomes already achieved and those anticipated through the Centre of Excellence, including:
- More than $342,000 in quantified operational savings
- Faster service delivery through streamlined inspections and permitting processes
- Reduced paper usage and printing costs in recruitment processes
- Improved fleet management efficiencies through vehicle telematics and shared vehicle programs
- Enhanced response times for urgent animal control calls through improved workflows and staff training
The Centre of Excellence was established in June 2024 to support a culture of innovation and continuous improvement throughout the organization. Since then, more than 550 staff members have received process improvement training, with additional training underway in project management, change management, and lean management practices.
The City’s approach focuses on empowering staff to identify inefficiencies, implement solutions, and measure results using the MEATY framework which tracks money, error, amount, time, and yearly costs to estimate savings and real impacts. Improvements are being realized across departments ranging from engineering, recreation services to planning, bylaw enforcement, and human resources.
Examples of initiatives include:
- An improved facility booking process projected to save approximately $24,000 annually
- In-house staff training delivery resulting in approximately $26,000 in savings
- Fleet telematics improvements estimated to save approximately $100,000 through automation and improved vehicle utilization
The program also outlines several major initiatives planned for 2026, including improvements to childcare licensing process, water meter installation and billing process, evaluation frameworks for customer experience programs, and development services initiatives.
“What began as a pilot initiative has evolved into a One City approach to innovation and service excellence,” said Bhawna Sehgal, Continuous Improvement Advisor. “Staff across the organization are taking a step back and championing ways to improve processes and deliver better outcomes for residents.”
The Continuous Improvement Centre of Excellence will provide semi-annual innovation updates to Council as the City advances its long-term focus on organizational excellence and service delivery improvements.
To learn more about the City’s strategic initiatives and innovation efforts view the Innovation Report: Continuous Improvement Impacts or contact Bhawna Sehgal, Continuous Improvement Advisor at BSehgal@MapleRidge.ca
Hear what our staff have to say about the program.
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Media Contact
Pardeep Purewal, Senior Manager Corporate Communications and Public Engagement
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