Kaizen all around
FEATURE – Two coaches from Italian company FPZ reflect on their role helping lean thinking spread across the company and its newly-acquired businesses.
Lean in Italy
A journey of mind-blowing improvement
array(2) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4584 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(103)
["name"]=>
string(12) "Case studies"
["slug"]=>
string(12) "case-studies"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(103)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(71)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4585 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2419)
["name"]=>
string(18) "Lean Manufacturing"
["slug"]=>
string(18) "lean-manufacturing"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2419)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1594) "Manufacturing is where the lean movement originated from. For their MIT research in the late 1980s (which resulted in the 1990 seminal book The Machine the Changed the World), Jim Womack and Dan Jones identified a set of principles and techniques that made Japanese carmakers far more productive than their Western competitors.
The superiority of the Toyota Production System is now a recognized fact (Toyota has been profitable every year but one, for half a century), which means that today most manufacturing organizations around the world practice lean manufacturing thinking to some extent. The prevalence of this alternative way of thinking and managing in the manufacturing sector often generates confusion in other industries, in which people’s first reaction to improvement attempts is the now proverbial “We don’t make cars. Lean is a manufacturing thing.”
When applied to manufacturing, lean tools like heijunka, SMED or Kanban cards allow for the optimization of production processes and the systematic elimination of waste (in its three incarnations of muda, muri and mura – respectively, non-value-adding work, overburden and unevenness). These happen by implementing the fundamental lean principles of pull and flow. However, it has now been proved that the principles characterizing lean manufacturing are universally applicable. They work in any sector and they apply to any kind of work – even though at times they require some adjustment."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(38)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
Case studiesOct 3, 2019
CASE STUDY – Seven years ago, this Italian manufacturer ran an experiment to reduce inventory in its warehouse. Today, lean thinking permeates every aspect of life at FPZ.
Our new, leaner Cancer Center
array(2) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4606 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(102)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Features"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "features"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(102)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(344)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4610 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2421)
["name"]=>
string(15) "Lean Healthcare"
["slug"]=>
string(15) "lean-healthcare"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2421)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1608) "Lean thinking may have been born in Toyota in the 1950s and 1960s, but it wasn’t until after the year 2000 that a few hospitals began to explore its application to the healthcare industry (lean healthcare). These pioneering organizations came together to share their stories at the first Global Lean Healthcare Summit in the UK in 2007, which in turn triggered many more experiments around the world. Since then, interest has kept growing.
Some fifteen years on, we have hundreds of examples to learn from, from clinics and departments through to entire hospitals and even whole hospital systems. Not all early experiments succeeded, and we are still a long way from making lean a widely recognized way of working across the industry.
Healthcare providers around the world still face huge challenges, as ageing populations and unhealthy lifestyles boost the demand for healthcare faster than the growth of incomes and tax revenues from the middle classes. At the same time, the quality of care has not improved as much as the quality of other services in the economy, which is why more and more healthcare organizations are turning to lean.
Historically, lean healthcare ideas have been applied in large hospitals, but in the past few years we have started to see the philosophy adopted in earnest in many smaller organizations following a do-it-yourself approach that has generated many positive benefits. An impressive example is the Consorci Sanitari del Garraf near Barcelona."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(79)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
FeaturesMay 2, 2019
FEATURE – The renovation of one of its departments gave a hospital in Italy the perfect opportunity to redesign his oncology care with lean healthcare principles in mind.
Implanting lean ideas in our practice
array(2) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4590 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(102)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Features"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "features"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(102)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(344)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4603 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2421)
["name"]=>
string(15) "Lean Healthcare"
["slug"]=>
string(15) "lean-healthcare"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2421)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1608) "Lean thinking may have been born in Toyota in the 1950s and 1960s, but it wasn’t until after the year 2000 that a few hospitals began to explore its application to the healthcare industry (lean healthcare). These pioneering organizations came together to share their stories at the first Global Lean Healthcare Summit in the UK in 2007, which in turn triggered many more experiments around the world. Since then, interest has kept growing.
Some fifteen years on, we have hundreds of examples to learn from, from clinics and departments through to entire hospitals and even whole hospital systems. Not all early experiments succeeded, and we are still a long way from making lean a widely recognized way of working across the industry.
Healthcare providers around the world still face huge challenges, as ageing populations and unhealthy lifestyles boost the demand for healthcare faster than the growth of incomes and tax revenues from the middle classes. At the same time, the quality of care has not improved as much as the quality of other services in the economy, which is why more and more healthcare organizations are turning to lean.
Historically, lean healthcare ideas have been applied in large hospitals, but in the past few years we have started to see the philosophy adopted in earnest in many smaller organizations following a do-it-yourself approach that has generated many positive benefits. An impressive example is the Consorci Sanitari del Garraf near Barcelona."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(79)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
FeaturesFeb 21, 2019
FEATURE – Lean thinking has helped this dental practice in Italy to streamline the work, develop the capabilities of workers and free up a lot of the head dentist’s time.
From kaizen to innovation
array(3) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#3720 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(102)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Features"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "features"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(102)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(344)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#3481 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2420)
["name"]=>
string(15) "Lean Management"
["slug"]=>
string(15) "lean-management"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2420)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1378) "The idea of “lean management” can refer to both individual managerial behaviors and, more in general, the set of principles and practices characterizing the adoption of lean thinking in an organization.
In the first case, lean management is closer in meaning to the idea of “lean leadership” and entails the development of behaviors that foster continuous improvement at the front line, such as respect for people, asking questions (rather than providing answers), going to see to really understand the work and the causes of problems, and scientific problem solving. In the second instance, lean management describes the lean philosophy more in general.
In its more general meaning, lean management – or lean thinking, if you prefer – derives from the Toyota Production System and is now recognized as a superior management approach that, through continuous improvement, customer focus, teamwork and relentless people engagement, leads to great results in terms of quality, performance, delivery, and cost. The promise of lean management is to create the most value for customers using the least possible amount of resources. As an approach to running a business, it brings benefits to all parties involved, from customers to employees, suppliers to wider society.
"
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(133)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[2]=>
object(WP_Term)#4605 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2355)
["name"]=>
string(7) "Tokheim"
["slug"]=>
string(7) "tokheim"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2355)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(2348)
["count"]=>
int(5)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
FeaturesNov 1, 2018
FEATURE – Innovation is a process and lean thinking allows that process to take place, by empowering everyone in the company to think creatively about solving customer problems.
Can you standardize creative work?
array(2) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4588 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(102)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Features"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "features"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(102)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(344)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4589 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2420)
["name"]=>
string(15) "Lean Management"
["slug"]=>
string(15) "lean-management"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2420)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1378) "The idea of “lean management” can refer to both individual managerial behaviors and, more in general, the set of principles and practices characterizing the adoption of lean thinking in an organization.
In the first case, lean management is closer in meaning to the idea of “lean leadership” and entails the development of behaviors that foster continuous improvement at the front line, such as respect for people, asking questions (rather than providing answers), going to see to really understand the work and the causes of problems, and scientific problem solving. In the second instance, lean management describes the lean philosophy more in general.
In its more general meaning, lean management – or lean thinking, if you prefer – derives from the Toyota Production System and is now recognized as a superior management approach that, through continuous improvement, customer focus, teamwork and relentless people engagement, leads to great results in terms of quality, performance, delivery, and cost. The promise of lean management is to create the most value for customers using the least possible amount of resources. As an approach to running a business, it brings benefits to all parties involved, from customers to employees, suppliers to wider society.
"
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(133)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
FeaturesSep 19, 2018
FEATURE – The belief that standardization kills creativity can be a severe hindrance in a lean transformation. The author discusses how he convinced his team of architects to give standards a try.
How we pioneered lean in Italy and are still leading the way
array(2) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4602 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(104)
["name"]=>
string(10) "Interviews"
["slug"]=>
string(10) "interviews"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(104)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(178)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4593 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(117)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Profiles"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "profiles"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(117)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(149)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
InterviewsDec 1, 2017
INTERVIEW – At the European Lean Summit in Venice, our editor sat down with Italy’s lean CEO extraordinaire. His company, which serves the natural gas industry, has been on the journey for almost two decades.
Automation and lean supply chain at FIAT Chrysler
array(3) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4247 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(104)
["name"]=>
string(10) "Interviews"
["slug"]=>
string(10) "interviews"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(104)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(178)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4604 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2419)
["name"]=>
string(18) "Lean Manufacturing"
["slug"]=>
string(18) "lean-manufacturing"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2419)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1594) "Manufacturing is where the lean movement originated from. For their MIT research in the late 1980s (which resulted in the 1990 seminal book The Machine the Changed the World), Jim Womack and Dan Jones identified a set of principles and techniques that made Japanese carmakers far more productive than their Western competitors.
The superiority of the Toyota Production System is now a recognized fact (Toyota has been profitable every year but one, for half a century), which means that today most manufacturing organizations around the world practice lean manufacturing thinking to some extent. The prevalence of this alternative way of thinking and managing in the manufacturing sector often generates confusion in other industries, in which people’s first reaction to improvement attempts is the now proverbial “We don’t make cars. Lean is a manufacturing thing.”
When applied to manufacturing, lean tools like heijunka, SMED or Kanban cards allow for the optimization of production processes and the systematic elimination of waste (in its three incarnations of muda, muri and mura – respectively, non-value-adding work, overburden and unevenness). These happen by implementing the fundamental lean principles of pull and flow. However, it has now been proved that the principles characterizing lean manufacturing are universally applicable. They work in any sector and they apply to any kind of work – even though at times they require some adjustment."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(38)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[2]=>
object(WP_Term)#4594 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(117)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Profiles"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "profiles"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(117)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(149)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
InterviewsNov 23, 2017
INTERVIEW – At the recent European Lean Summit, we sat down with a senior executive from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to learn more about the company’s World Class Manufacturing approach.
A ten-year lean product development journey at Carel SpA
array(2) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4581 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(104)
["name"]=>
string(10) "Interviews"
["slug"]=>
string(10) "interviews"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(104)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(178)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4258 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(117)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Profiles"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "profiles"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(117)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(149)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
InterviewsNov 13, 2017
INTERVIEW – A specialist in control solutions for air-conditioning, refrigeration and heating, Carel Industries first applied lean to R&D a decade ago, when few companies did. We asked them how their journey unfolded.
The lean journey of Sisma towards continuous innovation
array(4) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4260 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(104)
["name"]=>
string(10) "Interviews"
["slug"]=>
string(10) "interviews"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(104)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(178)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4595 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2419)
["name"]=>
string(18) "Lean Manufacturing"
["slug"]=>
string(18) "lean-manufacturing"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2419)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1594) "Manufacturing is where the lean movement originated from. For their MIT research in the late 1980s (which resulted in the 1990 seminal book The Machine the Changed the World), Jim Womack and Dan Jones identified a set of principles and techniques that made Japanese carmakers far more productive than their Western competitors.
The superiority of the Toyota Production System is now a recognized fact (Toyota has been profitable every year but one, for half a century), which means that today most manufacturing organizations around the world practice lean manufacturing thinking to some extent. The prevalence of this alternative way of thinking and managing in the manufacturing sector often generates confusion in other industries, in which people’s first reaction to improvement attempts is the now proverbial “We don’t make cars. Lean is a manufacturing thing.”
When applied to manufacturing, lean tools like heijunka, SMED or Kanban cards allow for the optimization of production processes and the systematic elimination of waste (in its three incarnations of muda, muri and mura – respectively, non-value-adding work, overburden and unevenness). These happen by implementing the fundamental lean principles of pull and flow. However, it has now been proved that the principles characterizing lean manufacturing are universally applicable. They work in any sector and they apply to any kind of work – even though at times they require some adjustment."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(38)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[2]=>
object(WP_Term)#4261 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2424)
["name"]=>
string(15) "Lean Production"
["slug"]=>
string(15) "lean-production"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2424)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1593) "The term “lean production” refers to the set of tools and techniques used to streamline and improve a company’s production system. With its roots in the Toyota Production System, lean production aims to boost productivity while reducing waste. Companies that successfully embrace lean production methods can achieve impressive improvements in their performance. The superiority of a lean production system was first identified by Womack and Jones during their research on Japanese carmakers. Initially, it was believed that lean was only applicable to production, whereas today we know those principles can be applied in any sector.
With more and more organizations (not just manufacturing firms) turning to automation to try and solve every-day problems, lean production offers an approach that gives the operators and their work the dignity they deserve. This idea is best expressed by the concept of the andon, a cord hanging above lean production lines that operators can pull whenever they encounter a problem they can’t solve right way (this is the base of the fundamental lean principles of jidoka, “automation with a human touch”). Lean is clearly an alternative to reckless management that considers people as mere capital.
The main characteristics of a lean production system are the fact the different stages of production happen in a sequence without interruptions (known as flow) and that the pace of production is set by the customers (pull)."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(32)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[3]=>
object(WP_Term)#4596 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(117)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Profiles"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "profiles"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(117)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(149)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
InterviewsJul 27, 2017
INTERVIEW – Italy-based precision machinery manufacturer Sisma has changed skin many times over the years. We sat down with its general manager to learn how the firm has been able to continuously innovate over the years.
How the initiative of nurses transformed a whole department
array(3) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4265 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(102)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Features"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "features"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(102)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(344)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4600 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2421)
["name"]=>
string(15) "Lean Healthcare"
["slug"]=>
string(15) "lean-healthcare"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2421)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1608) "Lean thinking may have been born in Toyota in the 1950s and 1960s, but it wasn’t until after the year 2000 that a few hospitals began to explore its application to the healthcare industry (lean healthcare). These pioneering organizations came together to share their stories at the first Global Lean Healthcare Summit in the UK in 2007, which in turn triggered many more experiments around the world. Since then, interest has kept growing.
Some fifteen years on, we have hundreds of examples to learn from, from clinics and departments through to entire hospitals and even whole hospital systems. Not all early experiments succeeded, and we are still a long way from making lean a widely recognized way of working across the industry.
Healthcare providers around the world still face huge challenges, as ageing populations and unhealthy lifestyles boost the demand for healthcare faster than the growth of incomes and tax revenues from the middle classes. At the same time, the quality of care has not improved as much as the quality of other services in the economy, which is why more and more healthcare organizations are turning to lean.
Historically, lean healthcare ideas have been applied in large hospitals, but in the past few years we have started to see the philosophy adopted in earnest in many smaller organizations following a do-it-yourself approach that has generated many positive benefits. An impressive example is the Consorci Sanitari del Garraf near Barcelona."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(79)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[2]=>
object(WP_Term)#4256 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2350)
["name"]=>
string(25) "Siena University Hospital"
["slug"]=>
string(25) "siena-university-hospital"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2350)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(2348)
["count"]=>
int(7)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
FeaturesJun 11, 2017
FEATURE – We can't go wrong when we trust our people to take the initiative that we will improve their work... that's how Siena University Hospital cut its procurement lead-time in Surgery by two-thirds.
How Tokheim uses 5s to boost its environmental performance
array(2) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4266 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(102)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Features"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "features"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(102)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(344)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4267 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2355)
["name"]=>
string(7) "Tokheim"
["slug"]=>
string(7) "tokheim"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2355)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(2348)
["count"]=>
int(5)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
FeaturesJun 7, 2017
FEATURE – The many benefits of 5S are well known, but few people realize the positive impact the technique can have on our environmental performance, says our lean and green correspondent after visiting Tokheim Italia.
Changing the layout of a nursery to improve neonatal care
array(3) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4604 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(102)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Features"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "features"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(102)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(344)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4264 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2421)
["name"]=>
string(15) "Lean Healthcare"
["slug"]=>
string(15) "lean-healthcare"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2421)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1608) "Lean thinking may have been born in Toyota in the 1950s and 1960s, but it wasn’t until after the year 2000 that a few hospitals began to explore its application to the healthcare industry (lean healthcare). These pioneering organizations came together to share their stories at the first Global Lean Healthcare Summit in the UK in 2007, which in turn triggered many more experiments around the world. Since then, interest has kept growing.
Some fifteen years on, we have hundreds of examples to learn from, from clinics and departments through to entire hospitals and even whole hospital systems. Not all early experiments succeeded, and we are still a long way from making lean a widely recognized way of working across the industry.
Healthcare providers around the world still face huge challenges, as ageing populations and unhealthy lifestyles boost the demand for healthcare faster than the growth of incomes and tax revenues from the middle classes. At the same time, the quality of care has not improved as much as the quality of other services in the economy, which is why more and more healthcare organizations are turning to lean.
Historically, lean healthcare ideas have been applied in large hospitals, but in the past few years we have started to see the philosophy adopted in earnest in many smaller organizations following a do-it-yourself approach that has generated many positive benefits. An impressive example is the Consorci Sanitari del Garraf near Barcelona."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(79)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[2]=>
object(WP_Term)#4271 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2350)
["name"]=>
string(25) "Siena University Hospital"
["slug"]=>
string(25) "siena-university-hospital"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2350)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(2348)
["count"]=>
int(7)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
FeaturesApr 10, 2017
FEATURE – Another month, another story of a lean project told by the Siena hospital front-line folks. This time we take you to the Intensive Care Nursery, whose layout was transformed to provide better care to premature newborns.
Adopting lean principles to speed up blood donation
array(3) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4277 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(102)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Features"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "features"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(102)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(344)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4269 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2421)
["name"]=>
string(15) "Lean Healthcare"
["slug"]=>
string(15) "lean-healthcare"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2421)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1608) "Lean thinking may have been born in Toyota in the 1950s and 1960s, but it wasn’t until after the year 2000 that a few hospitals began to explore its application to the healthcare industry (lean healthcare). These pioneering organizations came together to share their stories at the first Global Lean Healthcare Summit in the UK in 2007, which in turn triggered many more experiments around the world. Since then, interest has kept growing.
Some fifteen years on, we have hundreds of examples to learn from, from clinics and departments through to entire hospitals and even whole hospital systems. Not all early experiments succeeded, and we are still a long way from making lean a widely recognized way of working across the industry.
Healthcare providers around the world still face huge challenges, as ageing populations and unhealthy lifestyles boost the demand for healthcare faster than the growth of incomes and tax revenues from the middle classes. At the same time, the quality of care has not improved as much as the quality of other services in the economy, which is why more and more healthcare organizations are turning to lean.
Historically, lean healthcare ideas have been applied in large hospitals, but in the past few years we have started to see the philosophy adopted in earnest in many smaller organizations following a do-it-yourself approach that has generated many positive benefits. An impressive example is the Consorci Sanitari del Garraf near Barcelona."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(79)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[2]=>
object(WP_Term)#4247 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2350)
["name"]=>
string(25) "Siena University Hospital"
["slug"]=>
string(25) "siena-university-hospital"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2350)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(2348)
["count"]=>
int(7)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
FeaturesMar 10, 2017
FEATURE – In the second article of our series written by the front-line staff of Siena University Hospital, we learn how the lean principles of pull and flow have transformed the blood donating process.
When lean gets hard it is managers who have to persevere
array(1) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4265 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(102)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Features"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "features"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(102)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(344)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
FeaturesMar 7, 2017
FEATURE – A lean journey often has more downs than ups, but it is a responsibility of management to persist and keep asking the right questions that will steer the firm in the right direction.
Nurses and doctors tell us how they are changing their ward
array(3) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4281 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(102)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Features"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "features"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(102)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(344)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4282 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2421)
["name"]=>
string(15) "Lean Healthcare"
["slug"]=>
string(15) "lean-healthcare"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2421)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1608) "Lean thinking may have been born in Toyota in the 1950s and 1960s, but it wasn’t until after the year 2000 that a few hospitals began to explore its application to the healthcare industry (lean healthcare). These pioneering organizations came together to share their stories at the first Global Lean Healthcare Summit in the UK in 2007, which in turn triggered many more experiments around the world. Since then, interest has kept growing.
Some fifteen years on, we have hundreds of examples to learn from, from clinics and departments through to entire hospitals and even whole hospital systems. Not all early experiments succeeded, and we are still a long way from making lean a widely recognized way of working across the industry.
Healthcare providers around the world still face huge challenges, as ageing populations and unhealthy lifestyles boost the demand for healthcare faster than the growth of incomes and tax revenues from the middle classes. At the same time, the quality of care has not improved as much as the quality of other services in the economy, which is why more and more healthcare organizations are turning to lean.
Historically, lean healthcare ideas have been applied in large hospitals, but in the past few years we have started to see the philosophy adopted in earnest in many smaller organizations following a do-it-yourself approach that has generated many positive benefits. An impressive example is the Consorci Sanitari del Garraf near Barcelona."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(79)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[2]=>
object(WP_Term)#4284 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2350)
["name"]=>
string(25) "Siena University Hospital"
["slug"]=>
string(25) "siena-university-hospital"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2350)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(2348)
["count"]=>
int(7)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
FeaturesFeb 3, 2017
FEATURE – Every year, Siena University Hospital runs a Lean Day to celebrate and award its best lean projects. In this new series, front-line people write about five of these initiatives: first up, Internal Medicine.
Focusing on problem solving at the front line
array(3) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4261 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(102)
["name"]=>
string(8) "Features"
["slug"]=>
string(8) "features"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(102)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(344)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4278 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2423)
["name"]=>
string(13) "Lean Services"
["slug"]=>
string(13) "lean-services"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2423)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1637) "While lean government and lean healthcare technically fall under this category, we consider lean service organizations to be those operating in areas like call centers, retail, hotels, restaurants, offices, banking, and so on. In such environments, there is a direct interaction with the customer, which should be seen as an opportunity to get real-time feedback on our service rather than a nuisance we have to deal with (if you have ever spoken with a customer care representative, you know what this means).
A common problem that practitioners trying to bring lean to services encounter is the difficulty to identify “the work” – whereas in manufacturing the product is in front of everyone’s eyes, in service organizations it is often hidden behind paperwork or a computer screen. Once the work is clearly visible, however, the opportunities for improvement are plentiful. To date, we have seen thousands of organizations striving to lean out the service they provide customers: from restaurants chains in the United States and China to a group of bakeries in Barcelona, from call centers to hotels, the application of lean services ideas can have an extraordinary impact on our economies. Especially if we consider that the service industry accounts for more than three-fifths of the global GDP and employs more than one-third of the global workforce.
Lean thinking is naturally a fit for the service industry, because of its focus on constantly delighting customers and on providing them with value-adding products."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(54)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[2]=>
object(WP_Term)#4280 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2355)
["name"]=>
string(7) "Tokheim"
["slug"]=>
string(7) "tokheim"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2355)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(2348)
["count"]=>
int(5)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
FeaturesNov 3, 2016
FEATURE – When market changes caused operational problems in their firm, two top managers decided to stick to lean thinking (and a set of specific practices) – learning to focus on what truly matters and letting their people embrace problem-solving.
The fantastic lean transformation of an Italian hospital
array(3) {
[0]=>
object(WP_Term)#4277 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(103)
["name"]=>
string(12) "Case studies"
["slug"]=>
string(12) "case-studies"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(103)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(0)
["count"]=>
int(71)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[1]=>
object(WP_Term)#4272 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2421)
["name"]=>
string(15) "Lean Healthcare"
["slug"]=>
string(15) "lean-healthcare"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2421)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(1608) "Lean thinking may have been born in Toyota in the 1950s and 1960s, but it wasn’t until after the year 2000 that a few hospitals began to explore its application to the healthcare industry (lean healthcare). These pioneering organizations came together to share their stories at the first Global Lean Healthcare Summit in the UK in 2007, which in turn triggered many more experiments around the world. Since then, interest has kept growing.
Some fifteen years on, we have hundreds of examples to learn from, from clinics and departments through to entire hospitals and even whole hospital systems. Not all early experiments succeeded, and we are still a long way from making lean a widely recognized way of working across the industry.
Healthcare providers around the world still face huge challenges, as ageing populations and unhealthy lifestyles boost the demand for healthcare faster than the growth of incomes and tax revenues from the middle classes. At the same time, the quality of care has not improved as much as the quality of other services in the economy, which is why more and more healthcare organizations are turning to lean.
Historically, lean healthcare ideas have been applied in large hospitals, but in the past few years we have started to see the philosophy adopted in earnest in many smaller organizations following a do-it-yourself approach that has generated many positive benefits. An impressive example is the Consorci Sanitari del Garraf near Barcelona."
["parent"]=>
int(2418)
["count"]=>
int(79)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
[2]=>
object(WP_Term)#4289 (11) {
["term_id"]=>
int(2350)
["name"]=>
string(25) "Siena University Hospital"
["slug"]=>
string(25) "siena-university-hospital"
["term_group"]=>
int(0)
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
int(2350)
["taxonomy"]=>
string(8) "category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
int(2348)
["count"]=>
int(7)
["filter"]=>
string(3) "raw"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
}
Case studiesOct 4, 2016
CASE STUDY – There is more to Siena than the Palio: the Tuscan city boasts of one of the most advanced examples of lean healthcare in Italy. We asked the team at the University Hospital how they are doing it.