Our Impact & Insights
There are no limitations to where Lean can be applied. Lean can be adapted and applied wherever there are processes. As long as you keep an open mind and learn the proper methods of how to adapt the concepts, the opportunities and results are endless. Once the opportunities for Lean transformation are identified, it is critical to develop a detailed and effective Lean Implementation Plan that systematically makes improvements to optimize the end-to-end value stream.
Lean transformation is not easy as it involves both cultural change and technical change. Your thinking will have to change as you learn the concepts and this new thinking will lead to new ways to run your business and be competitive. Accepting this challenge and putting in the effort are worth it. The end result is that all organizations find they can meet their client's ever-changing demands and expectations. They ultimately discover they can do more with what they have and do it faster, better and at less cost.
Look over some of the case studies and results from the variety of industries (service, office/administration, healthcare, manufacturing etc.) where we have implemented Lean. You will find examples from industries similar to your own that have accomplished their goals and are continuing to build on their successes. These cases should entice you to drive your organization to seriously consider Lean as you way of surviving and thriving in the future.
- Process 20% more patients in the same time with 8 less staff. A laboratory absorbed an increase of 20% work year over year with 8% less staff. Another area doubled their processing capability with marginal increase in staff and has sustained it for the last 6 months since they started their implementation. A 20% increase in patients through MRI process per day.
- Consolidated two labs into one resulting in 50% space reduction while maintaining the same level of service and with no additional capital expenditures.
- Emergency Room: Non-value add activities reduced by 50%. An additional 56 hours was freed up, allowing the professional staff the opportunity to see more clients and spend more quality time with patients.
- Laboratory errors reduced by 100% another lab reduced rework from 66% to zero.
- Overtime reduced by 100%.
- Lead-time for test results reduced from 8 hours to 2 hours. Time to mail out results from 6 days to 2. Time for a patient appointment down from 6 weeks to 2 days.
- Delivery personnel were spending most of their time walking (up to 50%) to deliver specimens - a new schedule cut the walking by 40% to 60%.
- Equipment breakdown reduced from three times per week to zero.
- Capacity increased by 40% with the elimination of over processing Backlog reduced from 2500 orders to 300 in less than one month.
- Year over year turnaround from a loss of 5 million dollars to a profit of 17 million dollars.
- Signatures for approval reduced from 5 to 1 or 2. Three reminder letters reduced to zero and replaced with a phone call.
- Time to send an offer for hire reduced from 6 weeks to 2 weeks.
- Average percentage of an employees day walking due to poor layout reduced from 15% to 5%.
- Using 5S, one area freed up enough space to add two more work stations without adding to the existing space they had.
- Capacity increased by 40% with the elimination of over processing Backlog reduced from 2500 orders to 300 in less than one month. Processing time was reduced from 69.4 hours to 48.6 hours. Throughput improvement of 70%, leading to an annual cost savings of greater than $1000000.
- Year over year turnaround from a loss of 5 million dollars to a profit of 17 million dollars. $1.4 million annual savings from reduced overtime and less expediting of material.
- A product was curing for 24 hours when it only required 8 hours. Multiple inspection steps were removed due to mistake proofing and standardization. Processing steps reduced from 13 to 4.
- Examples of Lead time reductions from a variety of manufacturing industries 19 days to 12 days, 340 days to 40 days and 23 days to 9 days .
- Cash reductions $27,000 to $9300 $6.5 million to $1.6 million. Product reductions 946 units to 242 units, 261 units to 65 units4395 to 2117.
- Floor space reductions 2000 square feet to 800 square feet, 9250 square feet to 7500.
- Examples of reduced travel from 314 feet to 141 feet, 4571 feet to 2000 feet, 3045 feet to 1066 feet.
- $40% reduction in error rates.
- Waiting for a parking pass reduced from days to minutes.
- Two ideas from the implementation initiatives brought in an extra $625,000 of revenue.
- Delivery of information packages from 4 days to 4 hours. Time table delivery from 49 days to 37 days.