The X matrix phase of organizational strategic planing is, by its nature, a long drawn out exercise. It establishes a blue print of the link between the core objectives and strategic goals of the organization. The next step in the planning process is the Hoshin Plan Summary. It details the core objectives with a focus […]
The purpose of this process is to improve productivity, improve quality and improve safety. It is used to improve performance of a process. It is not used as a reason to clean up. It is used to improve a process once process design has been completed. Everyone should understand what they are trying to accomplish […]
When we listen to the voice of the customer (VOC), communication is the one thing they value most from us. This is obvious when we look at how we compile customer satisfaction data. The HCAHPS survey is all about communication between the patient and nurses, doctors and staff. There are questions about how well we […]
When starting any performance improvement initiative, the challenge most managers face is where to start. This is a result of constant “fire fighting”. We are constantly handling problems and issues as they come up but we are not tracking them to see if our improvement efforts are effective. Conversely, because we have never tracked issues […]
Rapid cycle improvement projects or kaizen events are built around the simple DMAIC five-step model. Toll gates are established between each step. The purpose of the toll gate is to give the team an opportunity to review progress before moving on to the next step. Please refer to a previous article for move information on […]
The journey to transform an organization requires strong leadership. When we think of strong leadership we tend to immediately think of the management team and specifically the senior team. While the dedication and drive to become LEAN organization, it is far more encompassing than that specific group. Leadership does not mean administration or management. It […]
The first step in creating a LRAN culture starts with developing goals and strategies to reach those goals. The LEAN tool we use to accomplish this is the X matrix. It is sometimes referred to as the bowling chart. Three are three sections n the matrix. Each section drills down lower than the previous section. […]
Hoshin kanri is a methodology that captures strategic goals and integrates this goals with the organizations daily activities. It involves planning, development of targets, development of action plans to achieve the targets and deployment of both. It is a systems approach to management of an organization and a defined process to improve critical key performance […]
There is a tendency in many organizations, when beginning the journey to become a LEAN organization, to look at the tools and start using them. There is no thread that not only holds the organization together but ties all efforts to the strategic goals of the organization. This effort creates a lot of effort but […]
A challenge to every department in implementing LEAN daily management is determining the metrics that they will follow on the gemba board. They need to be meaningful and easy to determine without outside surveys. The following is an example of some of metrics used in different hospitals we have worked with: – Pressure ulcers […]