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We unfortunately had to take my daughter to urgent care on Christmas Eve day and I got to experience some Lean Healthcare. I must say I was impressed. However, I also avoid doctor’s offices at all costs and maybe my experience is now commonplace. The source of my doctors circumvention is my frustration at the waste I see and pay for afterwards!
In this situation I stayed in the waiting room with my other two daughters while my wife went in with the patient and doctor. There was a wait in the office but not unreasonable. After about 20 minutes in with the doctor, one of the employees approached me that I need to come in too. Started thinking bad things immediately. However, the doctor wanted me to go purchase some items and come back so she could administer to my daughter.
Great. I had to load up the other kids, go back into the blizzard, unload at the pharmacy, buy the stuff, then come back. Not much fun! But wait, they had a pharmacy attached to the urgent care. I walked through a glass door and shazaam, I’m in the pharmacy, purchase the goods, and back in the exam room in 3 minutes. Pretty cool! Maybe this is commonplace in the world today but I had not seen on my once every 3 year visit schedule.
Now I’m thinking how this might apply to manufacturing. Is it a form of kitting? Is it onsite suppliers with just in time delivery? Is it just another storeroom in the plant? Whatever it was, I sure appreciated it.
Bryan
Filed under: Lean, Lean Health Care | Tagged: flow, just in time, kitting, lean healthcare, muda, mura, muri, supplier |
Lean Is Good 
I think in manufacturing it would like a vendor putting a supermarket in your facility: you consume at your leisure, vendor is signaled to replenish. I think kitting is usually the lesser of evils. It is the right thing sometimes but I would make it my ‘future vision’ – alot of parts handling that is better eliminated than ‘systemated’. No comments on your past drinking binges that I may or may not have witnessed.
What I liked about the pharmacy idea is that you were able to do something. I have been in those situations and I have felt helpless. Now instead of just sitting there, you can actually do something. Pretty cool.
Bruce is right on this one. It is a type of point of use storage but couldn’t that be improved. Just like in the factory we have to ask where is the best place to store. It may be since it unclear the frequency of use. But it may make sense to store at the machine or patient bed side.
Tim McMahon
A Lean Journey
http://leanjourneytruenorth.blogspot.com