The Power of Lean
Ask around any business, lab or otherwise, I imagine you’ll find that most places are divided when it comes to Lean practices. There are those that go into protective mode and are worried about losing their jobs. There are also those who welcome the chance to improve how things are done and are hoping to make their days run smoother.
My department is right in the middle of Lean. We started by rearranging job assignments in order to get all cultures read by 9:30 am, in order to get result to the physician’s offices for their morning printing. While there was a little bit of resistance and some slight grumbling, I think everyone came around. We improved our percentage of cultures reported from 75% to over 90% read by the cut off. This is a great benefit to the patients! I think it’s also sparking an improved team atmosphere in our department.
The next phase is one that I’m VERY much looking forward too. The 5S Phase… sort, sweep, and some other “s” words. Basically, CLEAN UP!! I love my job, but if there is one thing I cannot stand it’s clutter! I can’t imagine the impression our lab leaves on non-lab people coming through. Memos taped all over cabinets, piles of paper all over the place, it drives me crazy. I completely understand how it happens, someone tapes up a helpful note and then another, and another. Before you know it there are memos from 2005 all over the place!
The part that really makes me laugh is that we are LAB people, our jobs require attention to detail, yet it seems that our whole lab is content to live in chaos! I know this is not unique to my lab and I’d love to hear anyone else’s cluttered chaotic lab stories.
If there’s any advice I can offer to other newbies like myself, it would be to be patient… change will come, it just needs to be approached professionally and systematically. I dream of the day when my department is logically organized, standardized, and as efficient as possible!