Tag: Lean
Learn inventory from Mr. Miyagi
February 21, 2014Jennifer Keirn
LAS VEGAS - Any fan of the 1984 movie The Karate Kid remembers the way wise Mr. Miyagi trained young Daniel in karate by having him master basic steps and repeating them over and over.
It can be a lesson to HME providers in the way they manage their inventory, says Brightree's Ryan McDevitt, who will present a session at Medtrade Spring in March titled “Lean Mean Fighting Machine-How to Get Your Inventory Into Shape.”
Start with the fundamentals of inventory control by evaluating...
ThedaCare at Home learns from gemba
November 1, 2013Jennifer Keirn
APPLETON, Wis. - It's called “going to gemba”—a Japanese word that's part of the Lean lexicon, meaning going to the heart of the work to study core processes.It's a place ThedaCare at Home goes frequently, but not just for observation. This Appleton, Wis.-based provider uses the principles espoused by the Toyota Production Method to find and eradicate muda (waste), mura (unevenness) and muri (overburdening).“It boils down to simple things,” says Randy Lutz, manager of...
Gemba walks, teachable moments and standard work checklists
June 14, 2012HME News Staff
As leaders, we are routinely called upon to perform the “routine”—those everyday tasks and activities that comprise a leader's typical day. For example, a team lead or a supervisor may start their day by doing common daily tasks such as viewing reports, meeting with their direct manager/director, following-up on e-mails, responding to voice mails, and dealing with previous requests, etc. Another important daily task for all leaders is (or should be) the daily “Gemba”...
Don't let performance improvement fatigue set in
September 26, 2010Chris Calderone
Operational efficiency has become a commonly used phrase as HME providers figure out how to deal with declining reimbursement and rising costs. Loosely translated, operational efficiency means that providers must be intensely focused on continuous process improvement in order to reduce the hidden costs associated with inefficient workflow and sub-optimal processes.
Areas such as intake, billing and distribution are often laden with workflow issues and waste. This means they also offer many improvement...
Company's growth triggers lean journey
July 22, 2010Liz Beaulieu, Editor
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Green Bay Home Medical Equipment in June began applying lean principles to its service department as a way of doing more work with the same number of employees.
“We've experienced a tremendous amount of growth since January and one of the byproducts of that is more business for our service department,” said Curtis Judd, general manager. “So we're trying to see if we can increase our volume by eliminating some of the waste.”
Judd is leading Green Bay's lean...
Be lean, not mean
July 22, 2010Liz Beaulieu, Editor
Applying lean principles, particularly in the healthcare industry, is “catching on fire,” says consultant Janice Ahlstrom.
Why? “Because we have healthcare reform and meaningful use, and we have $155 billion in declining Medicare reimbursement in the next 10 years,” said Ahlstrom, a partner in the healthcare practice at the consulting firm Wipfli. “The healthcare industry is being forced to do more with less or the same with less.”
Consultant Chris Calderone...
Productivity: Leverage Lean's 5S
June 22, 2010Janice Ahlstrom
Q. How can I help employees create the best working environment?
A. Think about the best environment you could work in. Would it be described like this: clean, well lit, organized, easy to find things, comfortable, environmental and intuitive. Most of us want to work in an environment that will enhance productivity and help us to do our jobs well. So how do we create that environment for our employees and have our employees maintain that sort of work environment? The answer is leveraging a...