Typical Laboratory

Characteristics

The Lean Laboratory

By Individual Processes

Operational Organization

By Value Stream & Product Families

Individualized

Employee Work

Standardized

Disorganized Excess, Vendor Push Systems

Inventory

Managed Pull Systems

Work Islands

Workstations

Cellular Design

Stressed

Staff Members

Good Morale

Chaotic

Work Environment

Orderly

Nothing Ever Changes; Maintain the Status Quo

Culture

Process Improvement Enabled; Change Oriented

Sequestered Within Their Offices

Managers & Supervisors

On the Lab Operation Floor Mentoring Staff

Come to Work to Get Paid,

May or May Not Add Value to the Operation Because of Bad Processes

Staff Members Motivation

Come to Work to Work,

Get Paid for Their Value-Adding Efforts

Batching, Result TAT Delayed

Specimens In Process

Single Piece Flow, Result TAT Optimized

Uneven-Some Staff Members Overtaxed while Others Under taxed

Workload

Balanced by Design