Topics and Discussions That Help Clinical Laboratory Managers Improve Their Operations

Standardized Work--Applying Lean Six Sigma at the Bench Level

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Standardized work routines are suggested and overseen by managers and supervisors but are developed by the staff members performing the work.  The objective of standardized work is the removal of the eight Lean wastes (The_Eight_Wastes.pdf) at the process level while ensuring both quality and employee safety. The selected standardized work routines should reflect the agreed upon best practice of the work group--the one best way to perform the work today.

I can readily list nine benefits associated with implementation of standardized work routines:

1. Employee involvement and empowerment,
2. Consistency (reduction of variation) among staff members performing the work,
3. Improved productivity without added stress,
4. Improved, consistent quality,
5. Work process stability,
6. Increased employee safety,
7. Improved cost management as wastes are removed,
8. A great tool for staff training, and
9. Visual management--managers and supervisors can see when process are not operating normally.

However, these benefits come at a cost--they require that  managers, supervisors, and staff change how they work today.  Everyone's job changes when a laboratory embraces the philosophy of standardized work.  Lean transformations and standardized work require discipline to develop and sustain; too many of us have our old ways of doing things to fall back on if we do not practice self-discipline.

Lean thinkers believe that being able to see a problem is a good thing--if you can see it you can fix it.  The typical problems uncovered through standardized work design and development are as follows:

• Labor imbalances,
• Poorly defined work sequences,
• Poor workplace organization,
• Inadequate tools,
• difficult work methods,
• Little or limited operator support,
• Loose or no specifications,
• Push vs. pull production flow,
• Irregular work flow,
• Poorly defined work responsibilities,
• Incapable processes,
• Unclear cycle and takt times,
• Poor communication,
• Lack of core skills, and
• Quality problems.

 In summary, standardized work provides benefits to your company, your employees, and your customers.  It helps you to see and correct production-related problems in your laboratory.  To reap the numerous benefits of standardized work, you must change how you manage and work in the laboratory environment today.

I would like to hear about your experience with implementing standardized work routines in your laboratories.  My next blog will introduce a couple of lean metrics and three standardized work tools that you may want to use during a standardized work process improvement event in your laboratory. 

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