Philosophy

Bowen and Spear define the ideal state of healthcare delivery in their landmark paper “Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System” (HBR 1999) as:

 

- Exactly what the patient needs, defect free

- One by one, customized to each patient

- On demand, exactly as requested

- With immediate response to problems or changes

- No waste

- Safe for Patients, Staff and Clinicians: Physically, Emotionally and Professionally.

 

Lean healthcare gets as close to this ideal as possible using the principles and methodologies of the Toyota Production System from both technical and cultural organizational perspectives. Our philosophy takes this premise and overlays a framework of organizational lifecycle analysis in which the overall lifecycle of the institution is assessed, developing a long term Transformation Action Plan which guides improvement activities into the future. This imbues organizational activities with direct linkages to strategy, assists in developing interlocking metric systems at all levels of the organization, and helps the change process stick.