Impact of lean in the inventory process of a clinical laboratory

Abstract

The inventory process of clinical laboratories was evaluated to detect common problems, waste and identify areas of improvement. The objective of this project was to assess the impact of lean in health care environment. Medical Technologist participated in a survey were data gathering of collective problems and waste in the process of inventory control was obtained. Participants responded that the most common problems were the expiration of unopened reagents and out of stock. Medical Technologists selected transportation as the number one waste followed by waste of waiting and motion. The lack of organization was the main driver for waste in the inventory process. As a way to address the deficiencies, eliminate waste and improve quality a 5S lean tool was suggested to aid in the inventory process. A lean design project can be implement in a clinical laboratory to determine the impact of lean methodology in a health care environment. Key Terms ⎯ 5S, Clinical Laboratory, Inventory, Lean.