The ambitious goal to cut lead-time for a group of patients by as much as 60% is being handled by an improvement team in which all departments of Radiation Oncology are represented: doctors, trainees, administrative workers, technicians, managers, quality consultants, physicists and secretaries.
One of the first activities of the team is mapping the current process. We use a so called Value Stream Map. The whole team literally walks the route of the patient through the various workstations and, from a patient’s perspective, start seeing what is actually happening. They question their colleagues and bring all this information forward on post-its which are then put on a large brown paper. This technique has been described by others in detail.
This post therefore is not as much about the lean technique being used but it’s more about the surprising results which can be achieved using value stream mapping. It provides all participants with insight into the facts rather than opinions, insight into ones’ own work and that of others (from the perspective of value and waste). Through that process of fact finding it has a tremendous positive effect on team dynamics, cooperation and change.
One of the first activities of the team is mapping the current process. We use a so called Value Stream Map. The whole team literally walks the route of the patient through the various workstations and, from a patient’s perspective, start seeing what is actually happening. They question their colleagues and bring all this information forward on post-its which are then put on a large brown paper. This technique has been described by others in detail.
After lean principles were being adopted by the departments’ management a large, relatively easy-to-handle group of patients was chosen cut lead time. The focus on short lead times is considered to conduct as leverage to improve quality and reduce costs. Because wastes in the process must then be "squeezed out". Less waste frees up space to treat more patients. With virtually the same cost.This project was therefore launched with the objective to cut lead time from application to start of radiation for patients with prostate carcinoma from 25 to 10 days.
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| Brown paper with post-its |
This post therefore is not as much about the lean technique being used but it’s more about the surprising results which can be achieved using value stream mapping. It provides all participants with insight into the facts rather than opinions, insight into ones’ own work and that of others (from the perspective of value and waste). Through that process of fact finding it has a tremendous positive effect on team dynamics, cooperation and change.
