Kaizen Institute - Success Story
Healthcare - Diagnostics
Daily KAIZEN™, Breakthrough KAIZEN™
Unilabs St. Gallen
Client Profile
Unilabs St. Gallen is an international Swiss medical diagnostic laboratory and one of the largest diagnostic providers in Europe. Offering a full range of laboratory, imaging and pathology specialties in more than 250 locations worldwide, Unilabs St. Gallen has been leading the way in diagnostics for over 30 years.
Improvement Potential
1. Infrastructure
- 4 different floors
- Physical layout does not follow the process flow
- IT-System does not depict the necessary information
2. Process-specific
- Searching time in the labs (information, samples, serum etc.)
- Transportation and movement in the labs
3. Laboratories, Workplaces
- Ergonomics in the labs
- 20% - 30% of labour time is wasted searching, waiting, walking and during transportation
- Flow is not smooth
Our Approach
- GEMBAKAIZEN™ Workshops and implementation of KAIZEN™ Tools for minimization and elimination of muda (Waste) in waiting and transportation time
- Implementation of a “Flow Organization” (preanalytics, logistics, laboratories and IT)
- Creation of an efficient layout over all 4 floors
- Implementation of a KANBAN controlled logistic-system for “Lab Balancing”
- Optimization of the interfaces (about information, tubes, samples etc.)
- Implementation of a Mizusumashi
Key Results
- Material Flow (WIP) - 30%
- Productivity + 15%
- Waiting Time - 50%
- Transportation - 50%
- Customer Service >95%;
- Work Environment Improvement
- Overall Lab Efficiency (Lean Lab)
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