Heijunka In Service Settings - Kumaraguru College of Liberal Arts & Science (KCLAS)

Adapting The Concept For Enhanced Service Levelling And Efficiency For Patient Wait Times In Hospital

The comprehensive study has been done on Lean tools that are used to define customer values as the primary basis for developing possibilities for service improvement, identifying wastes, and establishing current state procedures. Research has shown that healthcare providers apply Lean thinking and employ a variety of Lean tools and approaches to assess their operational processes as they stand. The study brings out the emergence of application of lean tools in healthcare sector since patient flow is hectic and unmanageable. Patient wait times in hospitals are a major concern impacting patient satisfaction and overall efficiency. This paper explores the concept of Heijunka, a lean manufacturing principle, and its adaptation for service settings like hospitals. It examines the significance of implementing Heijunka to level patient flow, reduce wait times, and improve service efficiency. The paper discusses the application of Heijunka tools like the Heijunka box and its role in managing patient flow. It also explores the connection between Heijunka and Taguchi’s principles of variation reduction and the applicability of the 7 wastes framework in identifying areas for improvement. The article delves into the implementation of Heijunka and its potential advantages for hospitals. Finally, it analyzes the case of Virginia Mason Hospital, a successful example of Heijunka implementation leading to smoother patient flow.