Lean techniques for practitioners

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Lean management focuses on maximising value, eliminating waste and improving flow and has revolutionised industries across the world. The term lean was coined in 1990 and has unfortunately led to an incorrect perception that it is about 'trimming the fat' in an organisation. The fundamentals of lean improvement are outlined in Figure 1 and show that value and not waste is the true focus of this process.

The first article in the Business Basics series (29.03.13) focused on value and emphasised how understanding and controlling the delivery of value can be a focus within improvement. It also suggested that understanding value is the first step in encouraging the development of a lean environment. The distillation of value in a service or product may seem like common sense but many healthcare clinics and healthcare professionals still do not understand what it is they do that the customer/patient values.