The 8 Wastes Identification Checklist is a lean laboratory tool which allows a manager to measure the efficiency of their laboratory. This template can be implemented as part of a continuous improvement process (CIP) to measure and track improvements.
Greifensee, Switzerland—01 June, 2018—Increasing efficiency, by eliminating waste in laboratory workflows, is an integral part of lean laboratory. Lean management principles describe 8 types of waste that exist in any business – independent of the industry – which do not add any value for their customers.
The 8 Wastes Identification Checklist is a template to support a laboratory manager to carry out an effficiency audit of their laboratory Peforming a regular audit enables measurement and tracking of improvements. This checklist provides a simple way to measure the current status for any sized lab, and can be tailored to individual requirements, as necessary.
Previously “The Typical 8 wastes in the Laboratory” guide introduced an explanation of these 8 wastes, with typical laboratory examples, and recommendations for how to reduce or eliminate waste in these situations. Now, this 8 wastes identification checklist takes it one step further, by providing a template to measure the efficiency of a specific laboratory based on the occurrence of waste in the workflows.
This checklist is organized into 8 sections, based on the 8 wastes from Lean principles. It consists of a series of critieria with recommended target values that should be met. Based on the entries recorded during the audit, a total score is calculated, with a maximum of 32. Any score below 20 shows significant potential for improvement.
To perform an efficiency audit, in order to measure and improve the efficiency of a laboratory, download the free 8 wastes identification checklist now.