The 5 Key Principles of Process Improvement

The 5 key principles December 3, 2013

What?

We’re a small company that helps other companies

apply 5 key principles to do 1 big thing:

Change

Why is that such a “big thing?”

“…people fear change, resist it, fight it and often end up sabotaging what

they might even consciously agree are a good means to

move things forward.” Psychology Today

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hidden-motives/201005/resistance-change-in-organizations

Why is that such a “big thing?”

“If you keep on doing what you’ve always done,

you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.”

W.L. Bateman

Why is that such a “big thing?”

Healthcare • 50 cents of every dollar is wasted

(>$1 trillion per year)

• 45,000-98,000 preventable deaths due to medical errors each year

• Skyrocketing costs with no proportional return in health/longevity

• Rampant burnout

How do we make change attractive?

“First, make people mad. Second, empower them to

do something about it. Next, lead the charge.

Then, get out of the way.”

Me

Make them mad and empower …

Education (“Quality Clinic”)

• Foundational training in process imp.

• Principles that are universally applicable

• Tools for every day usage

• Problem-solving methodology (Lean Six Sigma DMAIC)

• A few hours -> Several days

• Customized and Open Enrollment

Gimme an example …

Regional Health System

OBJECTIVE:

• Teach front-line staff how to identify and

facilitate improvements

• Get them started on an improvement project

STRATEGY:

• Designed 2-day training format

• Day 1: Key Principles … Day 2: Methodology

• Interactive, engaging

• Examples and hands-on work

• On-location, but off-site

• Involved internal improvement staff in

breakout sessions

•Trained ~150 people from 6 hospitals

•Initiated ~75 projects

Lead the charge & get out of the way …

Improvement projects (DMAIC)

• Define – The problem, process & project

• Measure – How bad is it?

• Analyze – What are the root causes?

• Improve – How can we address them?

• Control – Implement the new standard

Gimme an example …

Specialty MD practice PROBLEM:

• APPOINTMENTS TAKE TOO LONG

SOLUTIONS:

• Reduced interruptions at front desk (phone

calls, deliveries/pick-ups, restroom patients)

• Reduced redundant report copies & scans

• Reduced redundant trips to front desk

• Reduced non-value-added data capture at

front (PCP, med list copy)

• Reduced walking to copier/scanner

• Reduced walking to find large bp cuffs

• Reduced downtime due to machine failure

• Set WIP level to reduce motion/decisions

• Standardized procedure ordering method

Reduced appointment cycle time to lowest level on record

Why do companies call us?

• Outside initiator of change

• Increase capacity / keep up with demand

• Increase productivity / throughput

• Reduce costs, increase profits

• To learn how to continually get better

• To empower staff to make changes

• Increase customer / staff satisfaction

1. Value is defined by the customer.

2. All work should be value-added to the customer.

3. All work should be a process.

4. Waste & variation in a process can and must be controlled.

5. Every process can be improved.

5 key principles:

13

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