Purpose – Numerous and diverse
organizations have implemented lean principles and practices, which
concentrate on improving the efficiency of business processes by reducing
cost, waste, consumptions and effort. However, previous assessments have not
focused on the leanness of the supply chain in a healthcare setting. This
paper introduces a method for assessing the successful implementation of lean
principles and tools in a supply chain. Furthermore, this paper validates the
method in a healthcare organization.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper
starts with an extensive literature review on assessing leanness and using
multi-grade fuzzy logic. Then, a conceptual model was developed to measure
leanness. The conceptual model was validated by discussing the initial
version with select academic experts, especially those who deal with leanness
in healthcare organizations. After responding to the experts’ valuable
comments the healthcare organization that is the focus of this case study was
chosen based on two criteria. The first criterion was the organization’s
ability to participate in the study, and the second was the organization’s
commitment to implementing lean principles. These criteria were important to
ensure the organization had the necessary foundation for implementing change
initiatives such as lean process improvements. Next, a multi-grade
(multi-attributes) fuzzy logic was used for leanness measurement. A leanness
index was calculated, and the results were validated using experts from the
case-study organization. Finally, the weaker areas of the organization’s
processes were identified to point the way for further improvements.
Findings – The
assessment indicated that the case-study organization is not lean. The
organization’s weaker attributes were identified, and improvements have been
suggested.
Research limitations – This study
focused on a single healthcare organization, which was selected from a
limited pool of potential organizations—namely, those organizations which are
accredited by both the Saudi Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare
Institutions (CBAHI) and the Joint Commission International (JCI). The scope
of future research should be extended to multi-case studies to enhance the
findings presented in this paper. This paper’s findings can be used to help
decision makers at healthcare providers to implement lean thinking in supply
chain processes.
Practical implications – This
research may be interest to practicing supply chain managers, as it proposes
what enablers, factors and attributes should be emphasized in lean
implementation. The proposed model can works as assessment tool to identify
the gap between the present level of leanness and the desired leanness state
so the healthcare organization can identify what can be improved. This model
enable decision makers in hospital supply chain to take suitable actions for
improving lean implementation level.
Originality/value – This
study makes an original contribution to the body of research concerning lean
principles; the study developed a conceptual model for leanness assessment
that can be applied to the supply chain of healthcare organizations. Indeed,
the conceptual model is likely to be useful for assessing leanness outside of
the healthcare field, which suggests avenues for future research.
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