A Simple Approach to LEAN in the Laboratory?

Abstract

Whether a commercial calibration laboratory or an in-house corporate laboratory, and whether we like it or not, the realities of today's economy demand we embrace continuous improvement efforts. But how do you go about it? Where do you start? And where do you find the time, resources, budget and most importantly the corporate backing to undertake a comprehensive process improvement program? The author describes his Lab's journey through the continuous process improvement maze, why LEAN became the next logical step for the Duke Energy Lab, and why you don't need to have a black belt in LEAN-SIX SIGMA to get started. The author provides a simple primer on the background and principles of LEAN. The seemingly complex collection of Japanese words and ideas will be demystified and the difference between words like Muda, Mura, and Muri, or Kanban, Kaizen, and Kaikaku will be explained in plain English. Value Stream Mapping and how it can help you spot areas for improvement will be described, and why the concept of Pull is so important to reducing inventory and turn-times. The author then details a few of the specific LEAN initiatives that were designed and implemented at the Duke Energy Standards Lab, showing how these initiatives reduced waste, improved effectiveness of the overall operation, and provided the customer with a higher level of service with no additional man-power resources and little out of pocket costs. Finally the author provides some resources and helpful hints for implementing LEAN in a simple and effective way.