A
Note from Robert T. Yokl,
President and Chief Value Strategist
I hope that everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day weekend, as I
did, and are now energized to save even more in less time.
That’s why I decided in this week’s feature article to write
about a concept called “Waste Walks” that can quickly yield
hundreds of thousands of dollars of new savings for your
healthcare organization -- in no time at all.
This article points out something I have discovered over the
years, sometimes the biggest savings ideas aren’t as
sophisticated as you would think. All it takes to save money,
in some instances, is to dedicate some time, energy and focus on
the right things to bring about big savings. I hope you enjoy
the article and then actually put the concept into practice in
the coming weeks. I can assure you, you won’t be disappointed
with the results!
P.S. Don’t forget to read my blog article this week on
“People Don’t Resist Change, They Resist Being Changed”, for
some timely tips on how to convince even the worst
“naysayers” that change can be good for them.
Are You Taking “Waste Walks”?
There is a LEAN concept called “Waste Walks” that I have
embraced for years without giving it a name. So I was happy to
see that it now has a formal name and is being promoted by
industry as one quick and sure way to look for and then
eliminate waste in a structured way in the workplace.
I have used this big idea (Waste Walks) for many years with my
clients to identify waste and inefficiency in their supply chain
operations. First off, I have always insisted that all of my
interviews be conducted at my interviewee’s workplace. This way
I could take a tour of their operations to see what was going
on. But even before I got to their office, I was observing what
was going on in the hallways, store rooms, closets, patient
rooms, etc., on my way to these interviews.
What I would observe on my tours was always an eye opener! I
remember one time I walking by an ICU unit that had a yellow
bucket labeled “oxisensor recyclables” that had no oxisensors in
it. When I inquired why this was happening, an ICU nurse told me
that the staff always forgets to put the used oxisensors in the
bucket because they were too busy. When I talked to the
hospital’s supply chain manager about this, he said he didn’t
realize this was happening.
On another visit/interview to an operating room director, I
asked to see their OR sterile prep and packaging area. What I
found was duplicate and outdated stock on almost every shelf.
When asked why this was happening I was told that surgeons that
had asked for these items to be stocked had left the hospital
and they were now left with this stock. We then talked about
sending the stock back for credit, even though the hospital
would need to pay hefty restocking charge, the problem was
solved on the spot.
“Waste Walks” can be conducted by an individual or a team to
uncover waste and inefficiency in your supply streams. When I
was administratively responsible for environmental services at
one hospital where I worked, my managers and I would take a
“Waste Walk” every Friday at 2:00 P.M. We visited a different
area of our hospital, for about an hour, to uncover shoddy work,
safety hazards and project work that needed to be accomplished.
It kept everyone on their toes and eliminating waste!
You can do the same with your supply chain team. I would
suggest that you pick the same day every week and at the same
time, as I did with my environmental team, to tour an area of
your hospital (including your own supply chain operations), so
you can observe what’s going on. You and your team will be
absolutely amazed at the results of your first “Waste Walk”. It
will open your eyes to hundreds of thousands of dollars of waste
that you never knew existed in your healthcare organization.
Best of all, it only takes an hour a week to uncover it.
Warmest Regards,
Robert T. Yokl
Chief Value Strategist
Strategic Value Analysis® In Healthcare
Bobpres@strategicva.com
1-800-220-4274
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