Line Charts vs. Column Charts: Which Works Better for Lean Metrics?
I’m talking about the use of “bar charts” vs. “line charts” when tracking performance measures through Lean Daily Management, Strategy Deployment, or other methods.
Search Results for two data points not a trend
Lean Principles for Hospital Architecture and Design – A Podcast with Bernita Biekmann
Joining me for Episode #265 of the podcast is Bernita Beikmann, AIA, EDAC, LSSBB, a Principal and Director of Lean Strategy at HKS, an international architecture firm. Bernita is originally from Kansas and has a Bachelor of Architecture from Kansas State University…
Throwback Thursday: 23 Tweets I Might Have Sent in 2002
I have been going through some old papers recently and I found two sheets of paper with hand-written thoughts or “truisms” that I had scribbled down in early 2002. The word truism, it turns out, doesn’t mean “true” so much as…
Creating a Lean Culture: David Mann on Leader Standard Work and Lean Management Systems
David Mann explains why creating a Lean culture depends on leader behavior and management systems–not tools or compliance–and how leader standard work helps sustain improvement. He shares practical guidance for executives on using Gemba walks to learn, teach, and reinforce…
John Torinus on Solving the Employer Healthcare Crisis with Lean Thinking
Joining me for podcast #192 is John Torinus, author of the excellent book, The Company That Solved Health Care: How Serigraph Dramatically Reduced Skyrocketing Costs While Providing Better Care, and How Every Company Can Do the Same. John is the…
Upcoming Conferences – SHS & LEI
I’m happy to be attending two really outstanding events in the next two months and I hope to see you there! The picture at left shows rows of people sitting, listening, and taking notes. I think the best parts of…
The Book That Changed Me: Understanding Variation by Donald J. Wheeler
TL;DR: Understanding Variation by Donald J. Wheeler is the most influential book in my Lean journey. It taught me how to distinguish signal from noise in data, avoid overreacting to normal variation, and focus leaders on improving systems instead of…
Shorter MD Intern Work Hours – Quality Has Gotten Worse (Unless it Hasn’t)
In recent years, there’s been a movement away from having first-year residents work such long grueling hours – 24 hour shifts or longer, multiple days in a row on call, etc. The idea was that fatigued residents were making poor…
Mike Stoecklein on Working with W. Edwards Deming, the Red Bead Experiment, and Lessons for Lean Healthcare (Podcast #156)
In this 2012 conversation, Mike Stoecklein reflects on nearly a decade of learning directly from Dr. W. Edwards Deming — attending and helping with the famous four-day seminars, exchanging letters, and watching Deming consult with clients. Mike also tells the…
Guest Post: Demand for #Lean Professionals Now Exceeds #SixSigma?
Mark’s note: This is a guest post by Tim Noble of The Avery Point Group. Does this assessment match your view, from the hiring side or from the perspective of a job seeker? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.…
Opportunities for Domestic Medical Tourism to Lean Hospitals?
There was an interesting article in the most recent Inc. Magazine called “Domestic Medical Tourism: How one company is saving businesses big bucks on employee medical treatments.” Much of the talk about “medical tourism” has focused on patients flying halfway…
Unlocking the Truth Behind Patient Satisfaction: Beyond Arbitrary Targets and Statistical Noise
Are We 84.7% Certain We’re in the 90th Percentile? Of course, hospitals should focus on patient satisfaction. That’s important but is often a vague and uncertain thing to measure. But, as Dr. Deming said: “The most important figures that one…
