Week 3 - Adjusting

Aerial shot of the Alaskan Moutains during my flight to Japan

Since I’ve gotten a few questions about my work, I thought I’d take the opportunity to provide a little context into the nature of LEAN here in Singapore.  

LEAN, or kaizen, is a business philosophy that drives improvement through a variety of innovative problem-solving tools and benchmarks.  Kaizen was developed by Toyota Motors over 60 years ago as an initiative to promote continuous improvement of the production process by redesigning the throughput to eliminate waste, improve safety, and quality.   Toyota did this by utilizing the pull-system concept, a manufacturing method developed by three Toyota employees between 1948 and 1975.  The pull-system eliminates a variety of wastes by producing only what’s needed in the exact time it is needed.  By slimming down the process, over-production and process stagnation are removed, creating a waste-free product that is cheaper and more uniformly produced.  

The “Toyota Production System” philosophy was shared openly by the company when the first Toyota-North America plant was built in my home state of Kentucky.  The philosophy was later tested and adapted to a variety of other industries with great success.  The term “LEAN” became the unofficial moniker of the philosophy, driving the teaching of kaizen into other manufacturing areas, as well as IT, healthcare, and others.  

With the identity changes that the Toyota Production System has gone through over the years, a few key misconceptions remain.  “LEAN” isn’t about cutting or re-organizing jobs.  It’s a way to look at a variety of business models, production processes, and organizational flow systems in order to continuously innovate and improve the process, no matter the company or industry.

My employer, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, is the one of the most storied medical institutions in Southeast Asia, with a long history of patient and community service.  I intern within the kaizen department, a group of 20 full-time project managers, analysts, and engineers devoted to constantly improve the already impeccable medical service provided by Singapore’s largest hospital. 

Through a variety of problem-solving methods, the kaizen department is able to solve numerous logistical problems that prevent the hospital from operating at the highest level.  But like learning, kaizen never ends.  Total satisfaction can never be achieved.  Improvement must be constant, no matter how small the project. 

Until next time, be safe la!

Scott