Basics of Lean and Six Sigma for the Laboratory

Author: Michael Yu, MBA, MLS(ASCP)
Reviewer : Louie Farnacio, MBA, MSQA, CLS, MT(ASCP)DLM, CQA(ASQ)CSSBB;
Sheryl A. Whitlock, MA.Ed, MLS(ASCP)BB
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Continuing Education Credits

P.A.C.E.® Contact Hours: 2 hour(s)

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science CE Credit Hours

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science CE - Supervision/Administration, Quality Control/Quality Assurance, and Safety: 2 hour(s)

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This course describes the basic principles of Lean and Six Sigma, providing an overview and introduction to these useful quality improvement methods, including various tools and procedures that are part of the Lean and Six Sigma systems.

Objectives

  • Explain the basics principles of Lean and Six Sigma.
  • Discuss the most commonly used Lean and Six Sigma tools.
  • Identify and select opportunities for process and quality improvement using methods described in this course.
  • Apply Six Sigma and Lean concepts to a project to improve outcomes.

Course Outline

  • Lean and Six Sigma Overview
    • What are Lean and Six Sigma?
    • History of Lean and Six Sigma
    • Lean and Six Sigma Timeline
    • What is the focus of both Lean and Six Sigma?
    • Lean and Six Sigma are related processes. Which of the following terms would best describe the relationship of these two processes?
  • Lean
    • Principles of Lean
    • Five Steps to Lean Thinking
    • Waste in the Laboratory
    • Recommended Lean Processes: Waste Walk
    • Recommended Lean Processes: 5S
    • Additional Lean Processes and Concepts
    • Batch Size Reduction
    • Laboratory Work Cell
    • Which of the statements below would be considered Lean thinking?
    • Which of the following examples would represent overproduction?
    • Batch processing is less problem-prone than continuous processing.
  • Six Sigma
    • Introduction to Six Sigma
      • Six Sigma: Measuring Quality
      • Process Sigma and Defects Per Million Opportunities (DPMO)
      • DPMO and Process Sigma (Sigma Level): Scenario
      • Six Sigma Level of Quality in Health Care
      • Stages of Project Team Development
      • Six Sigma Team
      • Which of these individuals is most likely to work on Six Sigma projects on a full time basis?
      • Which of the following represents the definition of Sigma?
      • Which of the following stages of team development represents the stage where cliques may form?
    • DMAIC
      • Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) Process
      • Project Selection
      • DMAIC: Define Phase
      • Project Charter
      • "Define Phase" Tools: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
      • Example of FMEA
      • "Define Phase" Tools: Quality Function Deployment
      • "Define Phase" Tools: Voice of the Customer (VOC)
      • "Define Phase" Tools: Supplier, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers (SIPOC) Diagram
      • DMAIC: Measure Phase
      • Process Map
      • Data Collection Plan: Baseline Measurement
      • DMAIC: Analyze Phase
      • Cause and Effect Diagram and DOE
      • Pareto Chart
      • Process Analysis
      • DMAIC: Improve Phase
      • DMAIC: Control Phase
      • Which of the following actions should be taken during the "Define" phase of the DMAIC process?
      • Which of the following abbreviations represents a value to analyze the risk associated with potential problems?
      • The Pareto chart ranks the problem based on occurrences from right to left.
    • Conclusion
      • Conclusion
    • References
      • References

Additional Information

Level of instruction: Intermediate
Intended audience: Medical laboratory scientists, medical technicians, and pathologists. This course is also appropriate for medical laboratory science students and pathology residents.
Author information: Michael Yu, MBA, MLS(ASCP) is the area lab manager at Kaiser Permanente, Panorama City Hospital, California. He holds a BS degree in clinical lab science from George Washington University and an MBA in healthcare administration from Loma Linda University.  He completed his MLT training at the Naval School of Health Sciences in San Diego. Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, he was the phlebotomy and chemistry supervisor at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. At that time, he was also a lecturer at the UCLA School of Medicine, Center for Prehospital Care.  Michael completed his Six Sigma Greenbelt training from UCSD and is certified by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) as a Six Sigma Greenbelt (SSGB).
Reviewer information:
Louie Farnacio, MBA, MSQA, CLS, MT(ASCP)DLM, CQA(ASQ)CSSBB is the Regional Operations Director at SCPMG Regional Reference Laboratories.
Sheryl A. Whitlock, MA.Ed, MLS(ASCP)BB is the owner of ARK Laboratory Consulting, LLC. Sheryl served as the laboratory coordinator for the Student Health Services Laboratory at the University of Delaware for 15 years. Sheryl received her Master’s degree in Education from Arcadia University. She has more than 35 years of experience in laboratory science to include management, education, and hands-on bench experience. She has written and published textbooks and laboratory manuals as well as having contributed to numerous online and print articles in the field of laboratory medicine.
Course description: This course describes the basic principles of Lean and Six Sigma, providing an overview and introduction to these useful quality improvement methods, including various tools and procedures that are part of the Lean and Six Sigma systems.