202 Leveraging Lean in Ancillary Hospital Services
• Electronic whiteboards or tracking boards in an ED may signal when a new order has been
written that needs action or an abnormal lab has been resulted.
• In surgery, electronic tracking boards may signal where the patient is in the process, sig-
naling what actions need to be taken.
• In pharmacies, empty bins or water level marks prompt a visual cue that supplies need to
be replenished.
Measurements of the process in the area are visual controls that are updated by team members and
are used to drive improvements. Day-by-the-hour charts are a simple form of area metric. When the
area is performing to the Takt time, it is meeting its target metrics. When the area misses its Takt
time, comments ...