Finding the Waste: Parts Inventory Analysis Using Lean Methodology

During a 12-year period (2011-23), the number of staff in the Clinical Engineering (CE) Department at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) increased from five to more than 20 biomedical equipment technicians/technologists. However, despite this increase in staff, processes did not evolve and procedures that used modern technological and shipping advances were not implemented. The absence of standardized procurement and inventory processes for parts created discrepancies between on-hand inventory and the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). Owing to inaccurate CMMS information and unsystematic parts documentation, time and money were wasted. This situation led to a lack of confidence in CMMS data, causing staff disengagement, loss of accountability, and limited parts tracking. The current article describes a project that used Lean methodologies and use of the define, measure, analyze, improve, and control structure, including tools such as interviews, a survey, process mapping, and Gemba walks, to create a list of prioritized problems. A total of 16 problems were formulated, four of which were identified as prerequisites to be implemented regardless of prioritization. The four prerequisites described the scope of each problem and potential solutions. The goal of this process was to create a workflow that could save time and money while improving the morale of stakeholders involved in the parts procurement and inventory process.