Page 102 - Lean six sigma demystified

Chapter 2 Lean Demy S tifie D 81

product or service (in this case a patient) flies through the process. Accelerate
your product’s experience. Blazing speed and mistake-proof processes will deliver
more with what you’ve already got. Customers will notice and you’ll get more
business, and you’ll need your people to handle the load.

Lean for Doctor’s Office

When I was 21, a pickup truck backed into me, knocking me down so hard that
my glasses fell off and a class ring I was wearing flew off. I didn’t think much
about it, but later in life I started having some back problems. A friend referred
me to a chiropractor.
I’ve been going to him for 15 years about twice a year when I get jammed up.
He straightens me out.
Recently I called for an appointment but he was out of town. His voice mail
referred me to a nearby chiropractor. I called and made an appointment.
Although the treatment to straighten me out was pretty much the same, the
experience was magically different. The new chiropractor runs a Lean practice;
my existing chiropractor runs a mass production one.

Current Chiropractor’s Process

My existing chiropractor has you sign in and fill out a sheet describing the
symptoms. His assistant then leads you into one of three examination rooms,
where you wait. After the treatment, the doctor spends a few minutes filling out
paperwork to be added to your file.
In essence, he has a batch size of 3. After the treatment, the doctor spends a

few minutes filling out paperwork to be added to your file.
A typical visit takes about an hour. I didn’t realize how dissatisfactory this
was until I visited the new chiropractor.

New Chiropractor’s Process

I arrived a few minutes before my appointment expecting to have to fill out
some paperwork. Instead, the doctor was ready and I was immediately led into
her single exam room. She asked me a few questions and then started the exam.
When she finished the treatment, she immediately turned to a computer
terminal and using a touch screen, entered her notes about my treatment (in
essence an electronic medical record which means little filing). She asked me