scholarly journals Bending Metal: Improving Sheet Metal Repair at Tobyhanna Army Depot through Lean Six Sigma

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-109
Author(s):  
James Enos ◽  
Abigail Burris ◽  
Liam Caulfield ◽  
Robert DeYoung ◽  
Sebastian Houng ◽  
...  

The Army's Lean Six Sigma methodology includes five phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC); each of these phases includes interaction between the stakeholder and process team. This paper focuses on the application of Lean Six Sigma methodology at Tobyhanna Army Depot to help reduce overruns and repair cycle time within the sheet metal cost center. At the initiation of the project, the process incurred over 4,000 hours of overruns, a situation in which it takes longer to repair an asset than the standard hours allocated for the repair. Additionally, the average repair cycle time, amount of time required to repair an individual asset, exceeded customer expectations by almost four days. The paper describes recommended solutions to address both problems.

2016 ◽  
Vol 693 ◽  
pp. 1893-1898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Qi Xu ◽  
Chao Huang ◽  
Hao Lu

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is an effective methodology that aims to maximize shareholder value by improving quality, efficiency, customer satisfaction and costs. Continuous integration is the software engineering practice of rapid and automated development and testing. A case study presented in this paper demonstrates how LSS tools help software R&D teams to improve product quality and reduce development cost. The define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC) methodology is applied to develop an action plan to achieve continuous integration at an anonymous software R&D organization's LSS Green Belt project. The LSS implementation has had a significant impact on the financial performance of the organization. It is showed that the package continuous integration (PCI) success ratio (3 months average) increased from 27% to 74%, meanwhile an operational saving of approximately 56.87K Euro was reported from this project. Finally, some key success factors that are critical to the implementation of an effective Green Belt program are examined, and managerial implications are provided.


2019 ◽  
Vol 152 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S95-S95
Author(s):  
Deb Cardenas ◽  
Michelle Walls ◽  
Michelle Williams ◽  
Mary Gehman ◽  
Alvin Armentrout ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction An automatic signal was not in place to actively identify when a cytology specimen resulted more than 28 days from collection. The project focus was to decrease the number of specimens resulted more than 28 days and improve result cycle time to enhance safe, quality care delivery. Methods Annually, more than 46% of the cytology specimens processed at our academic medical center originate from our Women’s Health practice site. A Lean Six Sigma Green Belt project commenced with key stakeholders from the practice site, Cytology and Clinical Laboratory Departments. The project goal was to reduce the percentage of specimen results taking longer than 28 days from the baseline of 6.7% to ≤1.7%. Voice of the customer showed 75% of patients would be satisfied with results available within 7 days. Baseline data showed 38.6% of specimens resulted within 7 days with an improvement goal of 85%. Lean Six Sigma methodology was employed to develop standard work. The Cytology Department implemented use of work lists in the CoPathPlus system to track specimens from accession to results. Reconciliation of cytology specimens received versus ordered was performed weekly. Conclusions Baseline data were compared to postprocess implementation data. Hypothesis testing compared baseline to postimplementation cycle time means showing a reduction from 11.28 to 5.15 days (P < .001). Project goal of ≤1.7% for results greater than 28 days was exceeded at 0.22%. Cycle time goal of 85% for results within 7 days was exceeded at 91.6%. Signal presence to identify results greater than 28 days was reduced with improved cycle time for results reporting. With standard work implementation, 616 annualized labor hours and an annualized labor cost reduction of more than $19,000 resulted. The standard work developed has the capability to translate across all practice locations where cytology specimens are obtained.


Author(s):  
Verónica Petra Hernández-Pastrana ◽  
Juan Carlos Kido-Miranda ◽  
Pascual Felipe Pérez-Cabrera ◽  
Norma Rodríguez-Bucio

In the defining phase of the Lean Six Sigma Methodology, opportunities for improvement must be identified, determined and interpreted the client’s voice to define the objectives with the work team that applies the tools, skills and knowledge so that the company is productive and competitive. This recent work shows how to obtain an objective that is specific, realistic, measurable and on time, being the key to a successful execution of improvement, the KPi that was worked was the percentage of bags with defect in the first section of a Manufacturer, identifying the average of defective bags, specifying to lower said average by 90% to be significant and quantifiable, so that the company can continue with the Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control phases, two of the critical operations identified with the parameters of quality required by the client as well as the calculation of the Takt Time of the process of the first section of the Manufacturer in order to observe the bottlenecks in the different operations that make up the area.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Steere ◽  
Marc Rousseau ◽  
Lisa Durland

Abstract Background: Continual improvement is a necessary part of hospital culture. This occurs by identifying opportunities for improvement that influence efficiency while saving money. Methodology: An investigation of intravenous device-related practices was performed by the nurses of the intravenous access team, pharmacy, and hospital operations at Hartford Hospital using Lean Six Sigma methodology. Central venous access device occlusion and tissue plasminogen activator variability was identified. Using observation, measurement of performance, and root cause analysis, the hospital's practices, policies, and equipment were evaluated for the process of occlusion management. The team utilized a Six Sigma strategy employing the elements define, measure, analyze, improve, and control, which is a disciplined, data-driven methodology that focuses on eliminating defects (waste). Interventions initiated based on the assessment performed by the team using the define, measure, analyze, improve, and control approach included replacement of negative displacement needleless connectors with antireflux needleless connectors and specialty team assessment before tissue plasminogen activator use. Results: Over the course of the 26-month study, Hartford Hospital experienced a 69% total reduction in tissue plasminogen activator use representing a total 26-month savings of $107,315. Other cost savings were reflected in areas of flushing, flushing disposables, and in a decrease in needleless connector consumption. Central line-associated bloodstream rates fell 36% following the intervention as an unexpected secondary gain, resulting in further savings related to treating this nonreimbursable hospital-acquired condition. Conclusions: This study examined the influence of using Lean Thinking and Six Sigma methodology as a tool in saving hospital money, resulting in better patient outcomes.


2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vojislav Stoiljković ◽  
Peđa Milosavljević ◽  
Srđan Mladenović ◽  
Dragan Pavlović ◽  
Milena Todorović

Abstract Laboratories that are part of clinical centers are faced with the inevitability that their efficiency must be on a high level. Most of the biochemical laboratories are automated, but they are still underperforming. The best approach to increase the efficiency or to improve the processes today is the Lean Six Sigma methodology. This methodology extracts many benefits from automated processes. A lean process in the laboratory focuses on the time cycle to obtain results and reduce costs, or both components at the same time. Six Sigma methodology provides that the processes take place in the laboratory without delays and defects. The process that takes place at the Center for Medical Bio - chemistry (CMB) can be divided into two parts: the first part takes place in the receiving infirmary (pre-analytics) and the second part takes place at the offices of the CMB from the receipt of samples (analytics) to obtained results. The paper observes both processes, identifies critical areas where they come to a halt, defines access and reviews the results obtained using the Lean Six Sigma methodology. By applying Lean tools, the places that do not add value and those that significantly increase the cycle time were identified. This paper presents the results obtained without going into detail about the application of these Lean tools.


2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shri Ashok Sarkar ◽  
Arup Ranjan Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Sadhan Kumar Ghosh

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-35
Author(s):  
Tuan-Anh Tran ◽  
Khai Luu-Nhan ◽  
Rajab Ghabour ◽  
Miklos Daroczi

AbstractHandicraft production is usually chaotic and difficult to monitor, since its products and manufacturing processes are complex. As all the manufacturing steps rely on varied skill levels of the workers, the situation is even more stochastic. There are several common problems, such as inappropriate production method, line unbalance, excessive stock, lack of production planning and control phases, etc. They stem from the lack of suitable operation model, redundant workforce usage, and insufficient internal training activities, which lead to the waste of human resources. In this paper, a roadmap to improve the operational efficiency of handicraft manufacturing is suggested, using Lean-Six Sigma methodology and tools. A case study is conducted in a Vietnamese firm to show the validity of the approach.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document