
Application of Operational Management Methodologies to Healthcare
- January 5, 2019
Hospitals and physician practices can benefit from using operations management techniques, such as Lean Process Improvement and Variability Management, proven to be useful in other industries, particularly in the manufacturing sector. Understanding these methodologies is necessary to apply them appropriately to an organization’s operational challenges. This article defines both methods and describes operational issues within healthcare facilities that can be best remedied by using one or the other approaches, or sometimes both. A case study will show the results of using Lean Process Improvement and Variability Management in healthcare operations management.