IMPROVING EFFICIENCY OF HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS USING LEAN CONCEPT
IMPROVING EFFICIENCY OF HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS USING LEAN CONCEPT

Author(s): Bojana Noviićević Čečević,, Jelena Daraboš
Subject(s): Health and medicine and law, Welfare services
Published by: Udruženje ekonomista i menadžera Balkana
Keywords: Customers; Lean techniques; Process; Value-adding activities; Non-value adding activities; Implementation; Patient; Organization; Value; Value stream; Performance; Employees; Management; Measurement;
Summary/Abstract: Lean, as relatively new management concept, surpasses the traditional mass production and creating stockpiles of goods which have to be placed on the market, without analyzing the customers’ needs. The focus of lean is on creating the value that customers demand and forming the value streams which contain only processes and activities that generate that value and eliminating all types of wastes and non-value adding activities. Lean concept was founded in Toyota company i.e. in manufacturing system called Toyota production system. Nowadays, this concept has been implemented by many worlds known organizations as the crucial part of their production system, but also other supportive processes in the company. Application of the lean concept can significantly improve process efficiency, lead to drastic cost-reduction, improved quality of the products/services provided, but also can be a main factor of increased employees productivity and resource saving. Profitable and unprofitable health care organizations have determined business strategy and adjusted mission and vision of their path thus, they strive for resource optimization in the process of providing satisfactional level of service. Accordingly, the examination of possibilities in implementing lean concept in Health Care organizations, as well as analyzing executed techniques and performed activities in leading companies is more than justified. Health Care organizations can be characterized as complex systems with numerous participants and the need for strict coordination of activities in order to provide demanded value for the customers. Monitoring and measuring the performances on various levels and areas of accountability is highly valuable for the Health Care organizations. Regarding that, the subject of this paper will be indicating specifics of measuring the performances in Health Care organizations and possibilities of their improvement.

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