Lean Laboratory
Optimizing QC Lab Testing: A Lean Approach
Optimizing QC lab performance requires a good foundation of workload leveling and standardized work to mitigate volatility before systematically targeting the waste in the testing process. By streamlining testing, combining similar runs, and eliminating redundant testing, labs can significantly reduce cycle times, cut costs, and improve overall operational efficiency.
The Misapplication of Value Streams: The Pitfalls of Small Dedicated Work Groups
While dedicating small groups to narrow work sub-streams is well-intentioned, it often misinterprets Lean principles and introduces severe inefficiencies due to workload volatility. Combining these work streams reduces variability and required staffing, allowing organizations to maximize productivity and truly optimize their value streams.
Raw Materials & Consumable Laboratories – Why A Push-Based Operating Model Does Not Work
Raw material and consumable laboratories often find themselves trapped in a reactive, high-pressure cycle of "firefighting" due to traditional push-based operating models that prioritize testing based on when deliveries arrive rather than when production actually needs them. Here we explore why importing unmanaged delivery volatility, disrupts lab stability, and we detail the operational shift toward a demand-aligned, pull-based system. By shifting the focus to testing what is needed next by production, manufacturing organizations can dramatically increase lab productivity, simplify scheduling, minimize work-in-progress, and replace daily chaos with a predictable, high-performing operational flow.
Lab Excellence for CAR-T Cell Therapy
How does Lean Lab apply in the era of personalized therapeutics? Adopting Lean Lab Principles for Personalized Therapeutics: Meeting the Need for Speed, Quality, and Scalability in Cell-Based Therapies
Lab Excellence for CAR-T Cell Therapy
How does Lean Lab apply in the era of personalized therapeutics? Adopting Lean Lab Principles for Personalized Therapeutics: Meeting the Need for Speed, Quality, and Scalability in Cell-Based Therapies
Lean & Operational Excellence in Life Science CDMO’s (part 1)
Unleashing Efficiency in Pharma & Biotech CDMOs: Discover how leveling, flow, and standard work can transform CDMO labs, optimize resources, and boost productivity for sustainable growth.
This is part one of a three part series of short articles on Lean and Operational Excellence challenges in the CDMO sector.
Three Ways Lean Lab Projects Create an Empowered Workforce And Why That’s Important
By engaging employees while implementing Lean principles, companies create a culture of accountability, collaboration, and motivation. The positive outcomes of this drives employee empowerment in three key ways. Ultimately, employee engagement in Lean Lab projects leads to a more empowered and invested workforce, that benefits the overall success of the company.
The importance of ‘triage’ in variable effort work packages in quality control teams
Teams with high variability in incoming workload, face significant challenges in trying to organize their work in a fast productive manner. A quick controlled Triage process can boost performance without overloading team resources.
Five Ways Lean Lab can help you become a Greener Lab
Improving the environmental impact of the lab might not be the initial goal of a Lean Lab project but it can be a beneficial outcome without any extra effort or expenditure.
Are Dedicated Paperwork Reviewers a good idea for your QC Lab?
In labs, testing often takes priority while the review is somewhat of an afterthought. However, it is important to realise that until the results are reviewed and approved, we should not consider a test to be completed. There are several reasons why review may not be completed promptly, including volatile incoming workloads and changing/competing priorities.
