The thermodynamic characteristics of high efficiency, internal-combustion engines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caton, Jerald A.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The thermodynamics of an automotive engine are determined using a cycle simulation. ► The net indicated thermal efficiency increased from 37.0% to 53.9%. ► High compression ratio, lean mixtures and high EGR were the important features. ► Efficiency increased due to lower heat losses, and increased work conversion. ► The nitric oxides were essentially zero due to the low combustion temperatures. - Abstract: Recent advancements have demonstrated new combustion modes for internal combustion engines that exhibit low nitric oxide emissions and high thermal efficiencies. These new combustion modes involve various combinations of stratification, lean mixtures, high levels of EGR, multiple injections, variable valve timings, two fuels, and other such features. Although the exact combination of these features that provides the best design is not yet clear, the results (low emissions with high efficiencies) are of major interest. The current work is directed at determining some of the fundamental thermodynamic reasons for the relatively high efficiencies and to quantify these factors. Both the first and second laws are used in this assessment. An automotive engine (5.7 l) which included some of the features mentioned above (e.g., high compression ratios, lean mixtures, and high EGR) was evaluated using a thermodynamic cycle simulation. These features were examined for a moderate load (bmep = 900 kPa), moderate speed (2000 rpm) condition. By the use of lean operation, high EGR levels, high compression ratio and other features, the net indicated thermal efficiency increased from 37.0% to 53.9%. These increases are explained in a step-by-step fashion. The major reasons for these improvements include the higher compression ratio and the dilute charge (lean mixture, high EGR). The dilute charge resulted in lower temperatures which in turn resulted in lower heat loss. In addition, the lower temperatures resulted in higher ratios of the specific heats which

Lean Manufacturing measurement: The relationships between Lean activities and Lean metrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Fernando Manotas Duque

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Medición en Lean Manufacturing: Relaciones entre Actividades Lean y Métricas Lean Lean Manufacturing fue desarrollada por Toyota para satisfacer sus necesidades específicas en un mercado restringido y en tiempos de estrechez económica. Estos conceptos han sido estudiados y se ha comprobado su aplicabilidad en una amplia variedad de industrias. El objetivo de este artículo es el de integrar un conjunto de métricas que han sido propuestas por diferentes autores, de tal manera que sean consistentes con las etapas y elementos de implementaciones de Lean Manufacturing. Para lograrlo se presentan dos marcos de referencia para implementaciones Lean y los principales factores de éxito se utilizan como base para proponer métricas que identifiquen el avance en estos factores. Posteriormente se propone una tabla que cruza el impacto de las “Actividades Lean” sobre las métricas, postulando que muchos de los supuestos a priori sobre estos impactos deberían ser precisos. Finalmente se proponen algunas ideas para proyectos de investigación hacia el futuro y posibles extensiones de las aplicaciones propuestas aquí.

Compressibility, turbulence and high speed flow

CERN Document Server

Gatski, Thomas B

2013-01-01

Compressibility, Turbulence and High Speed Flow introduces the reader to the field of compressible turbulence and compressible turbulent flows across a broad speed range, through a unique complimentary treatment of both the theoretical foundations and the measurement and analysis tools currently used. The book provides the reader with the necessary background and current trends in the theoretical and experimental aspects of compressible turbulent flows and compressible turbulence. Detailed derivations of the pertinent equations describing the motion of such turbulent flows is provided and an extensive discussion of the various approaches used in predicting both free shear and wall bounded flows is presented. Experimental measurement techniques common to the compressible flow regime are introduced with particular emphasis on the unique challenges presented by high speed flows. Both experimental and numerical simulation work is supplied throughout to provide the reader with an overall perspective of current tre...

Governing highly performing lean team behaviors : A mixed-methods longitudinal study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Dun, Desirée H.; Wilderom, Celeste P.M.

2015-01-01

Work teams go through multiple performance cycles; initially highly performing teams may experience a decline in subsequent performance and vice-versa. This inductive study focuses on team-behavioral and contextual predictors of high lean team performance. Rooted in both the IMOI model and reviewing

Effectiveness of feedback with a smartwatch for high-quality chest compressions during adult cardiac arrest: A randomized controlled simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Chiwon; Lee, Juncheol; Oh, Jaehoon; Song, Yeongtak; Chee, Youngjoon; Lim, Tae Ho; Kang, Hyunggoo; Shin, Hyungoo

2017-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated the potential for using smartwatches with a built-in accelerometer as feedback devices for high-quality chest compression during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. However, to the best of our knowledge, no previous study has reported the effects of this feedback on chest compressions in action. A randomized, parallel controlled study of 40 senior medical students was conducted to examine the effect of chest compression feedback via a smartwatch during cardiopulmonary resuscitation of manikins. A feedback application was developed for the smartwatch, in which visual feedback was provided for chest compression depth and rate. Vibrations from smartwatch were used to indicate the chest compression rate. The participants were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups, and they performed chest compressions on manikins for 2 min continuously with or without feedback, respectively. The proportion of accurate chest compression depth (≥5 cm and ≤6 cm) was assessed as the primary outcome, and the chest compression depth, chest compression rate, and the proportion of complete chest decompression (≤1 cm of residual leaning) were recorded as secondary outcomes. The proportion of accurate chest compression depth in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group (64.6±7.8% versus 43.1±28.3%; p = 0.02). The mean compression depth and rate and the proportion of complete chest decompressions did not differ significantly between the two groups (all p>0.05). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation-related feedback via a smartwatch could provide assistance with respect to the ideal range of chest compression depth, and this can easily be applied to patients with out-of-hospital arrest by rescuers who wear smartwatches.

Dietary B vitamin needs of strains of pigs with high and moderate lean growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Stahly, T S; Williams, N H; Lutz, T R; Ewan, R C; Swenson, S G

2007-01-01

Ten sets of 5 littermate pigs from each of 2 genetic strains were utilized to determine the impact of the dietary concentration of 5 B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, cobalamin, and folacin) on growth from 9 to 28 kg of BW in pigs with high or moderate capacity for lean growth. All pigs (penned individually) were reared via a segregated, early weaning scheme, so that the lean growth potential of each strain could be expressed. The basal diet provided the 5 test vitamins at concentrations of total and estimated bioavailability equivalent to a minimum of 100 and 70%, respectively, of their estimated requirements (NRC, 1998) for 5- to 10-kg pigs. At a BW of 9 +/- 0.9 kg, pigs within each litter were allotted to the basal diet supplemented with sources of the 5 test vitamins equivalent to an additional 0, 100, 200, 300, or 400% (bioavailable) of the NRC requirements. Pigs from the high lean strain consumed less feed (P vitamin concentrations were increased. However, the dietary B vitamin concentrations needed to optimize G:F were greater (P 470% of NRC, 1998) vs. moderate (270%) lean strain. Based on these data, the dietary needs for 1 or more of the 5 B vitamins are greater than current NRC (1998) estimates, particularly in pigs expressing a high rate of lean tissue growth. The greater need for these vitamins is not associated with greater dietary energy intake or body energy accretion rate but is potentially due to shifts in the predominant metabolic pathways.

An empirical review of lean manufacturing and their strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Virender Chahal

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The theory of lean manufacturing provides the quality of the products in minimum cost and pro-vides customer satisfaction. Today, the competition level is very high and every industry tries to supply high quality products in nominal cost, so lean is the latest tool to achieve. The objective of this paper is to study different lean concepts under various lean strategies. This study helps to find out the status of lean manufacturing and its ways of implementation. Also in this paper, there is a discussion about lean manufacturing concept, lean waste, lean strategies, lean barriers and cycle of lean implementation. This paper presents a literature review to clear the status of lean manufacturing and their strategies with help of collection of relevant papers.

TRUNK LEAN DURING A SINGLE-LEG SQUAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH TRUNK LEAN DURING PITCHING.

Science.gov (United States)

Plummer, Hillary A; Oliver, Gretchen D; Powers, Christopher M; Michener, Lori A

2018-02-01

Impaired trunk motion during pitching may be a risk factor for upper extremity injuries. Specifically, increased forces about the shoulder and elbow have been observed in pitchers with excessive contralateral trunk lean during pitching. Because of the difficulty in identifying abnormal trunk motions during a high-speed task such as pitching, a clinical screening test is needed to identify pitchers who have impaired trunk motion during pitching. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the degree of lateral trunk lean during the single-leg squat and amount of trunk lean during pitching and if trunk lean during pitching can be predicted from lean during the single-leg squat. Controlled Laboratory Study; Cross-sectional. Seventy-three young baseball pitchers (11.4 ± 1.7 years; 156.3 ± 11.9 cm; 50.5 ± 8.8 kg) participated. An electromagnetic tracking system was used to obtain trunk kinematic data during a single-leg squat task (lead leg) and at maximum shoulder external rotation of a fastball pitch. Pearson correlation coefficients for trunk lean during the single-leg squat and pitching were calculated. A linear regression analysis was performed to determine if trunk lean during pitching can be predicted from lean during the single-leg squat. There was a positive correlation between trunk lean during the single-leg squat and trunk lean during pitching (r = 0.53; plean during the single-leg squat predicted the amount of lateral trunk lean during pitching (R 2 = 0.28; p lean during an SLS and pitching. Trunk lean during the single-leg squat explained 28% of the variance in trunk lean during pitching. Diagnosis, level 3.

Cultural Aspects when Implementing Lean Production and Lean Product Development – Experiences from a Swedish Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Promporn Wangwacharakul

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Lean principles and methods, originating in a Japanese cultural context, have spread to a large number of companies throughout the world. The aim of this case study research is to identify and compare national cultural aspects that influence Lean Production and Lean Product Development implementation in Swedish companies. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and an industrial workshop with Swedish Lean practitioners. The study shows that some sub-areas in Lean, such as value definition, control systems, leadership, team development, knowledge management, and strategies, are highly dependent on contextual factors related to human, cultural and organizational aspects. These are related to the national culture and should be considered to a higher extent for successful sustainable implementation of Lean in different cultural contexts. As for implementing Lean in Sweden, national cultural characteristics, such as individualism, autonomy and supportive management style fit well with Lean thinking.

High-quality compressive ghost imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Heyan; Zhou, Cheng; Tian, Tian; Liu, Dongqi; Song, Lijun

2018-04-01

We propose a high-quality compressive ghost imaging method based on projected Landweber regularization and guided filter, which effectively reduce the undersampling noise and improve the resolution. In our scheme, the original object is reconstructed by decomposing of regularization and denoising steps instead of solving a minimization problem in compressive reconstruction process. The simulation and experimental results show that our method can obtain high ghost imaging quality in terms of PSNR and visual observation.

LES/FMDF of turbulent jet ignition in a rapid compression machine

Science.gov (United States)

Validi, Abdoulahad; Schock, Harold; Toulson, Elisa; Jaberi, Farhad; CFD; Engine Research Labs, Michigan State University Collaboration

2015-11-01

Turbulent Jet Ignition (TJI) is an efficient method for initiating and controlling combustion in combustion systems, e.g. internal combustion engines. It enables combustion in ultra-lean mixtures by utilizing hot product turbulent jets emerging from a pre-chamber combustor as the ignition source for the main combustion chamber. Here, we study the TJI-assisted ignition and combustion of lean methane-air mixtures in a Rapid Compression Machine (RCM) for various flow/combustion conditions with the hybrid large eddy simulation/filtered mass density function (LES/FMDF) computational model. In the LES/FMDF model, the filtered form of compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved with a high-order finite difference scheme for the turbulent velocity, while the FMDF transport equation is solved with a Lagrangian stochastic method to obtain the scalar (species mass fraction and temperature) field. The LES/FMDF data are used to study the physics of TJI and combustion in RCM. The results show the very complex behavior of the reacting flow and the flame structure in the pre-chamber and RCM.

Lean Production Control at a High-Variety, Low-Volume Parts Manufacturer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bokhorst, Jos A. C.; Slomp, Jannes

2010-01-01

Eaton Electric General Supplies, a parts manufacturing unit that supplies parts for Eaton's electrical business unit, implemented several lean control elements in its high-variety, low-volume production units. These control elements include a constant work-in-process mechanism to limit and control

Highly Efficient Compression Algorithms for Multichannel EEG.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Laxmi; Rahman, Daleef; Routray, Aurobinda

2018-05-01

The difficulty associated with processing and understanding the high dimensionality of electroencephalogram (EEG) data requires developing efficient and robust compression algorithms. In this paper, different lossless compression techniques of single and multichannel EEG data, including Huffman coding, arithmetic coding, Markov predictor, linear predictor, context-based error modeling, multivariate autoregression (MVAR), and a low complexity bivariate model have been examined and their performances have been compared. Furthermore, a high compression algorithm named general MVAR and a modified context-based error modeling for multichannel EEG have been proposed. The resulting compression algorithm produces a higher relative compression ratio of 70.64% on average compared with the existing methods, and in some cases, it goes up to 83.06%. The proposed methods are designed to compress a large amount of multichannel EEG data efficiently so that the data storage and transmission bandwidth can be effectively used. These methods have been validated using several experimental multichannel EEG recordings of different subjects and publicly available standard databases. The satisfactory parametric measures of these methods, namely percent-root-mean square distortion, peak signal-to-noise ratio, root-mean-square error, and cross correlation, show their superiority over the state-of-the-art compression methods.

Lean Leadership - Organizational Buy - Ins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Revathi Iyer

2017-05-01

Leadership is a constant activity and evolves into a cohesive force towards transformation. Unless leadership is driven into the philosophy of the organization by major improvements not only in productivity but also in speed quality customer loyalty employee engagement and most importantly growth there can be no effective buy INS. Hence if lean management and lean thinking have to be a part of organization philosophy then leadership will be able to identify that all dimensions of a transformation at once and that recognizing that each provides crucial support to the others. Radnor Z. and Bucci G. 2007. lean leadership attempts to bring the voice of the customer at the heart of the business. Leadership in lean is geared to helping employees to work together more effectively to deliver exactly what customers value. Lean leadership should also be able to strengthen performance systems. Lean leadership supports and identifies those nodes and inputs to ensure that targets and performances are pinned down to respective processes and resources are deployed to the necessary inputs. Lean also encourages root-cause problem solving lean leadership allows for high levels of organization skills and shifts lean responsibility towards the front line and demands new styles of leadership. These new frontiers of leadership are what channelizes growth and make a good lean leader. Pearce C. L. amp Conger J. A. 2003

Vortex combustor for low NOX emissions when burning lean premixed high hydrogen content fuel

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Robert C; Edmonds, Ryan G; Williams, Joseph T; Baldwin, Stephen P

2012-11-20

A trapped vortex combustor. The trapped vortex combustor is configured for receiving a lean premixed gaseous fuel and oxidant stream, where the fuel includes hydrogen gas. The trapped vortex combustor is configured to receive the lean premixed fuel and oxidant stream at a velocity which significantly exceeds combustion flame speed in a selected lean premixed fuel and oxidant mixture. The combustor is configured to operate at relatively high bulk fluid velocities while maintaining stable combustion, and low NOx emissions. The combustor is useful in gas turbines in a process of burning synfuels, as it offers the opportunity to avoid use of diluent gas to reduce combustion temperatures. The combustor also offers the possibility of avoiding the use of selected catalytic reaction units for removal of oxides of nitrogen from combustion gases exiting a gas turbine.

Thermal characteristics of highly compressed bentonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sueoka, Tooru; Kobayashi, Atsushi; Imamura, S.; Ogawa, Terushige; Murata, Shigemi.

1990-01-01

In the disposal of high level radioactive wastes in strata, it is planned to protect the canisters enclosing wastes with buffer materials such as overpacks and clay, therefore, the examination of artificial barrier materials is an important problem. The concept of the disposal in strata and the soil mechanics characteristics of highly compressed bentonite as an artificial barrier material were already reported. In this study, the basic experiment on the thermal characteristics of highly compressed bentonite was carried out, therefore, it is reported. The thermal conductivity of buffer materials is important because the possibility that it determines the temperature of solidified bodies and canisters is high, and the buffer materials may cause the thermal degeneration due to high temperature. Thermophysical properties are roughly divided into thermodynamic property, transport property and optical property. The basic principle of measured thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity, the kinds of the measuring method and so on are explained. As for the measurement of the thermal conductivity of highly compressed bentonite, the experimental setup, the procedure, samples and the results are reported. (K.I.)

Layered compression for high-precision depth data.

Science.gov (United States)

Miao, Dan; Fu, Jingjing; Lu, Yan; Li, Shipeng; Chen, Chang Wen

2015-12-01

With the development of depth data acquisition technologies, access to high-precision depth with more than 8-b depths has become much easier and determining how to efficiently represent and compress high-precision depth is essential for practical depth storage and transmission systems. In this paper, we propose a layered high-precision depth compression framework based on an 8-b image/video encoder to achieve efficient compression with low complexity. Within this framework, considering the characteristics of the high-precision depth, a depth map is partitioned into two layers: 1) the most significant bits (MSBs) layer and 2) the least significant bits (LSBs) layer. The MSBs layer provides rough depth value distribution, while the LSBs layer records the details of the depth value variation. For the MSBs layer, an error-controllable pixel domain encoding scheme is proposed to exploit the data correlation of the general depth information with sharp edges and to guarantee the data format of LSBs layer is 8 b after taking the quantization error from MSBs layer. For the LSBs layer, standard 8-b image/video codec is leveraged to perform the compression. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed coding scheme can achieve real-time depth compression with satisfactory reconstruction quality. Moreover, the compressed depth data generated from this scheme can achieve better performance in view synthesis and gesture recognition applications compared with the conventional coding schemes because of the error control algorithm.

High Bit-Depth Medical Image Compression With HEVC.

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Saurin S; Ruiz, Damian; Kalva, Hari; Fernandez-Escribano, Gerardo; Adzic, Velibor

2018-03-01

Efficient storing and retrieval of medical images has direct impact on reducing costs and improving access in cloud-based health care services. JPEG 2000 is currently the commonly used compression format for medical images shared using the DICOM standard. However, new formats such as high efficiency video coding (HEVC) can provide better compression efficiency compared to JPEG 2000. Furthermore, JPEG 2000 is not suitable for efficiently storing image series and 3-D imagery. Using HEVC, a single format can support all forms of medical images. This paper presents the use of HEVC for diagnostically acceptable medical image compression, focusing on compression efficiency compared to JPEG 2000. Diagnostically acceptable lossy compression and complexity of high bit-depth medical image compression are studied. Based on an established medically acceptable compression range for JPEG 2000, this paper establishes acceptable HEVC compression range for medical imaging applications. Experimental results show that using HEVC can increase the compression performance, compared to JPEG 2000, by over 54%. Along with this, a new method for reducing computational complexity of HEVC encoding for medical images is proposed. Results show that HEVC intra encoding complexity can be reduced by over 55% with negligible increase in file size.

Lean manufacturing measurement: the relationship between lean activities and lean metrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manotas Duque Diego Fernando

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Lean Manufacturing was developed by Toyota Motor company to address their specific needs in a restricted market in times of economic trouble. These concepts have been studied and proven to be transferrable and applicable to a wide variety of industries. This paper aims to integrate a set of metrics that have been proposed by different authors in such a way that they are consistent with the different stages and elements of Lean Manufacturing implementations. To achieve this, two frameworks for Lean implementations are presented and then the main factors for success are used as the basis to propose metrics that measure the advance in these factors. A tabular display of the impact of “Lean activities” on the metrics is presented, proposing that many a priori assumptions about the benefits on many different levels of improvement should be accurate. Finally, some ideas for future research and extension of the applications proposed on this paper are presented as closing points.

Comparative Analysis between Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma Concepts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Mirela Cristina MUNTEANU

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the benefits of Lean Six Sigma in comparison with Lean and Six Sigma, traditional improvement methodologies. The introduction highlights the appearance of Lean Six Sigma, early 2000s, as well as the benefits brought by the integrated approach. The following parts of the study emphasize the main differences between methodologies and their commonalities based on their synergy. Finally the advantages of Lean Six Sigma versus Lean and Six Sigma are analyzed and systematized by author in order to reveal Lean Six Sigma’s benefits.

Healthcare Lean.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, John C

2003-01-01

Lean Thinking is an integrated approach to designing, doing and improving the work of people that have come together to produce and deliver goods, services and information. Healthcare Lean is based on the Toyota production system and applies concepts and techniques of Lean Thinking to hospitals and physician practices.

Lean versus Quick Response Manufacturing og andre koncepter - er Lean den eneste ene?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michelsen, Aage U

2005-01-01

Begrebet Lean har gennem de senere år vundet en enorm udbredelse. Antallet af publikationer om Lean har været eksplosivt stigende, og mange virksomheder har gennemført eller gennemfører Lean-projekter. Er Lean et nyt koncept? Er Lean den eneste løsning? Kan Lean kombineres med tankegange og princ...... løsning af en anden produktionsopgave. I fjerde afsnit skitseres kort relationerne mellem Lean og to andre begreber, Six Sigma og TPM, der begge har samme mål som Lean, men forskellige udgangspunkter og forskellige indfaldsvinkler....

Comparative Analysis between Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma Concepts

OpenAIRE

Alexandra Mirela Cristina MUNTEANU

2017-01-01

This paper analyzes the benefits of Lean Six Sigma in comparison with Lean and Six Sigma, traditional improvement methodologies. The introduction highlights the appearance of Lean Six Sigma, early 2000s, as well as the benefits brought by the integrated approach. The following parts of the study emphasize the main differences between methodologies and their commonalities based on their synergy. Finally the advantages of Lean Six Sigma versus Lean and Six Sigma are analyzed and systematized by...

Negotiating Lean

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rahbek Pedersen, Esben; Muniche, Mahad

2011-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse how negotiations between the constituencies affect the processes and outcomes of lean projects in Danish public sector organisations. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a qualitative analysis of interviews with managers...... projects in the Danish public sector. It cannot be concluded that the findings can be generalised to reflect all types of lean projects across organisational and geographical settings. Originality/value – The paper adds value to the relatively scarce literature on lean management in the public sector...... and employees who have participated in lean projects in the Danish public sector. Negotiated order theory serves as the overarching theoretical framework for the analysis. Findings – The paper concludes that the processes and outcomes of lean depend not only on the technology itself, but also the negotiation...

Lean Transformation Guidance: Why Organizations Fail To Achieve and Sustain Excellence Through Lean Improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Hamed Ahmed

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Many companies are complaining that lean didn’t achieve their long-term goals, and the improvement impact was very short-lived. 7 out of each 10 lean projects fail as companies try to use lean like a toolkit, copying and pasting the techniques without trying to adapt the employee’s culture, manage the improvement process, sustain the results, and develop their leaders. When the Toyota production system was created, the main goal was to remove wastes from the shop floor using some lean techniques and tools. What was not clear is that this required from Toyota a long process of leadership development, and a high commitment to training and coaching their employee. A Failure to achieve and sustain the improvement is a problem of both management and leadership as well as the improper understanding of the human behavior, and the required culture to success.

Lean og arbejdsmiljø

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kenneth

Bogen tager udgangspunkt i en undersøgelse af 10 private og offentlige virksomheders erfaringer med lean. Undersøgelsen viser at der ikke findes entydige sammenhænge mellem lean og det psykosociale arbejdsmiljø. Bogen forholder sig til sammenhængen mellem lean og ledelse, lean og medarbejderens...... rolle, lean og lean og forandringsprocessen. Bogen kommer desuden med anbefalinger til hvorledes virksomheden kan gribe dialogen an for at opnå et godt lean forløb der inddrager hensynet til og effekterne af et godt psykosocialt arbejdsmiljø....

EDUCATION FOR LEAN & LEAN FOR EDUCATION: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saveta Vukadinovic

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to investigate and understand how tools and principles of Lean philosophy can be adopted to improve the effectiveness of engineering education by providing services beyond the competition and costs below the competition, and how engineering education can provide better prepared engineering professionals capable to work in dynamic Lean environments by developing multidisciplinary knowledge and skills. Paper will be based on analysis of relevant scientific and professional literature sources, including certain elements of description, classification, explanation and prediction. The authors will use detailed literature review to explain complex relationship and interdependence between Lean philosophy and engineering education and answer the question what benefits modern Lean enterprises may expect from properly educated and qualified engineers and how application of Lean tools and principles can improve the system of engineering education.

Bevezetés a lean menedzsmentbe – a lean stratégiai alapjai = Introduction to lean management – basic strategic elements of lean

OpenAIRE

Losonci, Dávid

2010-01-01

A lean menedzsment az értékteremtő folyamatok stratégiai és operatív szintjének meghatározó formálójává vált az elmúlt évtizedekben. Jelen tanulmány stratégiai nézőpontból tárgyalja a lean menedzsment teljes bevezetését. Részletes áttekintést ad a Womack és Jones (2003) által lefektetett lean alapelvekről. Az operatív teljesítményjavulásból származó vevői értékteremtés mellett foglalkozik a tulajdonosi értékteremtéssel, az MRP és a lean szinergikus összekapcsolásával, valamint a lean ideális ...

Researching Lean: Methodological implications of loose definitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brännmark, Mikael; Langstrand, Jostein; Johansson, Stina

2012-01-01

practices seem to overlap with other popular management concepts, such as High Performance Work Systems, World Class Manufacturing and Total Quality Management. This confusion, combined with different methodological and theoretical traditions, has led to much debate and contradictory conclusions regarding...... Lean. The purpose of the paper is to illustrate some key methodological issues that need to be considered in future Lean research to allow increased understanding of Lean effects for different stakeholders, primarily meaning the customer, employer and employees. Design/methodology/approach – The paper...... on the case studies, we suggest that future investigations describe the Lean interventions in more detail. General descriptions or analogies, e.g. ‘learning organizations’, presumably increase the present confusion regarding Lean impact on different stakeholders. The case studies also illustrate...

Clinically lean; "cutting the crap".

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, G

2012-01-01

Proponents of Lean Philosophy believe that successful businesses must reduce waste in working time and resources to a minimum, and maximise their use in productive work. The productive work of the Acute Medical Unit is to provide effective clinical management to a daily cohort of acutely ill patients. Many Clinicians are cynical about Lean. In this article, Dr Caldwell discusses how many clinicians complain of too much crap in the workplace, which gets in the way of swift, safe high quality clinical care. He argues that "Cutting the Crap" in the Acute Medical Unit is entirely consistent with Lean approaches to management of complex systems.

Differential effects of high-fat and high-carbohydrate isoenergetic meals on cardiac autonomic nervous system activity in lean and obese women.

Science.gov (United States)

Tentolouris, N; Tsigos, C; Perea, D; Koukou, E; Kyriaki, D; Kitsou, E; Daskas, S; Daifotis, Z; Makrilakis, K; Raptis, S A; Katsilambros, N

2003-11-01

Food ingestion can influence autonomic nervous system activity. This study compares the effects of 2 different isoenergetic meals on sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, assessed by heart rate variability (HRV) and plasma norepinephrine (NE) levels, in lean and obese women. Fifteen lean and 15 obese healthy women were examined on 2 occasions: after a carbohydrate (CHO)-rich and after a fat-rich test meal. Measurements of blood pressure, heart rate, resting energy expenditure, plasma glucose, lipids, insulin, leptin, and NE, as well as spectral analysis of the HRV, were performed at baseline and every 1 hour for 3 hours after meals. At baseline, obese women had higher SNS activity than lean controls (higher values of low-to-high frequency ratio [LF/HF], 1.52 +/- 0.31 v 0.78 +/- 0.13, P=.04; and plasma NE levels, 405.6 +/- 197.9 v 240.5 +/- 95.8 pg/mL, Pmeal a greater increase in LF/HF and in plasma NE levels was observed in lean, compared to obese women (1.21 +/- 0.6 v 0.32 +/- 0.06, P=.04; and 102.9 +/- 35.4 v 38.7 +/- 12.3 pg/mL, P=.01, respectively), while no differences were observed after the fat-rich meal. Meal-induced thermogenesis was higher after the CHO-rich as compared to the fat-rich meal and was comparable between lean and obese women. Changes in HRV were not associated with the thermogenic response to the test meals. In conclusion, consumption of a CHO-rich meal causes greater cardiac SNS activation in lean than in obese women, while fat ingestion does not result in any appreciable change in either group. SNS activation does not appear to influence the thermic effect of the food in either lean or obese women.

Internal lean practitioner's challenges in lean principles ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The approach to this paper is to answer the questions such as “how does internal management commitment impact the Lean principles?”, “how does Supply Chain Management practices impact the lean principles?”, “can Supply Chain Management practices be embedded with internal management commitment?

Neutralized drift compression experiments with a high-intensity ion beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, P.K.; Yu, S.S.; Waldron, W.L.; Anders, A.; Baca, D.; Barnard, J.J.; Bieniosek, F.M.; Coleman, J.; Davidson, R.C.; Efthimion, P.C.; Eylon, S.; Friedman, A.; Gilson, E.P.; Greenway, W.G.; Henestroza, E.; Kaganovich, I.; Leitner, M.; Logan, B.G.; Sefkow, A.B.; Seidl, P.A.; Sharp, W.M.; Thoma, C.; Welch, D.R.

2007-01-01

To create high-energy density matter and fusion conditions, high-power drivers, such as lasers, ion beams, and X-ray drivers, may be employed to heat targets with short pulses compared to hydro-motion. Both high-energy density physics and ion-driven inertial fusion require the simultaneous transverse and longitudinal compression of an ion beam to achieve high intensities. We have previously studied the effects of plasma neutralization for transverse beam compression. The scaled experiment, the Neutralized Transport Experiment (NTX), demonstrated that an initially un-neutralized beam can be compressed transversely to ∼1 mm radius when charge neutralization by background plasma electrons is provided. Here, we report longitudinal compression of a velocity-tailored, intense, neutralized 25 mA K + beam at 300 keV. The compression takes place in a 1-2 m drift section filled with plasma to provide space-charge neutralization. An induction cell produces a head-to-tail velocity ramp that longitudinally compresses the neutralized beam, enhances the beam peak current by a factor of 50 and produces a pulse duration of about 3 ns. The physics of longitudinal compression, experimental procedure, and the results of the compression experiments are presented

Lean i Norge : opplever norske bedrifter som er mer lean, større økning i kundetilfredshet enn de som er mindre lean?

OpenAIRE

Fagereng, Hanne Eline; Askevold, Elisabeth Cathrine

2010-01-01

Vi ønsker å måle i hvor stor grad norske bedrifter har implementert lean, og for å måle grad av lean har vi utviklet et rammeverk basert på lean teori. Hovedformålet med lean er å øke kundeverdi med minst mulig ressursbruk, anstrengelse, energi, utstyr, tid, plass, material og kapital (Womack, Roos and Jones 2007). Vi vil utforske om høyere grad av lean fører til mer tilfredse kunder enn de som har lavere grad av lean. Altså om hovedformålet med lean blir oppnådd hvis man implementerer lean i...

Effect of selection for lean growth on gonadal development of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A primary objective of commercial pig production is lean meat yield in order to satisfy consumer needs. The majority of the commercial pig breeds in South Africa have been selected for high lean growth potential and reduced backfat thickness. There are indications that selection for high lean meat yield may affect the ...

Simulation of lean premixed turbulent combustion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bell, J; Day, M; Almgren, A; Lijewski, M; Rendleman, C; Cheng, R; Shepherd, I

2006-01-01

There is considerable technological interest in developing new fuel-flexible combustion systems that can burn fuels such as hydrogen or syngas. Lean premixed systems have the potential to burn these types of fuels with high efficiency and low NOx emissions due to reduced burnt gas temperatures. Although traditional Scientific approaches based on theory and laboratory experiment have played essential roles in developing our current understanding of premixed combustion, they are unable to meet the challenges of designing fuel-flexible lean premixed combustion devices. Computation, with its ability to deal with complexity and its unlimited access to data, has the potential for addressing these challenges. Realizing this potential requires the ability to perform high fidelity simulations of turbulent lean premixed flames under realistic conditions. In this paper, we examine the specialized mathematical structure of these combustion problems and discuss simulation approaches that exploit this structure. Using these ideas we can dramatically reduce computational cost, making it possible to perform high-fidelity simulations of realistic flames. We illustrate this methodology by considering ultra-lean hydrogen flames and discuss how this type of simulation is changing the way researchers study combustion

Lean education an overview of current issues

CERN Document Server

Flumerfelt, Shannon; Kahlen, Franz-Josef

2017-01-01

This edited volume presents a structured approach to a new lean education curriculum, implemented for the education of engineers, managers, administrators as well as human resources developers. The authorship comprises professors and lecturers, trainers and practitioners who educate future professionals in Lean Thinking principles and tools. This edited book provides a platform for authors to share their efforts in building a Body of Knowledge (BoK) for Lean Education. The topical spectrum is state-of-the-art in this field, but the book also includes a glimpse into future developments. This is a highly informative and carefully presented book, providing valuable insight for scholars with an interest in Lean Education.

Lean information management

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hammer, D.K.

1997-01-01

The concept of a Lean Enterprise has proven to be extremely valuable for making companies fit for today's competitive business environment. Lean Information Management denotes the type of information management that is appropriate for such all organization. According to the paradigm of a Lean

Lean production

OpenAIRE

Veselková, Jana

2011-01-01

The goal of this Bachelor's Thesis is to describe the general principles of lean production and afterwards apply these principles in a particular company. Due to the changing conditions on the world market is among companies growing concern about such innovative business systems. The theoretical part of this work deals with the general characteristics of lean production, including their history and focus on Toyota, as the originator of most lean systems. Mentioned are also the economic aspect...

EPA Lean Government Initiative: How to Replicate Lean Successes

Science.gov (United States)

This Lean Replication Primer describes how EPA Offices and Regions can identify and adapt successful practices from previous Lean projects to “replicate” their successes and generate further improvements.

Dynamic High-Temperature Characterization of an Iridium Alloy in Compression at High Strain Rates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Bo [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Experimental Environment Simulation Dept.; Nelson, Kevin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Mechanics of Materials Dept.; Lipinski, Ronald J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technology Dept.; Bignell, John L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Structural and Thermal Analysis Dept.; Ulrich, G. B. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Radioisotope Power Systems Program; George, E. P. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Radioisotope Power Systems Program

2014-06-01

Iridium alloys have superior strength and ductility at elevated temperatures, making them useful as structural materials for certain high-temperature applications. However, experimental data on their high-temperature high-strain-rate performance are needed for understanding high-speed impacts in severe elevated-temperature environments. Kolsky bars (also called split Hopkinson bars) have been extensively employed for high-strain-rate characterization of materials at room temperature, but it has been challenging to adapt them for the measurement of dynamic properties at high temperatures. Current high-temperature Kolsky compression bar techniques are not capable of obtaining satisfactory high-temperature high-strain-rate stress-strain response of thin iridium specimens investigated in this study. We analyzed the difficulties encountered in high-temperature Kolsky compression bar testing of thin iridium alloy specimens. Appropriate modifications were made to the current high-temperature Kolsky compression bar technique to obtain reliable compressive stress-strain response of an iridium alloy at high strain rates (300 – 10000 s^-1) and temperatures (750°C and 1030°C). Uncertainties in such high-temperature high-strain-rate experiments on thin iridium specimens were also analyzed. The compressive stress-strain response of the iridium alloy showed significant sensitivity to strain rate and temperature.

Analysis Of Lean Accounting JIT And Balance Scorecard In The Companys Lean Manufacturing

OpenAIRE

Irwan Sutirman Wahdiat

2015-01-01

This research purpose to analyze the concept of Lean Manufacturing which is influenced by the role of JIT. This research uses a theoretical approach. This study portrait thinking companies that have yet to implement lean manufacturing and after doing the concept of lean manufacturing. This study shows that the concept of lean manufacturing can make the company more efficient and effective. This paper shows some lean manufacturing dimensions of the researchers previous researchers. This study ...

Making it lean applying lean practices to the work of it

CERN Document Server

Williams, Howard

2013-01-01

Making IT Lean: Applying Lean Practices to the Work of IT presents Lean concepts and techniques for improving processes and eliminating waste in IT operations and IT Service Management, in a manner that is easy to understand. The authors provide a context for discussing several areas of application within this domain, allowing you to quickly gain insight into IT processes and Lean principles.The text reviews IT Service Management, with reference to the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL®) as a framework for best practices-explaining how to use it to accommod

Identification of Lean Implementation Hurdles in Indian Industries

OpenAIRE

Bhim Singh

2016-01-01

Due to increased pressure from global competitors, manufacturing organizations are switching over to lean philosophies from traditional mass production. Lean manufacturing is a manufacturing philosophy which focuses on elimination of various types of wastes and creates maximum value for the end customers. Lean thinking aims to produce high quality products and services at the lowest possible cost with maximum customer responsiveness. Indian Industry is facing lot of problems in this transform...

Lean Startup and Lean Canvas Using for Innovative Product Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alena Buchalcevová

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Recently, new approaches to product development have emerged that focus on idea generation techniques and customer itself. One of them is the Lean Startup method that is described in this article along with the Lean Canvas method. The main goal of the article is to demonstrate the application of both methods to an innovative product development focused on providing interactive trips for families with children. The development of the product during individual phases is described and application of the Lean Startup and Lean Canvas principles is demonstrated. Finally, benefits of both methods contributing to the product success are discussed. Similar case studies start emerging worldwide, however in the Czech context are quite rare.

Moving on - beyond lean thinking

OpenAIRE

Koskela, Lauri

2004-01-01

Lean Thinking is currently often positioned as the underlying theory of lean production among practitioners and academics, although its originators, Womack and Jones, seem not to have presented it as a theory. This paper endeavors to analyze whether Lean Thinking can be viewed as a theory of lean production. For this purpose, a critical assessment of Lean Thinking is carried out. Lean Thinking is argued to lack an adequate conceptualization of production, which has led to imprecise concepts, ...

Lean start-up

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Erik Stavnsager; Tanev, Stoyan

2016-01-01

The risk of launching new products and starting new firms is known to be extremely high. The Lean Start-up approach is a way of reducing these risks and enhancing the chances for success by validating the products and services in the market with customers before launching it in full scale. The ma...... and the final business model. In other words: The start-up must first nail the problem together with the customers, then develop the solution and test, and then in the end scale it to a full-grown business model.......The risk of launching new products and starting new firms is known to be extremely high. The Lean Start-up approach is a way of reducing these risks and enhancing the chances for success by validating the products and services in the market with customers before launching it in full scale. The main...

lean-ISD.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Guy W.

2001-01-01

Explains lean instructional systems design/development (ISD) as it relates to curriculum architecture design, based on Japan's lean production system. Discusses performance-based systems; ISD models; processes for organizational training and development; curriculum architecture to support job performance; and modular curriculum development. (LRW)

Adoption of lean principles in a high-volume molecular diagnostic microbiology laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, P Shawn; Mandrekar, Jayawant N; Yao, Joseph D C

2014-07-01

Clinical laboratories are constantly facing challenges to do more with less, enhance quality, improve test turnaround time, and reduce operational expenses. Experience with adopting and applying lean concepts and tools used extensively in the manufacturing industry is described for a high-volume clinical molecular microbiology laboratory, illustrating how operational success and benefits can be achieved. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Buildings Lean Maintenance Implementation Model

Science.gov (United States)

Abreu, Antonio; Calado, João; Requeijo, José

2016-11-01

Nowadays, companies in global markets have to achieve high levels of performance and competitiveness to stay "alive".Within this assumption, the building maintenance cannot be done in a casual and improvised way due to the costs related. Starting with some discussion about lean management and building maintenance, this paper introduces a model to support the Lean Building Maintenance (LBM) approach. Finally based on a real case study from a Portuguese company, the benefits, challenges and difficulties are presented and discussed.

Improving Healthcare through Lean Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anders Paarup; Edwards, Kasper

2011-01-01

The ideas and principles from lean management are now widely being adopted within the healthcare sector. The analysis in this paper shows that organizations within healthcare most often only implement a limited set of tools and methods from the lean tool-box. Departing from a theoretical analysis...... of the well-known and universal lean management principles in the context of the healthcare this paper will attempt to formulate and test four hypotheses about possible barriers to the successful implementation of lean management in healthcare. The first hypothesis states that lean management in healthcare....... The paper concludes by discussing the implications of hypothesis two, three, and four for the successful application of lean management within healthcare. Is it concluded that this requires a transformative and contingent approach to lean management where the universal principles of the lean philosophy...

A checkpoint compression study for high-performance computing systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ibtesham, Dewan [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Computer Science; Ferreira, Kurt B. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Scalable System Software Dept.; Arnold, Dorian [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Computer Science

2015-02-17

As high-performance computing systems continue to increase in size and complexity, higher failure rates and increased overheads for checkpoint/restart (CR) protocols have raised concerns about the practical viability of CR protocols for future systems. Previously, compression has proven to be a viable approach for reducing checkpoint data volumes and, thereby, reducing CR protocol overhead leading to improved application performance. In this article, we further explore compression-based CR optimization by exploring its baseline performance and scaling properties, evaluating whether improved compression algorithms might lead to even better application performance and comparing checkpoint compression against and alongside other software- and hardware-based optimizations. Our results highlights are: (1) compression is a very viable CR optimization; (2) generic, text-based compression algorithms appear to perform near optimally for checkpoint data compression and faster compression algorithms will not lead to better application performance; (3) compression-based optimizations fare well against and alongside other software-based optimizations; and (4) while hardware-based optimizations outperform software-based ones, they are not as cost effective.

Variable valve timing in a homogenous charge compression ignition engine

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Keith E.; Faletti, James J.; Funke, Steven J.; Maloney, Ronald P.

2004-08-03

The present invention relates generally to the field of homogenous charge compression ignition engines, in which fuel is injected when the cylinder piston is relatively close to the bottom dead center position for its compression stroke. The fuel mixes with air in the cylinder during the compression stroke to create a relatively lean homogeneous mixture that preferably ignites when the piston is relatively close to the top dead center position. However, if the ignition event occurs either earlier or later than desired, lowered performance, engine misfire, or even engine damage, can result. The present invention utilizes internal exhaust gas recirculation and/or compression ratio control to control the timing of ignition events and combustion duration in homogeneous charge compression ignition engines. Thus, at least one electro-hydraulic assist actuator is provided that is capable of mechanically engaging at least one cam actuated intake and/or exhaust valve.

Performance and emission characteristics of a turbocharged CNG engine fueled by hydrogen-enriched compressed natural gas with high hydrogen ratio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Fanhua; Wang, Mingyue; Jiang, Long; Chen, Renzhe; Deng, Jiao; Naeve, Nashay; Zhao, Shuli [State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2010-06-15

This paper investigates the effect of high hydrogen volumetric ratio of 55% on performance and emission characteristics in a turbocharged lean burn natural gas engine. The experimental data was conducted under various operating conditions including different spark timing, excess air ratio (lambda), and manifold pressure. It is found that the addition of hydrogen at a high volumetric ratio could significantly extend the lean burn limit, improve the engine lean burn ability, decrease burn duration, and yield higher thermal efficiency. The CO, CH{sub 4} emissions were reduced and NO{sub x} emission could be kept an acceptable low level with high hydrogen content under lean burn conditions when ignition timing were optimized. (author)

Lean programm as a method of managing lean changes in the company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suetina Tatiana Aleksandrovna

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This article is about methods and ways of providing changes on enterprices which introduce instruments of lean production. The main accent is how to use metodology of the project management by providing lean-changes. Lean program is proposed as a program of strategic developement of enterprices.

Lean and the Learning Organization in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, David E.

2014-01-01

Canadian post-secondary institutions are seeking enhanced efficiencies due to ongoing funding shortfalls and expanding teaching, research, and service mandates. These institutions have considered or enacted Lean methodology based on results reported by public service and healthcare organizations worldwide. Lean requires a high level of…

High intensity pulse self-compression in short hollow core capillaries

OpenAIRE

Butcher, Thomas J.; Anderson, Patrick N.; Horak, Peter; Frey, Jeremy G.; Brocklesby, William S.

2011-01-01

The drive for shorter pulses for use in techniques such as high harmonic generation and laser wakefield acceleration requires continual improvement in post-laser pulse compression techniques. The two most commonly used methods of pulse compression for high intensity pulses are hollow capillary compression via self-phase modulation (SPM) [1] and the more recently developed filamentation [2]. Both of these methods can require propagation distances of 1-3 m to achieve spectral broadening and com...

High sensitivity C-reactive protein and its relationship with impaired glucose regulation in lean patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ji Won; Han, Ji Eun; Kim, You Shin; Won, Hyung Jae; Yoon, Tae Ki; Lee, Woo Sik

2012-04-01

The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine-metabolic disorder, also associated with the metabolic syndrome. Serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker of low-grade chronic inflammation is a potent predictor of cardiovascular events, closely linked to metabolic syndrome features and higher in patients with PCOS. However, hs-CRP in lean patients with PCOS has not been fully evaluated and few data are available. We aimed to investigate the relation between glucose intolerance and hs-CRP levels in lean patients with PCOS, and to evaluate the possible relationship between hs-CRP and PCOS by evaluating PCOS-related metabolic abnormalities in Korean women. We consecutively recruited 115 lean (BMI PCOS and 103 lean healthy controls. The PCOS group was divided two groups: impaired glucose regulation (IGR) and normal glucose tolerance group (NGT). In lean patients with PCOS, hs-CRP level was higher in the IGR group than in the NGT group (0.60 ± 1.37 versus 0.18 ± 0.46, p(Bonf) = 0.023) and other metabolic risk factors were also higher in the IGR group than in the NGT group. And there were close relationships between hs-CRP level and metabolic risk factor, such as 2 h postprandial insulin level in the lean patients with PCOS.

Implementation of lean leadership

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trenkner Małgorzata

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The Toyota case proves that lean leadership is of critical importance for the successful implementation and permanent functioning of Lean Production System. There is no ready formula for developing Toyota style lean leadership. However, one may gain inspiration from its experience.

NO{sub x} formation in lean premixed combustion of methane at high pressures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bengtsson, K U.M.; Griebel, P; Schaeren, R [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

1999-08-01

High pressure experiments in a jet-stirred reactor have been performed to study the NO{sub x} formation in lean premixed combustion of methane/air mixtures. The experimental results are compared with numerical predictions using four well known reaction mechanisms and a model which consists of a series of two perfectly stirred reactors and a plug flow reactor. (author) 2 figs., 7 refs.

Lean leadership: an ethnographic study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aij, Kjeld Harald; Visse, Merel; Widdershoven, Guy A M

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide a critical analysis of contemporary Lean leadership in the context of a healthcare practice. The Lean leadership model supports professionals with a leading role in implementing Lean. This article presents a case study focusing specifically on leadership behaviours and issues that were experienced, observed and reported in a Dutch university medical centre. This ethnographic case study provides auto-ethnographic accounts based on experiences, participant observation, interviews and document analysis. Characteristics of Lean leadership were identified to establish an understanding of how to achieve successful Lean transformation. This study emphasizes the importance for Lean leaders to go to the gemba, to see the situation for one's own self, empower health-care employees and be modest. All of these are critical attributes in defining the Lean leadership mindset. In this case study, Lean leadership is specifically related to healthcare, but certain common leadership characteristics are relevant across all fields. This article shows the value of an auto-ethnographic view on management learning for the analysis of Lean leadership. The knowledge acquired through this research is based on the first author's experiences in fulfilling his role as a health-care leader. This may help the reader examining his/her own role and reflecting on what matters most in the field of Lean leadership.

LEAN and energy efficiency; Lean og energieffektivisering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jespersen, Per T; Vesterager Christensen, D; Andersen, Hans [Teknologisk Institut, Energi og Klima, Taastrup (Denmark); Dam Wied, M; Dam, M [NRGi Raadgivning, Aarhus (Denmark); Thorndahl, M [Horsens Kommune, Horsens (Denmark); Weldingh, P [Lokal Energi, Viby J. (Denmark); Maagoee, P; Kristensen, Kenneth T [Viegand og Maagoee, Copenhagen (Denmark); Kirketerp Friis, A [Novozymes, Bagsvaerd (Denmark)

2010-03-15

By means of theoretical reports and three specific cases, the project showed how Lean principles can improve energy consulting efficiency, thus making it easier for end-users and energy consultants to record and document energy savings achieved. The three cases documented various types of extra benefits of integrating energy efficiency improvement in Lean processes. As a result of process optimisation, one manufacturing company successfully reduced both staffing and energy consumption, thus making production in Denmark competitive with out-sourced production in Asia. (LN)

LEAN dig ikke tilbage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weirsøe, Mathilde

2011-01-01

Fit, slankere, hurtigst. Lean-konceptet ruller ind over de offentlige institutioner, hvor det skal trimme og effektivisere arbejdsprocesser. Men hvor er den maksimale grænse for effektivitet? Er der et ’tipping point’, hvor Lean ikke længere motiverer, men snarere udmatter......Fit, slankere, hurtigst. Lean-konceptet ruller ind over de offentlige institutioner, hvor det skal trimme og effektivisere arbejdsprocesser. Men hvor er den maksimale grænse for effektivitet? Er der et ’tipping point’, hvor Lean ikke længere motiverer, men snarere udmatter...

Orchestrating Lean Implementation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riis, Jens Ove; Mikkelsen, Hans; Andersen, Jesper Rank

2008-01-01

The notion of Lean Manufacturing is not merely confined to a set of well defined techniques, but represents a broad approach to managing a company. Working with lean entails many aspects, such as production planning and control, production engineering, product development, supply chain......, and organizational issues. To become effective, many functional areas and departments must be involved. At the same time companies are embedded in a dynamic environment. The aim of the paper is to propose a comprehensive approach to better implementation of lean initiatives, based on two empirical studies. The paper...... will discuss how a concerted effort can be staged taking into account the interdependencies among individual improvement initiatives. The notion of orchestration will be introduced, and several means for orchestration will be presented. Critical behavioral issues for lean implementation will be discussed....

Study of high load operation limit for premixed compression ignition engine; Yokongo asshuku chakka kikan no kofuka unten genkai ni kansuru kosatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimazaki, N. [Isuzu Advanced Engineering Center Ltd., Kanagawa (Japan); Akagawa, H. [Nissan Diesel Motor Co. Ltd., Saitama (Japan); Tsujimura, K. [Chiba Institute of Technology, Chiba (Japan); Miyamoto, T.

2000-11-25

NO{sub x} emission was remarkably reduced by PREDIC (PREmixed lean DIesel Combustion) system in which fuel was injected at very early stage of compression stroke and the major part of the fuel is considered to be burned with self-ignition of premixed charge around TDC. However PREDIC system had some problems, a restriction of a high load operation was one of these problems. In order to investigate the combustion characteristics of PREDIC at the richer operation limit, a test engine was operated with gaseous fuel-air mixture where less heterogeneous mixture can be formed than that of conventional diesel engines. A steep pressure rise or the abrupt increase in NO{sub x} emission determined the richer operation limit. This was at 2 to 2.4 of excess air ratio. Supercharging operation enabled the high load operation more than 2.4 of excess air ratio. (author)

Development of ultra-short high voltage pulse technology using magnetic pulse compression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cha, Byung Heon; Kim, S. G.; Nam, S. M.; Lee, B. C.; Lee, S. M.; Jeong, Y. U.; Cho, S. O.; Jin, J. T.; Choi, H. L

1998-01-01

The control circuit for high voltage switches, the saturable inductor for magnetic assist, and the magnetic pulse compression circuit were designed, constructed, and tested. The core materials of saturable inductors in magnetic pulse compression circuit were amorphous metal and ferrite and total compression stages were 3. By the test, in high repetition rate, high pulse compression were certified. As a result of this test, it became possible to increase life-time of thyratrons and to replace thyratrons by solid-state semiconductor switches. (author). 16 refs., 16 tabs.

Development of ultra-short high voltage pulse technology using magnetic pulse compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cha, Byung Heon; Kim, S. G.; Nam, S. M.; Lee, B. C.; Lee, S. M.; Jeong, Y. U.; Cho, S. O.; Jin, J. T.; Choi, H. L.

1998-01-01

The control circuit for high voltage switches, the saturable inductor for magnetic assist, and the magnetic pulse compression circuit were designed, constructed, and tested. The core materials of saturable inductors in magnetic pulse compression circuit were amorphous metal and ferrite and total compression stages were 3. By the test, in high repetition rate, high pulse compression were certified. As a result of this test, it became possible to increase life-time of thyratrons and to replace thyratrons by solid-state semiconductor switches. (author). 16 refs., 16 tabs

Diccionario Lean Manufacturing

OpenAIRE

Muñoz Ellner, Sarah María

2016-01-01

El Diccionario Bilingüe de Lean Manufacturing pretende ser un instrumento de apoyo a todo aquel que tenga la responsabilidad de planear, ejecutar o simplemente algún interés con las actividades de Lean Manufacturing, aportando así también conceptos claros tanto en castellano como en inglés, con el fin de entender de forma integral el alcance mismo que puede llegar a tener dicha filosofía, al igual que se proporcionara una serie de siglas y herramientas para la implementación del Lean Manufact...

Lean management beyond manufacturing a holistic approach

CERN Document Server

Bhasin, Sanjay

2015-01-01

Exploring Lean manufacturing in a holistic manner, this book helps organizations to implement Lean principles successfully by offering theoretical, empirical and practical knowledge. It empirically demonstrates how a successful Lean initiative can improve organizational efficiency, and incorporates valuable primary research to substantiate findings. It argues that Lean principles need to be applied throughout the value chain in order to be successful , and suggests that these tools need to be aligned with culture and change management. Chapters examine issues including Lean cultures, impediments to Lean, Lean and performance measurement, and the impact of Lean. Viewing Lean as a never-ending journey, this book provides a valuable resource to practising Lean managers, and specialist researchers and students, and also offers an important reference for organizations embarking on their Lean voyage.

Lean approach in knowledge work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanna Kropsu-Vehkapera

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Knowledge work productivity is a key area of improvement for many organisations. Lean approach is a sustainable way to achieve operational excellence and can be applied in many areas. The purpose of this novel study is to examine the potential of using lean approach for improving knowledge work practices. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review has been carried out to study how lean approach is realised in knowledge work. The research is conceptual in nature and draws upon earlier research findings. Findings: This study shows that lean studies’ in knowledge work is an emerging research area. This study documents the methods and practices implemented in knowledge work to date, and presents a knowledge work continuum, which is an essential framework for effective lean approach deployment and to frame future research focus in knowledge work productivity. Research limitations/implications: This study structures the concept of knowledge work and outlines a concrete concept derived from earlier literature. The study summarises the literature on lean in knowledge work and highlights, which methods are used. More research is needed to understand how lean can be implemented in complex knowledge work environment and not only on the repetitive knowledge work. The limitations of this research are due to the limited availability of previous research. Practical implications: To analyse the nature of knowledge work, we implicate the areas where lean methods especially apply to improving knowledge work productivity. When applying lean in knowledge work context the focus should be using the people better and improving information flow. Originality/value: This study focuses on adapting lean methods into a knowledge work context and summarises earlier research done in this field. The study discusses the potential to improve knowledge work productivity by implementing lean methods and presents a unique knowledge work continuum to

Lean and Information Technology Toolkit

Science.gov (United States)

The Lean and Information Technology Toolkit is a how-to guide which provides resources to environmental agencies to help them use Lean Startup, Lean process improvement, and Agile tools to streamline and automate processes.

Cull sow knife-separable lean content evaluation at harvest and lean mass content prediction equation development.

Science.gov (United States)

Abell, Caitlyn E; Stalder, Kenneth J; Hendricks, Haven B; Fitzgerald, Robert F

2012-07-01

The objectives of this study were to develop a prediction equation for carcass knife-separable lean within and across USDA cull sow market weight classes (MWC) and to determine carcass and individual primal cut knife separable lean content from cull sows. There were significant percent lean and fat differences in the primal cuts across USDA MWC. The two lighter USDA MWC had a greater percent carcass lean and lower percent fat compared to the two heavier MWC. In general, hot carcass weight explained the majority of carcass lean variation. Additionally, backfat was a significant variation source when predicting cull sow carcass lean. The findings support using a single lean prediction equation across MWC to assist processors when making cull sow purchasing decisions and determine the mix of animals from various USDA MWC that will meet their needs when making pork products with defined lean:fat content. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of lean thinking to health care: issues and observations

Science.gov (United States)

Joosten, Tom; Bongers, Inge; Janssen, Richard

2009-01-01

Background Incidents and quality problems are a prime cause why health care leaders are calling to redesign health care delivery. One of the concepts used is lean thinking. Yet, lean often leads to resistance. Also, there is a lack of high quality evidence supporting lean premises. In this paper, we present an overview of lean thinking and its application to health care. Development, theory and application of lean thinking to health care Lean thinking evolved from a tool designed to improve operational shop-floor performance at an automotive manufacturer to a management approach with both operational and sociotechnical aspects. Sociotechnical dynamics have until recently not received much attention. At the same time a balanced approach might lead to a situation where operational and sociotechnial improvements are mutually reinforcing. Application to health care has been limited and focussed mainly on operational aspects using original lean tools. A more integrative approach would be to pay more attention to sociotechnical dynamics of lean implementation efforts. Also, the need to use the original lean tools may be limited, because health care may have different instruments and tools already in use that are in line with lean thinking principles. Discussion We believe lean thinking has the potential to improve health care delivery. At the same time, there are methodological and practical considerations that need to be taken into account. Otherwise, lean implementation will be superficial and fail, adding to existing resistance and making it more difficult to improve health care in the long term. PMID:19696048

Lean Production : Werkzeuge zur Realisierung

OpenAIRE

Binner, Hartmut F.

2008-01-01

INHALT: l. Einleitung und Standortbestimmung 2. Japanische Wertvorstellungen 3. Inhalte der Lean Production 4. Fertigungssegmentierung 5. Informationsmanagement mit CIM- und Logistik-Komponenten 6. Logistikgerechte Strukturen der Lean Production 7. Realisierung der Lean Production 8. Zusammenfassung

A novel high-frequency encoding algorithm for image compression

Science.gov (United States)

Siddeq, Mohammed M.; Rodrigues, Marcos A.

2017-12-01

In this paper, a new method for image compression is proposed whose quality is demonstrated through accurate 3D reconstruction from 2D images. The method is based on the discrete cosine transform (DCT) together with a high-frequency minimization encoding algorithm at compression stage and a new concurrent binary search algorithm at decompression stage. The proposed compression method consists of five main steps: (1) divide the image into blocks and apply DCT to each block; (2) apply a high-frequency minimization method to the AC-coefficients reducing each block by 2/3 resulting in a minimized array; (3) build a look up table of probability data to enable the recovery of the original high frequencies at decompression stage; (4) apply a delta or differential operator to the list of DC-components; and (5) apply arithmetic encoding to the outputs of steps (2) and (4). At decompression stage, the look up table and the concurrent binary search algorithm are used to reconstruct all high-frequency AC-coefficients while the DC-components are decoded by reversing the arithmetic coding. Finally, the inverse DCT recovers the original image. We tested the technique by compressing and decompressing 2D images including images with structured light patterns for 3D reconstruction. The technique is compared with JPEG and JPEG2000 through 2D and 3D RMSE. Results demonstrate that the proposed compression method is perceptually superior to JPEG with equivalent quality to JPEG2000. Concerning 3D surface reconstruction from images, it is demonstrated that the proposed method is superior to both JPEG and JPEG2000.

Researching Lean: Methodological Implications of Loose Definitions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikael Brännmark

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Recently, Lean Production (Lean has become a prevailing management concept in Sweden. However, previous research seems to show that the Lean concept and the impact of Lean vary considerably between organizations. This paper illustrates some key methodological issues that need to be considered when researching loosely defined management concepts such as Lean. The paper is based on a review of the literature and five comparative Swedish cases studies. Our study indicates that Lean has changed over time and that operationalization and interpretations of the concept vary considerably. This study concludes that future Lean studies should include a thorough assessment of the Lean interventions, study settings, and in particular non-Lean factors mediating the outcomes of Lean-inspired change programs.

Lean Application to Manufacturing Ramp-Up

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Irene; Rymaszewska, Anna

2016-01-01

. Abstracting from the extant literature, the authors considered the competitiveness of manufacturing companies from two principal perspectives: the leanness of the ramp-up process and the new-value creation of quality managers. While much of the literature fails to acknowledge that the roots of lean actually......This article provides a theoretical overview of the concepts of lean and manufacturing ramp-up in an attempt to conceptualize the strategic areas in which lean philosophy and principles can be applied for continuous improvements. The application of lean principles during the final stage of a new...... product development process, that is, the ramp-up process, is a critical, early enabler of lean manufacturing. The manufacturing strategy literature conceptualizes a state of “leanness in operations,” which can consolidate both the concepts of lean and manufacturing ramp-up, providing a dual perspective...

LEAN thinking in Finnish healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Jorma, Tapani; Tiirinki, Hanna; Bloigu, Risto; Turkki, Leena

2016-01-01

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to evaluate how LEAN thinking is used as a management and development tool in the Finnish public healthcare system and what kind of outcomes have been achieved or expected by using it. The main focus is in managing and developing patient and treatment processes. Design/methodology/approach - A mixed-method approach incorporating the Webropol survey was used. Findings - LEAN is quite a new concept in Finnish public healthcare. It is mainly used as a development tool to seek financial savings and to improve the efficiency of patient processes, but has not yet been deeply implemented. However, the experiences from LEAN initiatives have been positive, and the methodology is already quite well-known. It can be concluded that, because of positive experiences from LEAN, the environment in Finnish healthcare is ready for the deeper implementation of LEAN. Originality/value - This paper evaluates the usage of LEAN thinking for the first time in the public healthcare system of Finland as a development tool and a management system. It highlights the implementation and achieved results of LEAN thinking when used in the healthcare environment. It also highlights the expectations for LEAN thinking in Finnish public healthcare.

The Effects of Application of Lean Concept in Retail

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radojko LUKIC

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Lean principles and techniques can be successfully applied in the retail sector. In the retail sector, lean approach improves operational flows. Lean retail encourages manufacturers to produce standard products in accordance with the created (placed orders from retailers pursuant to the demand of their consumers. Characteristics of the retail market are: strong competition, shorter product life cycle, longer product development time and high sensitivity of demand. In order to be more competitive and profitable today's retailers operate strategically oriented to lower prices and gain exemption from holding unnecessary stocks. Lean retail is an example of best practices of successful operational strategies which management need to accept - to maximize the operating efficiency of the retail process.

Lean Design and Management for Manufactoring

OpenAIRE

NIU, Zhanwen

2009-01-01

Most enterprises inducting lean production were confined by the innate limitations of existing production systems, which make it difficult to fulfill lean production comprehensively. To solve this problem, the theory of lean design and management for the manufacturing enterprise lifecycle was proposed. First, the necessities of lean design were analyzed and its theoretical system was established; second, the principles, process, methods and tools for lean design was introduced. Techniques and...

Collapse of the balloon-expandable stent in the common iliac artery due to minor external compression in a lean patient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sung Eun; Choi, Ho Cheol; Choi, Dae Seob; Lee, Sang Min; Lee, Jung Eun; Cho, Su Beom; Ahn, Jong Hwa

2017-01-01

A 60-year-old lean man with claudication due to severe stenosis of the right common iliac artery (CIA) underwent balloon-expandable stent deployment. Nineteen months later, claudication and lower limb ischemia in the patient recurred after minor external pressure and computed tomography indicated collapse of the right CIA stent. We performed balloon angioplasty again and self-expandable stent deployment was performed, and the patient's symptoms were relieved. We suggest that the CIA in a lean person could be susceptible to external pressure

Lean implementation strategies: how are the Toyota way principles addressed?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Coetzee, Rojanette

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Lean manufacturing is widely considered to be a proven organisational improvement philosophy, yet the success rate of lean implementation in industry remains relatively low. Neglect of the human aspect of lean manufacturing is often cited as the leading reason for this, despite the emphasis so clearly placed upon this aspect by the creators of the lean philosophy. This article reviews the extent to which the human dimensions of the lean philosophy, as described in the Toyota Way management principles, have been incorporated in lean implementation strategies. It is found that few of the principles feature prominently in these strategies. Notably absent are those linked to the ‘respect for people’ pillar , which forms half of the T oyota Way’s foundation. This conclusion indicates that the adoption of the lean philosophy runs contrary to the oft-repeated message from its creators that no tenet of the philosophy should be favoured at the expense of another. This may provide valuable insight into the reasons for the high implementation failure rate.

Lean With a Human Face

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasle, Peter; Jensen, Per Langaa

2008-01-01

The consequences for quality of work of lean manufacturing is discussed in the international litterature, and several authors suggest increased work speed, stress, and muscoskeletal diseases as a consequence of lean. The Danish experience with lean has been studied through interviews with managers...

A Methodology for the Assessment of Experiential Learning Lean: The Lean Experience Factory Study

Science.gov (United States)

De Zan, Giovanni; De Toni, Alberto Felice; Fornasier, Andrea; Battistella, Cinzia

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology to assess the experiential learning processes of learning lean in an innovative learning environment: the lean model factories. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review on learning and lean management literatures was carried out to design the methodology. Then, a case study…

Applying lean thinking in construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Remon Fayek Aziz

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The productivity of the construction industry worldwide has been declining over the past 40 years. One approach for improving the situation is using lean construction. Lean construction results from the application of a new form of production management to construction. Essential features of lean construction include a clear set of objectives for the delivery process, aimed at maximizing performance for the customer at the project level, concurrent design, construction, and the application of project control throughout the life cycle of the project from design to delivery. An increasing number of construction academics and professionals have been storming the ramparts of conventional construction management in an effort to deliver better value to owners while making real profits. As a result, lean-based tools have emerged and have been successfully applied to simple and complex construction projects. In general, lean construction projects are easier to manage, safer, completed sooner, and cost less and are of better quality. Significant research remains to complete the translation to construction of lean thinking in Egypt. This research will discuss principles, methods, and implementation phases of lean construction showing the waste in construction and how it could be minimized. The Last Planner System technique, which is an important application of the lean construction concepts and methodologies and is more prevalent, proved that it could enhance the construction management practices in various aspects. Also, it is intended to develop methodology for process evaluation and define areas for improvement based on lean approach principles.

Lean leadership: an ethnographic study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aij, K.H.; Visse, M.A.; Widdershoven, G.A.M.

2015-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to provide a critical analysis of contemporary Lean leadership in the context of a healthcare practice. The Lean leadership model supports professionals with a leading rolein implementing Lean.This article presents a case study focusing specifcally on

Collapse of the balloon-expandable stent in the common iliac artery due to minor external compression in a lean patient

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Sung Eun; Choi, Ho Cheol; Choi, Dae Seob; Lee, Sang Min; Lee, Jung Eun [Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Su Beom; Ahn, Jong Hwa [Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Changwon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-15

A 60-year-old lean man with claudication due to severe stenosis of the right common iliac artery (CIA) underwent balloon-expandable stent deployment. Nineteen months later, claudication and lower limb ischemia in the patient recurred after minor external pressure and computed tomography indicated collapse of the right CIA stent. We performed balloon angioplasty again and self-expandable stent deployment was performed, and the patient's symptoms were relieved. We suggest that the CIA in a lean person could be susceptible to external pressure.

Lean principles adoption in environmental management system (EMS - ISO 14001

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perumal Puvanasvaran

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristic of the lean principles into ISO 14001 and to propose linkage of the lean principles and ISO 14001.Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the objective of the study, literature survey and quantitative research method using questionnaires survey are used.Findings and Originality/value: The findings of this study confirm that ISO 14001 certified company adopted lean production practices.  The study also proves that lean principles have positive and significant relationship with ISO 14001 EMS and the linkage can be made between lean principles and ISO 14001 to achieve Continual Improvement.Research limitations/implications: The small sizes of the sample of the participating companies are the main limitations of this study and this research mainly focuses on the manufacturing environment and services industry.Practical implications: This research show that all ISO 14001 companies do adopt at least one lean production practices and the main findings are lean principles has positive and highly significant relationship with ISO 14001 requirements.  This is because the integration of lean principles into ISO 14001 will serve practical methods for ISO14001 EMS to achieve the continual improvement.Originality/value: This research is amongst the first to study the combined lean principles with ISO 1400.  Based on the current situation, there is no integration within this two management system. 

Ares Launch Vehicles Lean Practices Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Doreswamy, Rajiv, N.; Self, Timothy A.

2008-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes test strategies and lean philisophies and practices that are applied to Ares Launch Vehicles. The topics include: 1) Testing strategy; 2) Lean Practices in Ares I-X; 3) Lean Practices Applied to Ares I-X Schedule; 4) Lean Event Results; 5) Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen Practices in the Ares Projects Office; 6) Lean and Kaizen Success Stories; and 7) Ares Six Sigma Practices.

Lean software development in action

CERN Document Server

Janes, Andrea

2014-01-01

This book illustrates how goal-oriented, automated measurement can be used to create Lean organizations and to facilitate the development of Lean software, while also demonstrating the practical implementation of Lean software development by combining tried and trusted tools. In order to be successful, a Lean orientation of software development has to go hand in hand with a company's overall business strategy. To achieve this, two interrelated aspects require special attention: measurement and experience management. In this book, Janes and Succi provide the necessary knowledge to establish "

Lean Management

OpenAIRE

Picot, Arnold

1994-01-01

In this article the possibility of increase of competitiveness of the domestic enterprises by means of Lean management system is considered, and also the analysis of introduction of the mentioned system at the Russian enterprises is carried out. Besides, the key conditions necessary for successful introduction of system are presented. Lean management is a world-spread way of solving the problems, aimed at making the company competitive; it is the organized activity of staff of the company, fo...

Structure of boron nitride after the high-temperature shock compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurdyumov, A.V.; Ostrovskaya, N.F.; Pilipenko, V.A.; Pilyankevich, A.N.; Savvakin, G.I.; Trefilov, V.I.

1979-01-01

Boron nitride structure changes as a result of high temperature dynamic compression are studied. The X-ray technique and transmission electron microscopy have been applied. The data on the structure and regularities of formation of diamond-like modifications of boron nitride at high temperature impact compression permit to consider martensite transformation as the first stage of formation of the sphalerite phase stable at high pressures. The second stage is possible if the temperature at the impact moment is sufficiently high for intensive diffusion processes

Green and lean management

CERN Document Server

Davim, J

2017-01-01

This book focusses on the challenges and changes organizational management faces in an era when the need to develop environmentally aware processes meets high levels of competition. It covers the synergetic effects, how re-use, recycling, waste reduction, and other sustainable production strategies can add value, low costs and time of production. Sustainable business behavior is not only an environmental perspective on management, but more and more contains an organizational perspective. Taking into account these issues, green and lean management appears as the way managers can drive their employees to continuously improve the management processes that add value to the organization and costumers. This book provides information on principles, strategies, models, and applications of green and lean management, and at the same time communicates the latest research activity relating to this scientific field world-wide.

Initial Results on Neutralized Drift Compression Experiments (NDCX-IA) for High Intensity Ion Beam

CERN Document Server

Roy, Prabir K; Baca, David; Bieniosek, Frank; Coleman, Joshua E; Davidson, Ronald C; Efthimion, Philip; Eylon, Shmuel; Gilson, Erik P; Grant Logan, B; Greenway, Wayne; Henestroza, Enrique; Kaganovich, Igor D; Leitner, Matthaeus; Rose, David; Sefkow, Adam; Sharp, William M; Shuman, Derek; Thoma, Carsten H; Vanecek, David; Waldron, William; Welch, Dale; Yu, Simon

2005-01-01

Ion beam neutralization and compression experiments are designed to determine the feasibility of using compressed high intensity ion beams for high energy density physics (HEDP) experiments and for inertial fusion power. To quantitatively ascertain the various mechanisms and methods for beam compression, the Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment (NDCX) facility is being constructed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). In the first compression experiment, a 260 KeV, 25 mA, K+ ion beam of centimeters size is radially compressed to a mm size spot by neutralization in a meter-long plasma column and beam peak current is longitudinally compressed by an induction velocity tilt core. Instrumentation, preliminary results of the experiments, and practical limits of compression are presented. These include parameters such as emittance, degree of neutralization, velocity tilt time profile, and accuracy of measurements (fast and spatially high resolution diagnostic) are discussed.

The lean product design and development journey a practical view

CERN Document Server

Pessôa, Marcus Vinicius Pereira

2017-01-01

This book presents a series of high performance product design (PD) and development best practices that can create or improve product development organization. In contrast to other books that focus only on Toyota or other individual companies applying lean IPD, this book explains the lean philosophy more broadly and includes discussions of systems engineering, design for X (DFX), agile development, integrated product development, and project management. The “Lean Journey” proposed here takes a value-centric approach, where the lean principles are applied to PD to allow the tools and methods selected to emerge from observation of the individual characteristics of each enterprise. This means that understanding lean product development (LPD) is not about knowing which tools are available but knowing how to apply the philosophy. The book comes with an accompanying manual with problems and solutions available on Springer Extras.

Implementing lean in Malaysian universities: Lean awareness level in an engineering faculty of a local university

Science.gov (United States)

Azim Khairi, M.; Rahman, Mohamed Abd

2018-01-01

Many academic articles were published in Malaysia promoting the goodness of lean in manufacturing and industrial sectors but less attention was apparently given to the possibility of obtaining the same universal benefits when applying lean in non-manufacturing sectors especially higher education. This study aims to determine the level of lean awareness among a local university’s community taking its Faculty of Engineering (FoE) as the case study. It also seeks to identify typical FoE’s staff perception on lean regarding its benefits and the obstacles in implementing it. A web-based survey using questionnaires was carried out for 215 respondents consisting of academic and administrative staff of the faculty. Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyze the survey data collected. A total of 13.95% of respondents returned the forms. Slightly more than half of those responded (56.7%) have encountered some of the lean terms with mean 1.43 and standard deviation 0.504. However, the large amount of standard deviation somewhat indicates that the real level of lean awareness of FoE as a group was low. In terms of lean benefits, reduction of waste was favored (93.3%) by the respondents with mean 0.93 and standard deviation 0.254. For obstacles in implementing lean, lack of knowledge was selected by most respondents (86.7%) to be the major factor with mean 0.87 and standard deviation 0.346. Through the analysis done, the study may conclude that level of lean awareness among the university‘s community was low thus may hinder implementation of lean concept.

A Web-Based Lean Simulation Game for Office Operations: Training the Other Side of a Lean Enterprise

Science.gov (United States)

Kuriger, Glenn W.; Wan, Huang-da; Mirehei, S. Moussa; Tamma, Saumya; Chen, F. Frank

2010-01-01

This research proposes a Web-based version of a lean office simulation game (WeBLOG). The game is designed to be used to train lean concepts to office and administrative personnel. This group belongs to the frequently forgotten side of a lean enterprise. Over four phases, the game presents the following seven lean tools: one-piece flow,…

A high compression crystal growth system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieman, H.F.; Walton, A.A.; Powell, B.M.; Dolling, G.

1980-01-01

This report describes the construction and operating procedure for a high compression crystal growth system, capable of growing single crystals from the fluid phase over the temperature range of 4.2 K to 300 K, at pressures up to 900 MPa. Some experimental results obtained with the system are given for solid β-nitrogen. (auth)

The maintenance management for lean organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel D. GEORGESCU

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The goal of lean maintenance approach is to maintain organization international competitiveness. In the spirit of continuously improvement, in the paper it is shown how by adjusting some Lean manufacturing specific techniques for Total Productive Maintenance (TPM system, was born new maintenance system named Lean TPM. This is a systemic approach with three techniques, which don’t exclude specific techniques of TPM pillars, but complete them: the 7Ss as a critical first step in any improvement program; instantaneous maintenance; improvement setup operations. In the spirit of Lean principle, Lean TPM adjusts overall equipment effectiveness concept for all supply-chain from supplier to customer. Maintaining equipment in its optimal state and continually improving its productivity is the whole strategy behind Lean TPM.

Lean Maintenance Applied to Improve Maintenance Efficiency in Thermoelectric Power Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlando Duran

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Thermoelectric power plants consist of a set of critical equipment that require high levels of availability and reliability. Due to this, maintenance of these physical assets is gaining momentum in industry. Maintenance is considered as an activity that contributes to improving the availability, efficiency and productivity of each piece of equipment. Several techniques have been used to achieve greater efficiencies in maintenance, among which we can find the lean maintenance philosophy. Despite the wide diffusion of lean maintenance, there is no structured method that supports the prescription of lean tools applied to the maintenance function. This paper presents the experience gathered in two lean maintenance projects in thermoelectric power plants. The application of lean techniques was based on using a previously developed multicriterial decision making process that uses the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP methodology to carry out a diagnosis and prescription tasks. That methodology allowed the prescription of the appropriated lean techniques to resolve the main deficiencies in maintenance function. The results of applying such lean tools show that important results can be obtained, making the maintenance function in thermoelectric power plants more efficient and lean.

The human side of lean teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Wackerbarth, Sarah B; Strawser-Srinath, Jamie R; Conigliaro, Joseph C

2015-05-01

Organizations use lean principles to increase quality and decrease costs. Lean projects require an understanding of systems-wide processes and utilize interdisciplinary teams. Most lean tools are straightforward, and the biggest barrier to successful implementation is often development of the team aspect of the lean approach. The purpose of this article is to share challenges experienced by a lean team charged with improving a hospital discharge process. Reflection on the experience provides an opportunity to highlight lessons from The Team Handbook by Peter Scholtes and colleagues. To improve the likelihood that process improvement initiatives, including lean projects, will be successful, organizations should consider providing training in organizational change principles and team building. The authors' lean team learned these lessons the hard way. Despite the challenges, the team successfully implemented changes throughout the organization that have had a positive impact. Training to understand the psychology of change might have decreased the resistance faced in implementing these changes. © 2014 by the American College of Medical Quality.

Industry 4.0 implies lean manufacturing: Research activities in industry 4.0 function as enablers for lean manufacturing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Sanders

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Lean Manufacturing is widely regarded as a potential methodology to improve productivity and decrease costs in manufacturing organisations. The success of lean manufacturing demands consistent and conscious efforts from the organisation, and has to overcome several hindrances. Industry 4.0 makes a factory smart by applying advanced information and communication systems and future-oriented technologies. This paper analyses the incompletely perceived link between Industry 4.0 and lean manufacturing, and investigates whether Industry 4.0 is capable of implementing lean. Executing Industry 4.0 is a cost-intensive operation, and is met with reluctance from several manufacturers. This research also provides an important insight into manufacturers’ dilemma as to whether they can commit into Industry 4.0, considering the investment required and unperceived benefits. Design/methodology/approach: Lean manufacturing is first defined and different dimensions of lean are presented. Then Industry 4.0 is defined followed by representing its current status in Germany. The barriers for implementation of lean are analysed from the perspective of integration of resources. Literatures associated with Industry 4.0 are studied and suitable solution principles are identified to solve the abovementioned barriers of implementing lean. Findings: It is identified that researches and publications in the field of Industry 4.0 held answers to overcome the barriers of implementation of lean manufacturing. These potential solution principles prove the hypothesis that Industry 4.0 is indeed capable of implementing lean. It uncovers the fact that committing into Industry 4.0 makes a factory lean besides being smart. Originality/value: Individual researches have been done in various technologies allied with Industry 4.0, but the potential to execute lean manufacturing was not completely perceived. This paper bridges the gap between these two realms, and identifies

Lean Production Applications in a Manufacturing Company

OpenAIRE

Ali Görener; Humeyra Baser; Ali Turkyilmaz

2013-01-01

Lean production is a production model which comes about the pursuit of companies to be able to meet competition and make effective production. The main purpose of lean production is to get control about the wastage. This study includes the requirements for the success of the lean production and how the lean production system can be established. In this paper, lean production techniques were applied to the electric water heater line. Measurements using lean initiatives were made, operation cyc...

Lean Production Applications in a Manufacturing Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Görener

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Lean production is a production model which comes about the pursuit of companies to be able to meet competition and make effective production. The main purpose of lean production is to get control about the wastage. This study includes the requirements for the success of the lean production and how the lean production system can be established. In this paper, lean production techniques were applied to the electric water heater line. Measurements using lean initiatives were made, operation cycle times were determined, and Kaizen improvement methods and line balancing methods were applied according to the results. And the last section of study showed conclusion of lean implementation.

The lean service machine.

Science.gov (United States)

Swank, Cynthia Karen

2003-10-01

Jefferson Pilot Financial, a life insurance and annuities firm, like many U.S. service companies at the end of the 1990s was looking for new ways to grow. Its top managers recognized that JPF needed to differentiate itself in the eyes of its customers, the independent life-insurance advisers who sell and service policies. To establish itself as these advisers' preferred partner, it set out to reduce the turnaround time on policy applications, simplify the submission process, and reduce errors. JPF's managers looked to the "lean production" practices that U.S. manufacturers adopted in response to competition from Japanese companies. Lean production is built around the concept of continuous-flow processing--a departure from traditional production systems, in which large batches are processed at each step. JPF appointed a "lean team" to reengineer its New Business unit's operations, beginning with the creation of a "model cell"--a fully functioning microcosm of JPF's entire process. This approach allowed managers to experiment and smooth out the kinks while working toward an optimal design. The team applied lean-manufacturing practices, including placing linked processes near one another, balancing employees' workloads, posting performance results, and measuring performance and productivity from the customer's perspective. Customer-focused metrics helped erode the employees' "My work is all that matters" mind-set. The results were so impressive that JPF is rolling out similar systems across many of its operations. To convince employees of the value of lean production, the lean team introduced a simulation in which teams compete to build the best paper airplane based on invented customer specifications. This game drives home lean production's basic principles, establishing a foundation for deep and far-reaching changes in the production system.

Compressive behaviour of hybrid fiber-reinforced reactive powder concrete after high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Wenzhong; Li, Haiyan; Wang, Ying

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We complete the high temperature test and compression test of RPC after 20–900 °C. ► The presence of steel fiber and polypropylene fiber can prevent RPC from spalling. ► Compressive strength increases first and then decreases with elevated temperatures. ► Microstructure deterioration is the root cause of macro-properties recession. ► Equations to express the compressive strength change with temperature are proposed. -- Abstract: This study focuses on the compressive properties and microstructures of reactive powder concrete (RPC) mixed with steel fiber and polypropylene fiber after exposure to 20–900 °C. The volume dosage of steel fiber and polypropylene fiber is (2%, 0.1%), (2%, 0.2%) and (1%, 0.2%). The effects of heating temperature, fiber content and specimen size on the compressive properties are analyzed. The microstructures of RPC exposed to different high temperatures are studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results indicate that the compressive strength of hybrid fiber-reinforced RPC increases at first, then decreases with the increasing temperature, and the basic reason for the degradation of macro-mechanical properties is the deterioration of RPC microstructure. Based on the experimental results, equations to express the relationships of the compressive strength with the heating temperatures are established. Compared with normal-strength and high-strength concrete, the hybrid fiber-reinforced RPC has excellent capacity in resistance to high temperature.

Monte Carlo analysis of highly compressed fissile assemblies. Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raspet, R.; Baird, G.E.

1978-01-01

Laserinduced fission of highly compressed bare fissionable spheres is analyzed using Monte Carlo techniques. The critical mass and critical radius as a function of density are calculated and the fission energy yield is calculated and compared with the input laser energy necessary to achieve compression to criticality. (orig.) [de

High-energy few-cycle pulse compression through self-channeling in gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hauri, C.; Merano, M.; Trisorio, A.; Canova, F.; Canova, L.; Lopez-Martens, R.; Ruchon, T.; Engquist, A.; Varju, K.; Gustafsson, E.

2006-01-01

Complete test of publication follows. Nonlinear spectral broadening of femtosecond optical pulses by intense propagation in a Kerr medium followed by temporal compression constitutes the Holy Grail for ultrafast science since it allows the generation of intense few-cycle optical transients from longer pulses provided by now commercially available femtosecond lasers. Tremendous progress in high-field and attosecond physics achieved in recent years has triggered the need for efficient pulse compression schemes producing few-cycle pulses beyond the mJ level. We studied a novel pulse compression scheme based on self-channeling in gases, which promises to overcome the energy constraints of hollow-core fiber compression techniques. Fundamentally, self-channeling at high laser powers in gases occurs when the self-focusing effect in the gas is balanced through the dispersion induced by the inhomogeneous refractive index resulting from optically-induced ionization. The high nonlinearity of the ionization process poses great technical challenges when trying to scale this pulse compression scheme to higher energies input energies. Light channels are known to be unstable under small fluctuations of the trapped field that can lead to temporal and spatial beam breakup, usually resulting in the generation of spectrally broad but uncompressible pulses. Here we present experimental results on high-energy pulse compression of self-channeled 40-fs pulses in pressure-gas cells. In the first experiment, performed at the Lund Laser Center in Sweden, we identified a particular self-channeling regime at lower pulse energies (0.8 mJ), in which the ultrashort pulses are generated with negative group delay dispersion (GDD) such that they can be readily compressed down to near 10-fs through simple material dispersion. Pulse compression is efficient (70%) and exhibits exceptional spatial and temporal beam stability. In a second experiment, performed at the LOA-Palaiseau in France, we

High speed fluorescence imaging with compressed ultrafast photography

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, J. V.; Mason, J. D.; Beier, H. T.; Bixler, J. N.

2017-02-01

Fluorescent lifetime imaging is an optical technique that facilitates imaging molecular interactions and cellular functions. Because the excited lifetime of a fluorophore is sensitive to its local microenvironment,1, 2 measurement of fluorescent lifetimes can be used to accurately detect regional changes in temperature, pH, and ion concentration. However, typical state of the art fluorescent lifetime methods are severely limited when it comes to acquisition time (on the order of seconds to minutes) and video rate imaging. Here we show that compressed ultrafast photography (CUP) can be used in conjunction with fluorescent lifetime imaging to overcome these acquisition rate limitations. Frame rates up to one hundred billion frames per second have been demonstrated with compressed ultrafast photography using a streak camera.3 These rates are achieved by encoding time in the spatial direction with a pseudo-random binary pattern. The time domain information is then reconstructed using a compressed sensing algorithm, resulting in a cube of data (x,y,t) for each readout image. Thus, application of compressed ultrafast photography will allow us to acquire an entire fluorescent lifetime image with a single laser pulse. Using a streak camera with a high-speed CMOS camera, acquisition rates of 100 frames per second can be achieved, which will significantly enhance our ability to quantitatively measure complex biological events with high spatial and temporal resolution. In particular, we will demonstrate the ability of this technique to do single-shot fluorescent lifetime imaging of cells and microspheres.

Training for successful lean manufacturing implementation

OpenAIRE

Ichimura, Maki; Jahankhani, Hamid; Arunachalam, Subramaniam

2006-01-01

Implementing lean manufacturing is a complex and everlasting task. The workers involving in production processes are the pivot of the lean manufacturing implementation. Training is known as a vehicle to assist the implementation process. Despite awareness of the training importance, so far, a little is available to assist to organise an efficient training. This paper summarises the overview of lean manufacturing and discuss the importance of human resource within lean implementation process. ...

Lean Six Sigma in financial services

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Koning, H.; Does, R.J.M.M.; Bisgaard, S.

2008-01-01

Lean Thinking and Six Sigma are typically considered as separate approaches to process innovation, with complementary strengths. When combined as Lean Six Sigma, this approach provides a unified framework for systematically developing innovations. Lean Six Sigma can also bring about significant

Fracture Energy of High-Strength Concrete in Compression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl, Henrik; Brincker, Rune

is essential for understanding the fracture mechanism of concrete in compression. In this paper a series of tests is reported, carried out for the purpose of studying the fracture mechanical properties of concrete in compression. Including the measurement and study of the descending branch, a new experimental...... method has been used to investigate the influence of boundary conditions, loading rate, size effects and the influence of the strength on the fracture energy of high-strength concrete over the range 70 MPa to 150 MPa, expressed in nominal values....

Healthy Lean Through HRD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Frances

2008-01-01

The paper reports on findings from the initial, exploratory phase of a longitudinal research study aimed at developing a framework for implementing lean while ensuring employee well-being. Data from observations and in-depth dialogues with persons involved in lean implementation, along...

Lean management - an effective way to arrange maintenance?; Lean Management - ein effektiver Weg zur Gestaltung der Instandhaltung?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tschuschke, W. [Inst. fuer Instandhaltung gGmbH, Iserlohn (Germany)

1996-08-01

Lean management/lean production wishes to attain more through intelligent operation system/production at less expense (personnel, materials, energy, costs). The object is not harder but more intelligent and production work; we do not need to run faster but to find shorter routes. The idea of lean management`s effects and changes have consequences for the field of maintenance as an equivalent and legitimate business area which are discussed in this paper. (orig.) [Deutsch] Lean Management/Lean Production will durch ein intelligentes Arbeitssystem/Produzieren mit weniger Aufwand (Personal, Material, Energie, Kosten) mehr erreichen. Ziel ist nicht das haertere, sondern das intelligentere und produktivere Arbeiten; wir sollen nicht schneller laufen, sondern kuerzere Wege finden. Fuer den Bereich Instandhaltung als gleichwertiger und gleichberechtigter Unternehmensbereich haben die Gedanken des Lean Managements Auswirkungen und Veraenderungen zur Folge, die im Beitrag genannt werden. (orig.)

Lean health care: what can hospitals learn from a world-class automaker?

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Christopher S; Spahlinger, David A; Kin, Jeanne M; Billi, John E

2006-05-01

With health care costs continuing to rise, a variety of process improvement methodologies have been proposed to address the reported inefficiencies in health care delivery. Lean production is one such method. The management philosophy and tools of lean production come from the manufacturing industry, where they were pioneered by Toyota Motor Corporation, which is viewed as the leader in utilizing these performance improvement methods. Lean has already enjoyed tremendous success in improving quality and efficiency in both the manufacturing and the service sector industries. Health care systems have just begun to utilize lean methods, with reports of improvements just beginning to appear in the literature. We describe some of the basic philosophy and principles of lean production methods and how these concepts can be applied in the health care environment. We describe some of the early success stories and ongoing endeavors of lean production in various health care organizations. We believe the hospital is an ideal setting for use of the lean production method, which could significantly affect how health care is delivered to patients. We conclude by discussing some of the potential challenges in introducing and implementing lean production methods in the health care environment. Lean production is a novel approach to delivering high-quality and efficient care to patients, and we believe that the health care sector can anticipate the same high level of success that the manufacturing and service industries have achieved using this approach. Hospitalists are primed to take action in delivering care of greater quality with more efficiency by applying these new principles in the hospital setting. (c) 2006 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Lean manufacturing in Indian context: A survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakesh Kumar

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This paper is an attempt to examine the implementation of Lean Manufacturing system in the Indian industries. Predominant elements of Lean Manufacturing, benefits gained after its implementation and obstacles observed by Indian Industry have been recognized. The results of this survey support the opinion that Lean Manufacturing had potential to improve the organizational performance of Indian industries. Nevertheless, Indian industries are required to be passionate to transform their manufacturing by adopting Lean manufacturing to gain the full benefits. A large numbers of literature papers are available on the better side of Lean manufacturing approach and its benefits gained by manufacturing organizations after implementation. But the adverse impacts of Lean manufacturing are not discussed to a great extent. Some drawbacks of Lean manufacturing are also highlighted in this paper.

The Finnish healthcare services lean management.

Science.gov (United States)

Hihnala, Susanna; Kettunen, Lilja; Suhonen, Marjo; Tiirinki, Hanna

2018-02-05

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss health services managers' experiences of management in a special health-care unit and development efforts from the point of view of the Lean method. Additionally, the aim is to deepen the knowledge of the managers' work and nature of the Lean method development processes in the workplace. The research focuses on those aspects and results of Lean method that are currently being used in health-care environments. Design/methodology/approach These data were collected through a number of thematic interviews. The participants were nurse managers ( n = 7) and medical managers ( n = 7) who applied Lean management in their work at the University Hospital in the Northern Ostrobothnia Health Care District. The data were analysed with a qualitative content analysis. Findings A common set of values in specialized health-care services, development of activities and challenges for management in the use of the Lean manager development model to improve personal management skills. Practical implications Managers in specialized health-care services can develop and systematically manage with the help of the Lean method. This emphasizes assumptions, from the point of view of management, about systems development when the organization uses the Lean method. The research outcomes originate from specialized health-care settings in Finland in which the Lean method and its associated management principles have been implemented and applied to the delivery of health care. Originality/value The study shows that the research results and in-depth knowledge on Lean method principles can be applied to health-care management and development processes. The research also describes health services managers' experiences of using the Lean method. In the future, these results can be used to improve Lean management skills, identify personal professional competencies and develop skills required in development processes. Also, the research findings can be used

Skaber lean bedre arbejdsmiljø?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Nanette Juhler

2007-01-01

rationalization strategies, among others Lean, claim to improve working conditions. The aim of this thesis is to identify whether the application of Lean strategies leads to a reduction of the occupational health and safety problem repetitive work. Repetitive work is a problem created by the Taylorisation of work......, and therefore it is to be expected that a break with one or more of the Tayloristic principles can lead to a reduction of repetitive work. This thesis points out a number of areas within which Lean breaks with Tayloristic principles, whilst other principles are maintained. These breaks between Lean...... and Taylorism are also found in the study of the case company. By linking breaks with Taylorism with solutions for the reduction of repetitive work, I point out a number of openings in Lean that may lead to a reduction of repetitive work. By using the concept of openings I present the possibilities offered...

Tbc1d1 mutation in lean mouse strain confers leanness and protects from diet-induced obesity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chadt, Alexandra; Leicht, Katja; Deshmukh, Atul

2008-01-01

We previously identified Nob1 as a quantitative trait locus for high-fat diet-induced obesity and diabetes in genome-wide scans of outcross populations of obese and lean mouse strains. Additional crossbreeding experiments indicated that Nob1 represents an obesity suppressor from the lean Swiss Jim...... Lambert (SJL) strain. Here we identify a SJL-specific mutation in the Tbc1d1 gene that results in a truncated protein lacking the TBC Rab-GTPase-activating protein domain. TBC1D1, which has been recently linked to human obesity, is related to the insulin signaling protein AS160 and is predominantly...... and reduced glucose uptake in isolated skeletal muscle. Our data strongly suggest that mutation of Tbc1d1 suppresses high-fat diet-induced obesity by increasing lipid use in skeletal muscle....

A 5-year cohort study of the effects of high protein intake on lean mass and BMC in elderly postmenopausal women.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Xingqiong; Zhu, Kun; Devine, Amanda; Kerr, Deborah A; Binns, Colin W; Prince, Richard L

2009-11-01

Long-term effects of high dietary protein intake on muscle and bone structure in the elderly are not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between baseline protein intake and lean mass and BMC 5 yr later in a cohort of elderly postmenopausal women. A total of 862 community-dwelling women 75 +/- 3 yr of age provided baseline data including nutrient intake assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. At 5 yr, upper arm muscle area (UAMA) and body composition using DXA were measured. Baseline protein intake was 81 +/- 28 g/d (1.2 +/- 0.4 g/kg/d), contributing 19 +/- 3% of total energy intake. There were positive correlations between baseline protein intake and whole body and appendicular bone-free lean mass and BMC (r = 0.14-0.18, p 87 g/d) had 5.4-6.0% higher whole body and appendicular lean mass and UAMA and 5.3-6.0% higher whole body and appendicular BMC. These effects remained after adjusting for potential confounders. However, the effect on BMC disappeared after further adjustment for lean mass. This study shows that high protein intake is associated with long-term beneficial effects on muscle mass and size and bone mass in elderly women. The protein effect on bone may be partly mediated by its effects on muscle.

TOWARDS GREEN THROUGH LEAN/LEAN SIX SIGMA APPROACHES: A LITERATURE REVIEW AT SERVICE INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RODRIGO GOYANNES GUSMÃO CAIADO

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In the last decades, sustainable development have increasingly gained importance to service industry and lean/Six Sigma approaches are becoming more and more outstanding in order to improve sustainability performance. In the post-modern era the integration between those approaches are necessary in order to aid organisations to balance the need for operational efficiency in their production and service systems with environmental commitment and social fairness. Because of that, Lean Six Sigma practices are progressively becoming widespread in studies about service, as way to improve quality, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of services. The purpose of this paper is to critically review the Lean and Lean Six Sigma (L6σ methodologies and highlight their importance to achieve sustainable development in service industry. To do this, a systematic literature review (SLR of the subjects under investigation was conducted. We examine the compatibility and divergences of the green, lean and Six Sigma concepts and implications regarding its sustainable implementation in service industry. The study has two major contributions. First, it is one of the first researches that investigate the potential benefits of integrating green, lean and Six Sigma in service sector. Second, it supports and expands current literature, providing both academicians and practitioners a better panorama to understand the present status of L6σ for achieving sustainability in service sector.

Exploiting HRM in support of lean manufacturing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Frances; Matthiesen, Rikke

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ways in HRM practices are-and could potentially be-exploited to support lean manufacturing in practice. First, a review of the pertinent literature regarding HRM, SHRM, and lean manufacturing is presented to provide an understanding of the mechanisms...... by which HRM practices could, theoretically, be used to support a lean implementation. Data presented in the paper are derived from 1) a longitudinal case study on lean implementation and 2) from managers currently involved with lean manufacturing in a second company. The relevant literature and the data...... depicting the potential role in supporting HRM/lean integrated practices. The analysis of the model with respect to the theoretical background emphasizes a number of areas in which HRM could be more fully exploited in order to more successfully support lean implementation, for example, by stressing HRM...

Lean Transformation Guidance: Why Organizations Fail To Achieve and Sustain Excellence Through Lean Improvement

OpenAIRE

Mohammed Hamed Ahmed

2013-01-01

Many companies are complaining that lean didn’t achieve their long-term goals, and the improvement impact was very short-lived. 7 out of each 10 lean projects fail as companies try to use lean like a toolkit, copying and pasting the techniques without trying to adapt the employee’s culture, manage the improvement process, sustain the results, and develop their leaders. When the Toyota production system was created, the main goal was to remove wastes from the shop floor us...

Implementing Lean Health Reforms in Saskatchewan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greg Marchildon

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Saskatchewan has gone further than any other Canadian province in implementing health system process improvements using Lean, a production line discipline that originated with the automobile industry. The goal of the Lean reform is to reduce waste and improve quality and overall health system performance by long-term changes in behaviour. Lean enjoys a privileged position on the provincial government’s agenda because of the policy’s championing by the Deputy Minister of Health and the policy’s fit with the government’s patient-centred care agenda. The implementation of reform depends on a major investment of time in the training and Lean-certification of key leaders and managers in the provincial health system. The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses, the union representing the single largest group of health workers in the province, has agreed to co-operate with the provincial government in implementing Lean-type reforms. Thus far, the government has had limited independent evaluation of Lean while internal evaluations claim some successes.

Type-I cascaded quadratic soliton compression in lithium niobate: Compressing femtosecond pulses from high-power fiber lasers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bache, Morten; Wise, Frank W.

2010-01-01

The output pulses of a commercial high-power femtosecond fiber laser or amplifier are typically around 300–500 fs with wavelengths of approximately 1030 nm and tens of microjoules of pulse energy. Here, we present a numerical study of cascaded quadratic soliton compression of such pulses in LiNbO3....... However, the strong group-velocity dispersion implies that the pulses can achieve moderate compression to durations of less than 130 fs in available crystal lengths. Most of the pulse energy is conserved because the compression is moderate. The effects of diffraction and spatial walk-off are addressed......, and in particular the latter could become an issue when compressing such long crystals (around 10 cm long). We finally show that the second harmonic contains a short pulse locked to the pump and a long multi-picosecond red-shifted detrimental component. The latter is caused by the nonlocal effects...

Lean Production as an Innovative Approach to Construction

Science.gov (United States)

Spišáková, Marcela; Kozlovská, Mária

2013-06-01

Lean production presents a new approach to the construction management which has enabled enterprises to attain very high levels of efficiency, competitiveness and flexibility in production systems. Nowadays, a number of industrial processes are managed in accordance with these advanced management principles [1]. The principles of lean production are applied within the integrated design and delivery solutions (IDDS) and prefabricated construction. IDDS uses collaborative work processes and enhanced skills, with integrated data, information, and knowledge management to minimize structural and process inefficiencies and to enhance the value delivered during design, build, and operation, and across projects. Prefabrication presents a one of opportunities for construction methods, which allows the compliance with principles of sustainable design, provides the potential benefits such as faster construction, fewer housing defects, reduction in energy use and waste and elimination of environmental and safety risks. This paper presents the lean production within the IDDS and its potential in the modern prefabrication. There is created a field providing of benefits of lean production in construction industry.

Implementing Lean Manufacturing in Malaysian Small and Medium Startup Pharmaceutical Company

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Wan Mohd Khairi bin Wan; Rahman, Mohamed Abdul; Abu Bakar, Mohd Rushdi bin

2017-03-01

Domestic pharmaceutical industry has been identified by the Malaysian government as an industry to be developed under its 11th economic development plan. Most homegrown pharmaceutical companies fall under the category of small and medium enterprises (SME) and therefore need to be highly efficient in their operations to compete with the multinationals. Though lean manufacturing is a well-known methodology to achieve an efficient operation, only a small percentage of the local SMEs implement it. The study aims to determine the real success factors in lean implementation through systematic review of relevant literature on lean manufacturing implementation in local companies, onsite observation of a selected SME company, Global Factor Sdn. Bhd. (GFSB), that successfully implemented lean manufacturing followed by actual implementation of lean project at IKOP Sdn. Bhd., a small startup pharmaceutical company. Lean tools like Gemba, value stream map (VSM) and spaghetti diagram were used to analyze and improve a process at IKOP Sdn. Bhd. The literature review showed that the implementation of lean manufacturing at Malaysian SMEs involved in pharmaceutical industry is at its infancy. Study at GFSB indicated that successful implementation of lean manufacturing stems from management support, employee’s commitment, government support and knowledge on lean among employees. Application of lean tools in IKOP Sdn. Bhd. to improve the process cycle efficiency of hand sanitizer, i-Hand 4.0, has shown that the GMP guidelines are not jeopardized. The Kaizen improvement project resulted in 46.3% reduction in lead time. It may be concluded that implementing lean manufacturing in any small local startup pharmaceutical company is beneficial in reducing operational costs and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness and does not conflict with the existing GMP guidelines.

PRIORITISING LEAN CONSTRUCTION BARRIERS IN UGANDA'S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry Mwanaki Alinaitwe

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Engaging in lean construction efforts could prove to be highly rewarding for building firms in Uganda. However, lean construction is risky and can be disastrous if not properly managed. Lean production efforts in some other countries have not been successful due to the many barriers to its successful implementation. To enable sound lean construction efforts and to increase the chances of success in eliminating waste, a thorough investigation of the barriers is essential. This study presents 31 barriers and investigates their influence (strength on the success of lean construction initiatives. Structured interviews were carried out with technical managers of building firms to assess their perception of the barriers to lean production based on their experience at their firms. The strongest barrier is the provision of inputs exactly when required. Additionally, the barriers were ranked according to the ease of overcoming each. The easiest barrier to overcome is keeping the required items in the right place. Finally, a graphical aid is provided to enable decision makers to concentrate their efforts on the influential (strong, yet easy to overcome barriers. A lack of buildable designs and a participative management style for the workforce are the most important barriers to successful waste reduction in terms of strength and ease of overcoming. On the other hand, a lack of an organisational culture that supports teamwork, a lack of prefabrication and a lack of knowledgeable and skilled workers are regarded as low in strength, and at the same time difficult to overcome.

Lean in healthcare from employees' perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Drotz, Erik; Poksinska, Bozena

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to contribute toward a deeper understanding of the new roles, responsibilities, and job characteristics of employees in Lean healthcare organizations. The paper is based on three cases studies of healthcare organizations that are regarded as successful examples of Lean applications in the healthcare context. Data were collected by methods including interviews, observations, and document studies. The implementation of Lean in healthcare settings has had a great influence on the roles, responsibilities, and job characteristics of the employees. The focus has shifted from healthcare professionals, where clinical autonomy and professional skills have been the guarding principles of patient care, to process improvement and teamwork. Different job characteristics may make it difficult to implement certain Lean practices in healthcare. Teamwork and decentralization of authority are examples of Lean practices that could be considered countercultural because of the strong professional culture and uneven power distribution, with doctors as the dominant decision makers. Teamwork, value flow orientation, and company-wide involvement in CI were associated with positive effects on the organizations' working environment, staff development, and organizational performance. In order to succeed with Lean healthcare, it is important to understand and recognize the differences in job characteristics between Lean manufacturing and healthcare. This paper provides insights into how Lean implementation changes the roles, responsibilities, and job characteristics of healthcare staff and the challenges and implications that may follow from this.

N-Cadherin Maintains the Healthy Biology of Nucleus Pulposus Cells under High-Magnitude Compression.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhenyu; Leng, Jiali; Zhao, Yuguang; Yu, Dehai; Xu, Feng; Song, Qingxu; Qu, Zhigang; Zhuang, Xinming; Liu, Yi

2017-01-01

Mechanical load can regulate disc nucleus pulposus (NP) biology in terms of cell viability, matrix homeostasis and cell phenotype. N-cadherin (N-CDH) is a molecular marker of NP cells. This study investigated the role of N-CDH in maintaining NP cell phenotype, NP matrix synthesis and NP cell viability under high-magnitude compression. Rat NP cells seeded on scaffolds were perfusion-cultured using a self-developed perfusion bioreactor for 5 days. NP cell biology in terms of cell apoptosis, matrix biosynthesis and cell phenotype was studied after the cells were subjected to different compressive magnitudes (low- and high-magnitudes: 2% and 20% compressive deformation, respectively). Non-loaded NP cells were used as controls. Lentivirus-mediated N-CDH overexpression was used to further investigate the role of N-CDH under high-magnitude compression. The 20% deformation compression condition significantly decreased N-CDH expression compared with the 2% deformation compression and control conditions. Meanwhile, 20% deformation compression increased the number of apoptotic NP cells, up-regulated the expression of Bax and cleaved-caspase-3 and down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2, matrix macromolecules (aggrecan and collagen II) and NP cell markers (glypican-3, CAXII and keratin-19) compared with 2% deformation compression. Additionally, N-CDH overexpression attenuated the effects of 20% deformation compression on NP cell biology in relation to the designated parameters. N-CDH helps to restore the cell viability, matrix biosynthesis and cellular phenotype of NP cells under high-magnitude compression. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Lean and the quality of work

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Per Langaa

2008-01-01

Lean has for the last decade developed as the dominating model for developing productions processes not only within industry but also in health care, administration and service industries in general. With this development a discussion on human factors aspects of lean has developed internationally....... Literature studies documents that it is not possible to establish a clear relation between lean and the psychosocial aspects of work. The studies also indicate that the context and the implementations process play a dominating role in how lean is experienced. This has been the basis for establishing...

Highly compressible and all-solid-state supercapacitors based on nanostructured composite sponge.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Zhiqiang; Zhou, Weiya; Chen, Xiaodong; Chen, Jun; Xie, Sishen

2015-10-21

Based on polyaniline-single-walled carbon nanotubes -sponge electrodes, highly compressible all-solid-state supercapacitors are prepared with an integrated configuration using a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/H2 SO4 gel as the electrolyte. The unique configuration enables the resultant supercapacitors to be compressed as an integrated unit arbitrarily during 60% compressible strain. Furthermore, the performance of the resultant supercapacitors is nearly unchanged even under 60% compressible strain. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Organizational change through Lean Thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsasis, Peter; Bruce-Barrett, Cindy

2008-08-01

In production and manufacturing plants, Lean Thinking has been used to improve processes by eliminating waste and thus enhancing efficiency. In health care, Lean Thinking has emerged as a comprehensive approach towards improving processes embedded in the diagnostic, treatment and care activities of health-care organizations with cost containment results. This paper provides a case study example where Lean Thinking is not only used to improve efficiency and cost containment, but also as an approach to effective organizational change.

Lean - set i et historisk perspektiv

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michelsen, Aage U

2006-01-01

I kapitlet redegøres for, hvordan begrebet Lean opstod som en karakteristik af Toyota Production System (TPS), der igen har sin rod i scientific management. Gennem eksempler illustreres det, at centrale Lean-principper således har været anvendt i årtier. Der argumenteres for, at Lean i mange...

Modelling Lean and Green Supply Chain

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Susana Carla Vieira Lino Medina

The success of an organization depends on the effective control of its supply chain. It is important to recognize new opportunities for organization and its supply chain. In the last few years the approach to lean, agile, resilient and green supply chain paradigms has been addressed in the scientific literature. Research in this field shows that the integration of these concepts revealed some contradictions among so many paradigms. This thesis is mainly focused on the lean and green approaches. Thirteen different management frameworks, embodied in awards, standards and tools were studied to understand if they could contribute for the modelling process of a lean and green approach. The study reveals a number of categories that are common in most management frameworks, providing adequate conditions for a lean and green supply chain transformation. A conceptual framework for the evaluation of a lean and green organization`s supply chain was proposed. The framework considers six key criteria, namely, leadership, people, strategic planning, stakeholders, processes and results. It was proposed an assessment method considering a criteria score for each criterion. The purpose is to understand how lean and green supply chain can be compatible, using principles, practices, techniques or tools (i.e. elements) that support both, a lean and a green approach, in all key criteria. A case study in the automotive upstream supply chain was performed to understand more deeply if the elements proposed for the conceptual framework could be implemented in a real-scenario. Based on the conceptual framework and the case study, a roadmap to achieve a lean-green transformation is presented. The proposed roadmap revealed its contribution to the understanding on how and when an organization`s supply chain should apply the lean and green elements. This study is relevant to practice, as it may assist managers in the adoption of a lean and green supply chain approach, giving insights for the

The Lean and Environment Toolkit

Science.gov (United States)

This Lean and Environment Toolkit assembles practical experience collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and partner companies and organizations that have experience with coordinating Lean implementation and environmental management.

Lean og professionel autonomi på hospitaler

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasle, Peter

2014-01-01

Hospitaler står overfor store udfordringer fra voksende krav fra både patienter og samfund samtidig med begrænsede budgetter og stadig flere medicinske muligheder. Hospitalsledelserne anvender lean som en af de væsentligste metoder til at løse disse udfordringer. Lean stammer imidlertid fra...... industrien, og det er spørgsmålet, hvordan lean bliver tilpasset i til en hospitalssammenhæng, og hvilke konsekvenser lean får for medarbejderne. Dette spørgsmål er undersøgt i forbindelse med introduktion af lean i en kræftafdeling på et universitetshospital. Det viste sig vanskeligere end forventet...... at implementere lean, og konsekvenserne for henholdsvis laboranter og sygeplejersker viste sig at være meget forskelligartede. Laboranterne oplevede et forbedret arbejdsmiljø, mens det modsatte var tilfældet for sygeplejerskerne. En mulig forklaring er, at lean øgede kontrollen over eget arbejde for laboranterne...

On mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of chemical kinetics in turbulent lean premixed combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lilleberg, Bjorn

2011-07-01

This thesis investigates turbulent reacting lean premixed flows with detailed treatment of the chemistry. First, the fundamental equations which govern laminar and turbulent reacting flows are presented. A perfectly stirred reactor numerical code is developed to investigate the role of unmixedness and chemical kinetics in driving combustion instabilities. This includes both global single-step and detailed chemical kinetic mechanisms. The single-step mechanisms predict to some degree a similar behavior as the detailed mechanisms. However, it is shown that simple mechanisms can by themselves introduce instabilities. Magnussens Eddy Dissipation Concept (EDC) for turbulent combustion is implemented in the open source CFD toolbox OpenFOAM R for treatment of both fast and detailed chemistry. RANS turbulence models account for the turbulent compressible flow. A database of pre-calculated chemical time scales, which contains the influence of chemical kinetics, is coupled to EDC with fast chemistry to account for local extinction in both diffusion and premixed flames. Results are compared to fast and detailed chemistry calculations. The inclusion of the database shows significantly better results than the fast chemistry calculations while having a comparably small computational cost. Numerical simulations of four piloted lean premixed jet flames falling into the 'well stirred reactor/broken reaction zones' regime, with strong finite-rate chemistry effects, are performed. Measured and predicted scalars compare well for the two jets with the lowest velocities. The two jets with the highest velocities experience extinction and reignition, and the simulations are able to capture the decrease and increase of the OH mass fractions, but the peak values are higher than in the experiments. Also numerical simulations of a lean premixed lifted jet flame with high sensitivity to turbulence modeling and chemical kinetics are performed. Limitations of the applied turbulence and

Effect of high image compression on the reproducibility of cardiac Sestamibi reporting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, P.; Allen, L.; Beuzeville, S.

1999-01-01

Full text: Compression algorithms have been mooted to minimize storage space and transmission times of digital images. We assessed the impact of high-level lousy compression using JPEG and wavelet algorithms on image quality and reporting accuracy of cardiac Sestamibi studies. Twenty stress/rest Sestamibi cardiac perfusion studies were reconstructed into horizontal short, vertical long and horizontal long axis slices using conventional methods. Each of these six sets of slices were aligned for reporting and saved (uncompressed) as a bitmap. This bitmap was then compressed using JPEG compression, then decompressed and saved as a bitmap for later viewing. This process was repeated using the original bitmap and wavelet compression. Finally, a second copy of the original bitmap was made. All 80 bitmaps were randomly coded to ensure blind reporting. The bitmaps were read blinded and by consensus of 2 experienced nuclear medicine physicians using a 5-point scale and 25 cardiac segments. Subjective image quality was also reported using a 3-point scale. Samples of the compressed images were also subtracted from the original bitmap for visual comparison of differences. Results showed an average compression ratio of 23:1 for wavelet and 13:1 for JPEG. Image subtraction showed only very minor discordance between the original and compressed images. There was no significant difference in subjective quality between the compressed and uncompressed images. There was no significant difference in reporting reproducibility of the identical bitmap copy, the JPEG image and the wavelet image compared with the original bitmap. Use of the high compression algorithms described had no significant impact on reporting reproducibility and subjective image quality of cardiac Sestamibi perfusion studies

Systematic model for lean product development implementation in an automotive related company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Osezua Aikhuele

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Lean product development is a major innovative business strategy that employs sets of practices to achieve an efficient, innovative and a sustainable product development. Despite the many benefits and high hopes in the lean strategy, many companies are still struggling, and unable to either achieve or sustain substantial positive results with their lean implementation efforts. However, as the first step towards addressing this issue, this paper seeks to propose a systematic model that considers the administrative and implementation limitations of lean thinking practices in the product development process. The model which is based on the integration of fuzzy Shannon’s entropy and Modified Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (M-TOPSIS model for the lean product development practices implementation with respective to different criteria including management and leadership, financial capabilities, skills and expertise and organization culture, provides a guide or roadmap for product development managers on the lean implementation route.

Lean automation development : applying lean principles to the automation development process

OpenAIRE

Granlund, Anna; Wiktorsson, Magnus; Grahn, Sten; Friedler, Niklas

2014-01-01

By a broad empirical study it is indicated that automation development show potential of improvement. In the paper, 13 lean product development principles are contrasted to the automation development process and it is suggested why and how these principles can facilitate, support and improve the automation development process. The paper summarises a description of what characterises a lean automation development process and what consequences it entails. Main differences compared to current pr...

Influence of cooled exhaust gas recirculation on performance, emissions and combustion characteristics of LPG fuelled lean burn SI engine

Science.gov (United States)

Ravi, K.; Pradeep Bhasker, J.; Alexander, Jim; Porpatham, E.

2017-11-01

On fuel perspective, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) provides cleaner emissions and also facilitates lean burn signifying less fuel consumption and emissions. Lean burn technology can attain better efficiencies and lesser combustion temperatures but this temperature is quite sufficient to facilitate formation of nitrogen oxide (NOx). Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) for NOx reduction has been considered allover but extremely little literatures exist on the consequence of EGR on lean burn LPG fuelled spark ignition (SI) engine. The following research is carried out to find the optimal rate of EGR addition to reduce NOx emissions without settling on performance and combustion characteristics. A single cylinder diesel engine is altered to operate as LPG fuelled SI engine at a compression ratio of 10.5:1 and arrangements to provide different ratios of cooled EGR in the intake manifold. Investigations are done to arrive at optimum ratio of the EGR to reduce emissions without compromising on performance. Significant reductions in NOx emissions alongside HC and CO emissions were seen. Higher percentages of EGR further diluted the charge and lead to improper combustion and thus increased hydrocarbon emissions. Cooled EGR reduced the peak in-cylinder temperature which reduced NOx emissions but lead to misfire at lower lean limits.

Developments in time-resolved high pressure x-ray diffraction using rapid compression and decompression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Jesse S.; Sinogeikin, Stanislav V.; Lin, Chuanlong; Rod, Eric; Bai, Ligang; Shen, Guoyin

2015-01-01

Complementary advances in high pressure research apparatus and techniques make it possible to carry out time-resolved high pressure research using what would customarily be considered static high pressure apparatus. This work specifically explores time-resolved high pressure x-ray diffraction with rapid compression and/or decompression of a sample in a diamond anvil cell. Key aspects of the synchrotron beamline and ancillary equipment are presented, including source considerations, rapid (de)compression apparatus, high frequency imaging detectors, and software suitable for processing large volumes of data. A number of examples are presented, including fast equation of state measurements, compression rate dependent synthesis of metastable states in silicon and germanium, and ultrahigh compression rates using a piezoelectric driven diamond anvil cell

Increasing Lean Mass and Strength: A Comparison of High Frequency Strength Training to Lower Frequency Strength Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Michael H; Burns, Steve P

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect strength training frequency has on improvements in lean mass and strength. Participants were 7 women and 12 men, age ( χ̄ = 34.64 years ± 6.91 years), with strength training experience, training age ( χ̄ = 51.16 months ± 39.02 months). Participants were assigned to one of two groups to equal baseline group demographics. High frequency training group (HFT) trained each muscle group as the agonist, 3 times per week, exercising with 3 sets per muscle group per session (3 total body workouts). Low frequency training group (LFT) trained each muscle group as the agonist one time per week, completing all 9 sets during that one workout. LFT consisted of a routine split over three days: 1) pectoralis, deltoids, and triceps; 2) upper back and biceps; 3) quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and abdominals. Following eight weeks of training, HFT increased lean mass by 1.06 kg ± 1.78 kg, (1.9%), and LFT increased lean mass by .99 kg ± 1.31 kg, (2.0%). HFT strength improvements on the chest press was 9.07 kg ± 6.33 kg, (11%), and hack squat 20.16 kg ± 11.59 kg, (21%). LFT strength improvements on chest press was 5.80kg ± 4.26 kg, (7.0%), and hack squat 21.83 kg ± 11.17 kg, (24 %). No mean differences between groups were significant. These results suggest that HFT and LFT of equal set totals result in similar improvements in lean mass and strength, following 8 weeks of strength training.

Exploring the relation between process design and efficiency in high-volume cataract pathways from a lean thinking perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Vliet, Ellen J.; Bredenhoff, E.; Bredenhoff, Eelco; Sermeus, Walter; Kop, Lucas M.; Sol, Johannes C.A.; van Harten, Willem H.

2011-01-01

Objective: To compare process designs of three high-volume cataract pathways in a lean thinking framework and to explore how efficiency in terms of lead times, hospital visits and costs is related to process design. Design: International retrospective comparative benchmark study with a mixed-method

The Development Of A Theoretical Lean Culture Causal Framework To Support The Effective Implementation Of Lean In Automotive Component Manufacturers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Van der Merwe, Karl Robert

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Although it is generally accepted that lean manufacturing improves operational performance, many organisations are struggling to adapt to the lean philosophy. The purpose of this study is to contribute to a more effective strategy for implementing the lean manufacturing improvement philosophy. The study sets out both to integrate well-researched findings and theories related to generic organisational culture with more recent research and experience related to lean culture, and to examine the role that culture plays in the effective implementation of lean manufacturing principles and techniques. The ultimate aim of this exercise is to develop a theoretical lean culture causal framework.

Medical and scientific writing: Time to go lean and mean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Payal Bhardwaj

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The Lean Six Sigma methodology for process improvements and driving efficiency is old, but lean writing was adopted late by the pharmaceutical world in terms of size of the documents. The documents were lean earlier, and then became voluminous, and now we are about to complete a full circle in this regard, i.e., coming back to the lean documents again using e-formats and hyperlinking. Furthermore, writing has become more and more precise over time. The need for this lean and mean medical and scientific writing arose from voluminous research globally, both industry and academia which are abuzz with skyrocketing regulatory and scientific submission volumes. The quantum of literature is so much that reviewers or information seekers firmly believe that going through even selected and relevant literature has become highly challenging. Considering this, there has been much insistence on downsizing the medical writing documents, which could be tempting enough to be leveraged for scientific publications as well. Here, we present the need for lean and mean medical writing, discuss this concept in relation to the pharmaceutical industry, and how to apply this to key documents. Furthermore, presented is the proposed algorithm for lean and mean clinical study reports and manuscripts. These thoughts are aligned to the recently established concept of data transparency, and can be easily achieved by web links between the protocols and clinical trial results disclosed publicly, and the corresponding manuscripts.

Lean management in a non-manufacturing organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mladen Žvorc

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the possibilities of a lean approach to non-manufacturing functions, i.e. a market-oriented organization. This refers to purchasing, shipment, storage, sale and delivery of goods; marketing, etc. A lean approach to business operations is discussed and several lean business methods are developed on the basis of which lean management can be used not only in manufacturing, but also in non-manufacturing organizations.

Lean in Air Permitting Guide

Science.gov (United States)

The Lean in Air Permitting Guide is designed to help air program managers at public agencies better understand the potential value and results that can be achieved by applying Lean improvement methods to air permitting processes.

Lean-Prinzipien für verbesserte Kosteneffizienz: Instandhaltungseffizienz durch Lean Maintenance

OpenAIRE

Bandow, G.; Schmidt, A.

2008-01-01

Die Bedeutung der Instandhaltung nimmt weiter zu. In einem Lean Umfeld mit einer immer verschwendungsärmeren Produktion stehen nicht nur die Kosteneffizienz und Verfügbarkeit der Produktionsmittel im Fokus. Unplanmäßige Stillstände kosten Geld und gefährden häufig auch Personal und Produkt. Lean Maintenance vermeidet Verschwendung und optimiert so die Effektivität und Effizienz der Instandhaltung. Das zielgerichtete Zusammenspiel von Menschen, Prozessen und Technik garantiert dabei den Erfolg...

Estimation of lean and fat composition of pork ham using image processing measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Jiancheng; Schinckel, Allan P.; Forrest, John C.

1995-01-01

This paper presents a method of estimating the lean and fat composition in pork ham from cross-sectional area measurements using image processing technology. The relationship between the quantity of ham lean and fat mass with the ham lean and fat areas was studied. The prediction equations for pork ham composition based on the ham cross-sectional area measurements were developed. The results show that ham lean weight was related to the ham lean area (r equals .75, P lean weight was highly related to the product of ham total weight times percentage ham lean area (r equals .96, P product of ham total weight times percentage ham fat area (r equals .88, P lean weight was trimmed wholesale ham weight and percentage ham fat area with a coefficient of determination of 92%. The best combination of independent variables for estimating ham fat weight was trimmed wholesale ham weight and percentage ham fat area with a coefficient of determination of 78%. Prediction equations with either two or three independent variables did not significantly increase the accuracy of prediction. The results of this study indicate that the weight of ham lean and fat could be predicted from ham cross-sectional area measurements using image analysis in combination with wholesale ham weight.

TH-C-9A-01: Lean Tools and Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rangaraj, D; Chan, K; Boddu, S; Pawlicki, T; Dieterich, S

2014-01-01

Lean thinking has revolutionized the manufacturing industry. Toyota has pioneered and leveraged this aspect of Lean thinking. Application of Lean thinking and Lean Six Sigma techniques into Healthcare and in particular in Radiation Oncology has its merits and challenges. To improve quality, safety and patient satisfaction with available resources or reducing cost in terms of time, staff and resources is demands of today's healthcare. Radiation oncology treatment involves many processes and steps, identifying and removing the non-value added steps in a process can significantly improve the efficiency. Real projects undertaken in radiation oncology department in cutting down the procedure time for MRI guided brachytherapy to 40% less using lean thinking will be narrated. Simple Lean tools and techniques such as Gemba walk, visual control, daily huddles, standard work, value stream mapping, error-proofing, etc. can be applied with existing resources and how that improved the operation in a Radiation Oncology department's two year experience will be discussed. Lean thinking focuses on identifying and solving the root-cause of a problem by asking “Why” and not “Who” and this requires a culture change of no blame. Role of leadership in building lean culture, employee empowerment and trains and develops lean thinkers will be presented. Why Lean initiatives fail and how to implement lean successfully in your clinic will be discussed. Learning Objectives: Concepts of lean management or lean thinking. Lean tools and techniques applied in Radiation Oncology. Implement no blame culture and focus on system and processes. Leadership role in implementing lean culture. Challenges for Lean thinking in healthcare

TH-C-9A-01: Lean Tools and Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rangaraj, D [Baylor Scott and White Health, Temple, TX (United States); Chan, K [Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto (Canada); Boddu, S [Temple, TX (United States); Pawlicki, T [UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States); Dieterich, S [UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA (United States)

2014-06-15

Lean thinking has revolutionized the manufacturing industry. Toyota has pioneered and leveraged this aspect of Lean thinking. Application of Lean thinking and Lean Six Sigma techniques into Healthcare and in particular in Radiation Oncology has its merits and challenges. To improve quality, safety and patient satisfaction with available resources or reducing cost in terms of time, staff and resources is demands of today's healthcare. Radiation oncology treatment involves many processes and steps, identifying and removing the non-value added steps in a process can significantly improve the efficiency. Real projects undertaken in radiation oncology department in cutting down the procedure time for MRI guided brachytherapy to 40% less using lean thinking will be narrated. Simple Lean tools and techniques such as Gemba walk, visual control, daily huddles, standard work, value stream mapping, error-proofing, etc. can be applied with existing resources and how that improved the operation in a Radiation Oncology department's two year experience will be discussed. Lean thinking focuses on identifying and solving the root-cause of a problem by asking “Why” and not “Who” and this requires a culture change of no blame. Role of leadership in building lean culture, employee empowerment and trains and develops lean thinkers will be presented. Why Lean initiatives fail and how to implement lean successfully in your clinic will be discussed. Learning Objectives: Concepts of lean management or lean thinking. Lean tools and techniques applied in Radiation Oncology. Implement no blame culture and focus on system and processes. Leadership role in implementing lean culture. Challenges for Lean thinking in healthcare.

High Normal Uric Acid Levels Are Associated with an Increased Risk of Diabetes in Lean, Normoglycemic Healthy Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Shani, Michal; Vinker, Shlomo; Dinour, Dganit; Leiba, Merav; Twig, Gilad; Holtzman, Eliezer J; Leiba, Adi

2016-10-01

The risk associated with serum uric acid (SUA) levels within the normal range is unknown, especially among lean and apparently healthy adults. Evaluating whether high-normal SUA levels, 6.8 mg/dL and below, are associated with an increased diabetes risk, compared with low-normal SUA. This was a cohort study with 10 years of followup involving all clinics of the largest nationally distributed Health Maintenance Organization in Israel. Participants included 469,947 examinees, 40-70 years old at baseline, who had their SUA measured during 2002. We excluded examinees who had hyperuricemia (SUA > 6.8 mg/dL), impaired fasting glucose, overweight or obesity and chronic cardiovascular or renal disorders. The final cohort was composed of 30 302 participants. Participants were followed up to a new diagnosis of diabetes during the study period. Odds ratio of developing diabetes among participants with high-normal baseline SUA were compared with low-normal (2 ≤ uric acid lean women when compared with those with low-normal values.

Rethinking Lean Service

Science.gov (United States)

Seddon, John; O'Donovan, Brendan; Zokaei, Keivan

Ever since Levitt's influential Harvard Business Review article 'Production-Line Approach to Service' was published in 1972, it has been common for services to be treated like production lines in both the academic literature and more widely in management practice. The belief that achieving economies of scale will reduce unit costs is a common feature of management decision-making. As technological advancement has produced ever more sophisticated IT and telephony, it has become increasingly easier for firms to standardise and off-shore services. The development of the 'lean' literature has only helped to emphasise the same underlying management assumptions: by managing cost and workers' activity, organisational performance is expected to improve. This chapter argues that through misinterpretation of the core paradigm 'lean' has become subsumed into the 'business as usual' of conventional service management. As a result, 'lean' has become synonymous with 'process efficiency' and the opportunity for significant performance improvement - as exemplified by Toyota - has been missed.

Cascaded quadratic soliton compression of high-power femtosecond fiber lasers in Lithium Niobate crystals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bache, Morten; Moses, Jeffrey; Wise, Frank W.

2008-01-01

The output of a high-power femtosecond fiber laser is typically 300 fs with a wavelength around $\\lambda=1030-1060$ nm. Our numerical simulations show that cascaded quadratic soliton compression in bulk LiNbO$_3$ can compress such pulses to below 100 fs.......The output of a high-power femtosecond fiber laser is typically 300 fs with a wavelength around $\\lambda=1030-1060$ nm. Our numerical simulations show that cascaded quadratic soliton compression in bulk LiNbO$_3$ can compress such pulses to below 100 fs....

Lean consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Womack, James P; Jones, Daniel T

2005-03-01

During the past 20 years, the real price of most consumer goods has fallen worldwide, the variety of goods and the range of sales channels offering them have continued to grow, and product quality has steadily improved. So why is consumption often so frustrating? It doesn't have to be--and shouldn't be--the authors say. They argue that it's time to apply lean thinking to the processes of consumption--to give consumers the full value they want from goods and services with the greatest efficiency and the least pain. Companies may think they save time and money by off-loading work to the consumer but, in fact, the opposite is true. By streamlining their systems for providing goods and services, and by making it easier for customers to buy and use those products and services, a growing number of companies are actually lowering costs while saving everyone time. In the process, these businesses are learning more about their customers, strengthening consumer loyalty, and attracting new customers who are defecting from less user-friendly competitors. The challenge lies with the retailers, service providers, manufacturers, and suppliers that are not used to looking at total cost from the standpoint of the consumer and even less accustomed to working with customers to optimize the consumption process. Lean consumption requires a fundamental shift in the way companies think about the relationship between provision and consumption, and the role their customers play in these processes. It also requires consumers to change the nature of their relationships with the companies they patronize. Lean production has clearly triumphed over similar obstacles in recent years to become the dominant global manufacturing model. Lean consumption, its logical companion, can't be far behind.

Lean in the supply chain : research and practice

OpenAIRE

Ugochukwu, Paschal

2012-01-01

Lean is a management philosophy that enhances customer value through waste elimination and continuous improvement in a system by applying lean principles, practices, and techniques. The focus on lean implementations and research had been typically a single company without extension to the entire supply chain. When the concept of lean is implemented across the entire supply chain, however, it is referred to as lean supply chain. The purpose of this thesis is to create a structure from theory a...

Lean Six Sigma in financial services

OpenAIRE

de Koning, H.; Does, R.J.M.M.; Bisgaard, S.

2008-01-01

Lean Thinking and Six Sigma are typically considered as separate approaches to process innovation, with complementary strengths. When combined as Lean Six Sigma, this approach provides a unified framework for systematically developing innovations. Lean Six Sigma can also bring about significant results and breakthrough improvements in financial services, as demonstrated with four case studies from Dutch multinational insurance companies. These cases demonstrate the importance of incremental i...

Lean and psychosocial work environment in manufacturing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edwards, Kasper; Thye, Nina; Nielsen, Anders P.

2011-01-01

Lean is currently the rationalization method of choice in the Danish manufacturing industry. This paper reports finding from three lean implementation cases. All cases are manufacturing companies focusing on upmarket products produced in small series. Prior to lean production was organized as sel...

Crystal structure of actinide metals at high compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fast, L.; Soederlind, P.

1995-08-01

The crystal structures of some light actinide metals are studied theoretically as a function of applied pressure. The first principles electronic structure theory is formulated in the framework of density functional theory, with the gradient corrected local density approximation of the exchange-correlation functional. The light actinide metals are shown to be well described as itinerant (metallic) f-electron metals and generally, they display a crystal structure which have, in agreement with previous theoretical suggestions, increasing degree of symmetry and closed-packing upon compression. The theoretical calculations agree well with available experimental data. At very high compression, the theory predicts closed-packed structures such as the fcc or the hcp structures or the nearly closed-packed bcc structure for the light actinide metals. A simple canonical band picture is presented to explain in which particular closed-packed form these metals will crystallize at ultra-high pressure

A Sand Cone Model of Lean Implementation

OpenAIRE

Yestemessov, Azamat

2011-01-01

Over the past 20 years Lean Production system has been a focus of researches by different academicians. A numerous works have been written in the field of Lean implementation in manufacturing companies. However, as shown, most of the academic topics relate to the issues of implementing Lean tools and techniques. Critical Success Factors have been also described widely; however, no efforts in systematization have been made. Only several works have a focus on integration of Lean implementation ...

Lean in healthcare: the unfilled promise?

Science.gov (United States)

Radnor, Zoe J; Holweg, Matthias; Waring, Justin

2012-02-01

In an effort to improve operational efficiency, healthcare services around the world have adopted process improvement methodologies from the manufacturing sector, such as Lean Production. In this paper we report on four multi-level case studies of the implementation of Lean in the English NHS. Our results show that this generally involves the application of specific Lean 'tools', such as 'kaizen blitz' and 'rapid improvement events', which tend to produce small-scale and localised productivity gains. Although this suggests that Lean might not currently deliver the efficiency improvements desired in policy, the evolution of Lean in the manufacturing sector also reveals this initial focus on the 'tool level'. In moving to a more system-wide approach, however, we identify significant contextual differences between healthcare and manufacturing that result in two critical breaches of the assumptions behind Lean. First, the customer and commissioner in the private sector are the one and the same, which is essential in determining 'customer value' that drives process improvement activities. Second, healthcare is predominantly designed to be capacity-led, and hence there is limited ability to influence demand or make full use of freed-up resources. What is different about this research is that these breaches can be regarded as not being primarily 'professional' in origin but actually more 'organisational' and 'managerial' and, if not addressed could severely constrain Lean's impact on healthcare productivity at the systems level. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intermittent hypoxia induces hyperlipidemia in lean mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jianguo; Thorne, Laura N; Punjabi, Naresh M; Sun, Cheuk-Kwan; Schwartz, Alan R; Smith, Philip L; Marino, Rafael L; Rodriguez, Annabelle; Hubbard, Walter C; O'Donnell, Christopher P; Polotsky, Vsevolod Y

2005-09-30

Obstructive sleep apnea, a syndrome leading to recurrent intermittent hypoxia (IH), has been associated previously with hypercholesterolemia, independent of underlying obesity. We examined the effects of experimentally induced IH on serum lipid levels and pathways of lipid metabolism in the absence and presence of obesity. Lean C57BL/6J mice and leptin-deficient obese C57BL/6J-Lep(ob) mice were exposed to IH for five days to determine changes in serum lipid profile, liver lipid content, and expression of key hepatic genes of lipid metabolism. In lean mice, exposure to IH increased fasting serum levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, phospholipids (PLs), and triglycerides (TGs), as well as liver TG content. These changes were not observed in obese mice, which had hyperlipidemia and fatty liver at baseline. In lean mice, IH increased sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) levels in the liver, increased mRNA and protein levels of stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD-1), an important gene of TG and PL biosynthesis controlled by SREBP-1, and increased monounsaturated fatty acid content in serum, which indicated augmented SCD-1 activity. In addition, in lean mice, IH decreased protein levels of scavenger receptor B1, regulating uptake of cholesterol esters and HDL by the liver. We conclude that exposure to IH for five days increases serum cholesterol and PL levels, upregulates pathways of TG and PL biosynthesis, and inhibits pathways of cholesterol uptake in the liver in the lean state but does not exacerbate the pre-existing hyperlipidemia and metabolic disturbances in leptin-deficient obesity.

Transferring lean management infrastructure for increasing productivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ph.D.Daniel Georgescu

2010-12-01

Full Text Available These years, manufacturing function have been transferred rapidly and globally from matured countries to emerging countries. In this paper is about the critical elements for successful transfer of lean management among sites and countries. Based on this general descriptive analysis, current global transfer activity of Lean as well as its future direction is also described. According to the gradual progress of lean management transfer, necessity of its refinement/reinforcement is recognized and some research subjects are proposed for contributing further encouragement of its global activities. In this paper, based on this understanding, requisites for transfer of lean management are discussed through investigating global activity of Lean and specification of infrastructure enabling its smooth transfer is examined

Lean Implementation : the significance of people and dualism

OpenAIRE

Bengt, Halling

2013-01-01

Lean, with its origins at the Toyota Motor Company, is a concept that is known to increase effectiveness in manufacturing. The Lean concept is now argued to be relevant not only in manufacturing but in service and health-care delivery as well. The reported results of Lean implementation efforts are divided. There are reports that most of the Lean implementation efforts are not reaching the goal; on the other hand, there are reports of promising results. The divided results from Lean implement...

Compressibility, turbulence and high speed flow

CERN Document Server

Gatski, Thomas B

2009-01-01

This book introduces the reader to the field of compressible turbulence and compressible turbulent flows across a broad speed range through a unique complimentary treatment of both the theoretical foundations and the measurement and analysis tools currently used. For the computation of turbulent compressible flows, current methods of averaging and filtering are presented so that the reader is exposed to a consistent development of applicable equation sets for both the mean or resolved fields as well as the transport equations for the turbulent stress field. For the measurement of turbulent compressible flows, current techniques ranging from hot-wire anemometry to PIV are evaluated and limitations assessed. Characterizing dynamic features of free shear flows, including jets, mixing layers and wakes, and wall-bounded flows, including shock-turbulence and shock boundary-layer interactions, obtained from computations, experiments and simulations are discussed. Key features: * Describes prediction methodologies in...

Lean Six Sigma implementation and organizational culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Knapp, Susan

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between four organizational cultural types defined by the Competing Values Framework and three Lean Six Sigma implementation components - management involvement, use of Lean Six Sigma methods and Lean Six Sigma infrastructure. The study involved surveying 446 human resource and quality managers from 223 hospitals located in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island using the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument. Findings - In total, 104 completed responses were received and analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance. Follow-up analysis of variances showed management support was significant, F(3, 100)=4.89, p cultures having significant interactions with management support. The relationship between organizational culture and Lean Six Sigma in hospitals provides information on how specific cultural characteristics impact the Lean Six Sigma initiative key components. This information assists hospital staff who are considering implementing quality initiatives by providing an understanding of what cultural values correspond to effective Lean Six Sigma implementation. Managers understanding the quality initiative cultural underpinnings, are attentive to the culture-shared values and norm's influence can utilize strategies to better implement Lean Six Sigma.

Lean thinking for a maintenance process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sherif Mostafa

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The maintenance process shares significant operating costs in an organisation. Lean thinking can be incorporated into maintenance activities through applying its principles and practices/tools. Lean maintenance (LM is a prerequisite for lean manufacturing systems. This research proposes a new structure for LM process based on a systematic literature review of a significant number of related articles that were published on LM. The process structure is designed based on the five lean principles to guide and support organisations to pursue maintenance excellence. This study establishes a scheme for LM tools that are structured into 2 level 4 bundles and 26 lean practices/tools and develops a House of Waste (HoW to demonstrate the association between maintenance wastes and the LM tools. With a successful accomplishment of the proposed scheme, the performance of a maintenance department can create more improvement opportunities over time to reach the maintenance excellence status.

THE LEAN AND SIX SIGMA SINERGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirko Sokovic

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Many organizations, dealing with continuous improvement methods, have realized that Lean and Six Sigma methodologies complement each other. Lean manufacturing focuses on the remova l of waste so that all processes in the total system add value from the customers' perspectives. The main emphasis of Six Sigma is the application of statistical tools in a disciplined manner, which requires data-driven decision-making. The integration of Lean and Six Sigma provides a synergetic effect, a rapid process improvement strategy for attaining organizational goals. When separated, Lean manufacturing cannot bring a process under statistical control, and Six Sigma cannot dramatically improve cycle time or reduce invested capital. Together, synergistic qualities are created to maximize the potential for a process improvement. The paper deals with Lean and Six Sigma principles and approaches used in modern manufacturing for process improvements, and bring forward benefits that are gained when these two methodologies are integrated.

Performance Improvement through Implementation of Lean Maintenance

OpenAIRE

S. Kolanjiappan; Dr. K. Maran

2011-01-01

Lean Maintenance is a relatively new term, invented in the last decade of the twentieth century, but the principles are well established in Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). Lean Maintenance—taking its lead from Lean Manufacturing—applies some new techniques to TPM concepts to render a more structured implementation path. Tracing its roots back to Henry Ford with modern refinements born in Japanese manufacturing, specifically the Toyota Production System (TPS). Lean seeks to eliminate a...

Lean in healthcare: A comprehensive review.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Andreamatteo, Antonio; Ianni, Luca; Lega, Federico; Sargiacomo, Massimo

2015-09-01

Lean seems to be the next revolution for a better, improved, value-based healhcare. In the last 15 years Lean has been increasingly adapted and adopted in healthcare. Accordingly, Lean healthcare has been developing into a major strand of research since the early 2000s. The aim of this work is to present a comprehensive overview of the main issues highlighted by research on implementation of Lean in a complex contest such as the healthcare one. Comprehensive literature review was conducted in order to identify empirical and theoretical articles published up to September 2013. Thematic analysis was performed in order to extract and synthesis data. 243 articles were selected for analysis. Lean is best understood as a means to increase productivity. Hospital is the more explored setting, with emergency and surgery as the pioneer departments. USA appears to be the leading country for number of applications. The theoretical works have been focused mainly on barriers, challenges and success factors. Sustainability, framework for measurement and critical appraisal remain underestimated themes. Evaluations of "system wide approach" are still low in number. Even though Lean results appear to be promising, findings so far do not allow to draw a final word on its positive impacts or challenges when introduced in the healthcare sector. Scholars are called to explore further the potentiality and the weaknesses of Lean, above all as for the magnitude of investments required and for the engagement of the whole organization it represents increasingly strategic choice, whilst health professionals, managers and policy makers could and should learn from research how to play a pivotal role for a more effective implementation of lean in different health contexts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A healthcare Lean Six Sigma System for postanesthesia care unit workflow improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Alex Mu-Hsing; Borycki, Elizabeth; Kushniruk, Andre; Lee, Te-Shu

2011-01-01

The aim of this article is to propose a new model called Healthcare Lean Six Sigma System that integrates Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to improve workflow in a postanesthesia care unit. The methodology of the proposed model is fully described. A postanesthesia care unit case study is also used to demonstrate the benefits of using the Healthcare Lean Six Sigma System model by combining Lean and Six Sigma methodologies together. The new model bridges the service gaps between health care providers and patients, balances the requirements of health care managers, and delivers health care services to patients by taking the benefits of the Lean speed and Six Sigma high-quality principles. The full benefits of the new model will be realized when applied at both strategic and operational levels. For further research, we will examine how the proposed model is used in different real-world case studies.

Lean Management Systems in Radiology: Elements for Success.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Stacy R; Ruter, Royce L; Tibor, Laura C

2016-01-01

This article is a review of the literature on Lean and Lean Management Systems and how they have been implemented in healthcare organizations and particularly in radiology departments. The review focuses on the elements required for a successful implementation of Lean by applying the principles of a Lean Management System instead of a Lean tools-only approach. This review shares the successes and failures from healthcare organizations' efforts to improve the quality and safety of the services they provide. There are a limited number of healthcare organizations in the literature who have shared their experiences and additional research is necessary to determine whether a Lean Management System is a viable alternative to the current management structure in healthcare.

Lean practices for quality results: a case illustration.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Pauline; Hwang, David; Hong, Paul

2014-01-01

Increasingly, healthcare providers are implementing lean practices to achieve quality results. Implementing lean healthcare practices is unique compared to manufacturing and other service industries. The purpose of this paper is to present a model that identifies and defines the lean implementation key success factors in healthcare organisations. The model is based on an extant literature review and a case illustration that explores actual lean implementation in a major USA hospital located in a Midwestern city (approximately 300,000 people). An exploratory/descriptive study using observation and follow-up interviews was conducted to identify lean practices in the hospital. Lean practice key drivers include growing elderly populations, rising medical expenses, decreasing insurance coverage and decreasing management support. Effectively implementing lean practices to increase bottom-line results and improve organisational integrity requires sharing goals and processes among healthcare managers and professionals. An illustration explains the model and the study provides a sound foundation for empirical work. Practical implications are included. Lean practices minimise waste and unnecessary hospital stays while simultaneously enhancing customer values and deploying resources in supply systems. Leadership requires clear project targets based on sound front-end planning because initial implementation steps involve uncertainty and ambiguity (i.e. fuzzy front-end planning). Since top management support is crucial for implementing lean practices successfully, a heavyweight manager, who communicates well both with top managers and project team members, is an important success factor when implementing lean practices. Increasingly, green orientation and sustainability initiatives are phrases that replaced lean practices. Effective results; e.g. waste reduction, employee satisfaction and customer values are applicable to bigger competitive challenges arising both in specific

Lean Management Genesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parkes Aneta

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Lean Management is a philosophy and management concept, based on reduction of the waste and resources used in the process of producing goods and providing services. Lean Management genesis dates back to scientific management in America (for example concepts of H. Ford and F.W. Taylor and quality management, including development of TQM concept. Japanese Toyota Production System has been inspired by chosen elements of these concepts, and then it evolved towards global concept called Toyota Way (which connects production rules with values and work attitude.

High-speed reconstruction of compressed images

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Jerome R., Jr.; Moore, Stephen M.

1990-07-01

A compression scheme is described that allows high-definition radiological images with greater than 8-bit intensity resolution to be represented by 8-bit pixels. Reconstruction of the images with their original intensity resolution can be carried out by means of a pipeline architecture suitable for compact, high-speed implementation. A reconstruction system is described that can be fabricated according to this approach and placed between an 8-bit display buffer and the display's video system thereby allowing contrast control of images at video rates. Results for 50 CR chest images are described showing that error-free reconstruction of the original 10-bit CR images can be achieved.

Improving healthcare using Lean processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, G Ross

2014-01-01

For more than a decade, healthcare organizations across Canada have been using Lean management tools to improve care processes, reduce preventable adverse events, increase patient satisfaction and create better work environments. The largest system-wide effort in Canada, and perhaps anywhere, is currently under way in Saskatchewan. The jury is still out on whether Lean efforts in that province, or elsewhere in Canada, are robust enough to transform current delivery systems and sustain new levels of performance. This issue of Healthcare Quarterly features several articles that provide a perspective on Lean methods in healthcare. Copyright © 2014 Longwoods Publishing.

The Hybrid Lean System to Improve Manufacturing Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Ahmad Nur Aizat

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Lean manufacturing is a systematic approch could increase manufacturing competitiveness by identifying and elminating waste through lean tools. However, these tools are often categorized into different groups, continues to be difficult for companies to select the most appropriate lean tool to be adopted, especially in respect of the SMEs whose knowledge of lean tools and associated principles are limited. This study is to propose solution on how to implement appropriate lean tools in food manufacturing industry located at Rengit, Johor. Qualitative method is used as a methodology to see the changes after the implementation of lean tools. Interview session also a part of method to collect data from respondents. The finding from this paper shows that implementation of an appropriate lean tool will help to eliminate waste in industry sector, maintain and control the inventory, improve quality of the product and improve overall operational process.

Using Dynamic Value Stream Mapping and Lean Accounting Box Scores to Support Lean Implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Woehrle, Stephen L.; Abou-Shady, Louay

2010-01-01

Lean has proven to be an effective management philosophy for improving businesses in a competitive market by eliminating waste and improving operations. An impact of implementing lean projects is the rapid reduction in inventory levels, which gives management the false impression that profits are decreasing while workers on the shop floor observe…

Statistical approach to predict compressive strength of high workability slag-cement mortars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Memon, N.A.; Memon, N.A.; Sumadi, S.R.

2009-01-01

This paper reports an attempt made to develop empirical expressions to estimate/ predict the compressive strength of high workability slag-cement mortars. Experimental data of 54 mix mortars were used. The mortars were prepared with slag as cement replacement of the order of 0, 50 and 60%. The flow (workability) was maintained at 136+-3%. The numerical and statistical analysis was performed by using database computer software Microsoft Office Excel 2003. Three empirical mathematical models were developed to estimate/predict 28 days compressive strength of high workability slag cement-mortars with 0, 50 and 60% slag which predict the values accurate between 97 and 98%. Finally a generalized empirical mathematical model was proposed which can predict 28 days compressive strength of high workability mortars up to degree of accuracy 95%. (author)

Lean leadership attributes: a systematic review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Aij, Kjeld Harald; Teunissen, Maurits

2017-10-09

Purpose Emphasis on quality and reducing costs has led many health-care organizations to reconfigure their management, process, and quality control infrastructures. Many are lean, a management philosophy with roots in manufacturing industries that emphasizes elimination of waste. Successful lean implementation requires systemic change and strong leadership. Despite the importance of leadership to successful lean implementation, few researchers have probed the question of ideal leadership attributes to achieve lean thinking in health care. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into applicable attributes for lean leaders in health care. Design/methodology/approach The authors systematically reviewed the literature on principles of leadership and, using Dombrowski and Mielke's (2013) conceptual model of lean leadership, developed a parallel theoretical model for lean leadership in health care. Findings This work contributes to the development of a new framework for describing leadership attributes within lean management of health care. Originality/value The summary of attributes can provide a model for health-care leaders to apply lean in their organizations.

Highly Compressible Carbon Sponge Supercapacitor Electrode with Enhanced Performance by Growing Nickel-Cobalt Sulfide Nanosheets.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Xu; Nie, Kaiwen; Ding, Xian; Dang, Liqin; Sun, Jie; Shi, Feng; Xu, Hua; Jiang, Ruibin; He, Xuexia; Liu, Zonghuai; Lei, Zhibin

2018-03-28

The development of compressible supercapacitor highly relies on the innovative design of electrode materials with both superior compression property and high capacitive performance. This work reports a highly compressible supercapacitor electrode which is prepared by growing electroactive NiCo 2 S 4 (NCS) nanosheets on the compressible carbon sponge (CS). The strong adhesion of the metallic conductive NCS nanosheets to the highly porous carbon scaffolds enable the CS-NCS composite electrode to exhibit an enhanced conductivity and ideal structural integrity during repeated compression-release cycles. Accordingly, the CS-NCS composite electrode delivers a specific capacitance of 1093 F g -1 at 0.5 A g -1 and remarkable rate performance with 91% capacitance retention in the range of 0.5-20 A g -1 . Capacitance performance under the strain of 60% shows that the incorporation of NCS nanosheets in CS scaffolds leads to over five times enhancement in gravimetric capacitance and 17 times enhancement in volumetric capacitance. These performances enable the CS-NCS composite to be one of the promising candidates for potential applications in compressible electrochemical energy storage devices.

An investigation of partially premixed compression ignition combustion using gasoline and spark assistance

OpenAIRE

Benajes Calvo, Jesus Vicente; García Martínez, Antonio; Doménech Llopis, Vicente; Durret, Russell

2013-01-01

Nowadays the automotive scientific community and companies are focusing part of their efforts on the investigation of new combustion modes in Compression Ignition (Cl) engines, mainly based on the use of locally lean air fuel mixtures. This characteristic, combined with exhaust gas recirculation, provides low combustion temperatures that reduce pollutant formation. However these combustion concepts have some shortcomings, related to combustion phasing control and combustion stability under th...

High Compressive Stresses Near the Surface of the Sierra Nevada, California

Science.gov (United States)

Martel, S. J.; Logan, J. M.; Stock, G. M.

2012-12-01

Observations and stress measurements in granitic rocks of the Sierra Nevada, California reveal strong compressive stresses parallel to the surface of the range at shallow depths. New overcoring measurements show high compressive stresses at three locations along an east-west transect through Yosemite National Park. At the westernmost site (west end of Tenaya Lake), the mean compressive stress is 1.9. At the middle site (north shore of Tenaya Lake) the mean compressive stress is 6.8 MPa. At the easternmost site (south side of Lembert Dome) the mean compressive stress is 3.0 MPa. The trend of the most compressive stress at these sites is within ~30° of the strike of the local topographic surface. Previously published hydraulic fracturing measurements by others elsewhere in the Sierra Nevada indicate surface-parallel compressive stresses of several MPa within several tens of meters of the surface, with the stress magnitudes generally diminishing to the west. Both the new and the previously published compressive stress magnitudes are consistent with the presence of sheeting joints (i.e., "exfoliation joints") in the Sierra Nevada, which require lateral compressive stresses of several MPa to form. These fractures are widespread: they are distributed in granitic rocks from the north end of the range to its southern tip and across the width of the range. Uplift along the normal faults of the eastern escarpment, recently measured by others at ~1-2 mm/yr, probably contributes to these stresses substantially. Geodetic surveys reveal that normal faulting flexes a range concave upwards in response to fault slip, and this flexure is predicted by elastic dislocation models. The topographic relief of the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada is 2-4 km, and since alluvial fill generally buries the bedrock east of the faults, the offset of granitic rocks is at least that much. Compressive stresses of several MPa are predicted by elastic dislocation models of the range front

Investigation on compression behaviour of highly compacted GMZ01 bentonite with suction and temperature control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye, W.M.; Zhang, Y.W.; Chen, B.; Zheng, Z.J.; Chen, Y.G.; Cui, Y.J.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Heating induced volumetric change of GMZ01 bentonite depends on suction. ► Suction has significant influence on compressibility. ► Temperature has slight influence on compressibility. - Abstract: In this paper, an oedometer with suction and temperature control was developed. Mechanical compaction tests have been performed on the highly compacted GMZ01 bentonite, which has been recognized as potential buffer/backfill material for construction of Chinese high-level radioactive waste (HLW) geological repository, under conditions of suction ranging from 0 to 110 MPa, temperature from 20 to 80 °C and vertical pressure from 0.1 to 80 MPa. Based on the test results, suction and temperature effects on compressibility parameters are investigated. Results reveal that: (1) at high suctions, heating induced an expansion, while contraction is induced by heating at low suctions. The thermal expansion coefficient of GMZ01 bentonite measured is 1 × 10 −4 °C −1 ; (2) with increasing suction, the elastic compressibility κ and the plastic compressibility λ(s) of the highly compacted GMZ01 bentonite decrease, while the pre-consolidation pressure increases markedly; (3) with increasing temperature, the elastic compressibility of compacted GMZ01 bentonite changes insignificantly, while the plastic compressibility λ(s) slightly decreases and the yield surface tends to shrink.

The maintenance management for lean organization

OpenAIRE

Daniel D. GEORGESCU

2010-01-01

The goal of lean maintenance approach is to maintain organization international competitiveness. In the spirit of continuously improvement, in the paper it is shown how by adjusting some Lean manufacturing specific techniques for Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) system, was born new maintenance system named Lean TPM. This is a systemic approach with three techniques, which don’t exclude specific techniques of TPM pillars, but complete them: the 7Ss as a critical first step in any improvemen...

Apply Lean Thinking in Project Management

OpenAIRE

Pham Ngoc, Lan

2015-01-01

The purpose of this thesis was to study the effects of Lean Thinking in Project Management and how applying Lean Project Management could enhance the productivity of project work. The study was carried using theoretical research and collecting empirical data from three interviews and one case study at a local company. At the end of the study, the major project management problems at the company were identified and analyzed following Lean Principles. It was also pointed out where there...

The Scientific Underpinning of Lean Six Sigma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Does, R.J.M.M.; de Mast, J.; de Koning, H.; Bisgaard, S.

2007-01-01

The twentieth century saw an incredible development of professional organizations. The impact of technological advances is obvious, but besides these, innovations in management structures and methods have resulted in the highly productive organizations of today. Lean Six Sigma is not revolutionary.

The relationships between Lean manufacturing, management accounting and firm performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Thomas Borup; Nielsen, Henrik; Grasso, Lawrency

2016-01-01

with management accounting practices. Specifically, we document that Lean manufacturing is positively associated with Value Stream Costing, Lean visual controls and, more importantly, measures of labor and materials efficiency. Lean manufacturing is positively related to Lean thinking and both are positively...... associated with operational performance and so are Lean visual controls. We also document that the management accounting practices intervene affecting operational performance and they intervene with Lean thinking as well. Lastly, the relationship between Lean manufacturing and measures of labor and materials......Lean manufacturing has been adopted by numerous western companies as an answer to an increasing competitive environment. Lean manufacturing is seen as an enterprise-wide strategy encompassing a transformation of manufacturing practices, affecting companies’ management accounting practices and...

The promise of Lean in health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Toussaint, John S; Berry, Leonard L

2013-01-01

An urgent need in American health care is improving quality and efficiency while controlling costs. One promising management approach implemented by some leading health care institutions is Lean, a quality improvement philosophy and set of principles originated by the Toyota Motor Company. Health care cases reveal that Lean is as applicable in complex knowledge work as it is in assembly-line manufacturing. When well executed, Lean transforms how an organization works and creates an insatiable quest for improvement. In this article, we define Lean and present 6 principles that constitute the essential dynamic of Lean management: attitude of continuous improvement, value creation, unity of purpose, respect for front-line workers, visual tracking, and flexible regimentation. Health care case studies illustrate each principle. The goal of this article is to provide a template for health care leaders to use in considering the implementation of the Lean management system or in assessing the current state of implementation in their organizations. Copyright © 2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lean sigma--will it work for healthcare?

Science.gov (United States)

Bahensky, James A; Roe, Janet; Bolton, Romy

2005-01-01

The manufacturing industry has been using Lean Sigma for years in pursuit of continuous improvement to obtain a competitive advantage. The objectives of these efforts are to use the Lean techniques for reducing cycle times and the Six Sigma concepts for reducing product defects. The Iowa Business Council with several advocates worked with the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics (UIHC) and two other Iowa hospitals to determine whether Lean Sigma is adaptable in healthcare. A team of 15 people at UIHC used the Kaizen Breakthrough Methodology over a five-day period in an aggressive identification and elimination of non-value added activities in Radiology CT scanning. The results exceeded the initial project objectives and indicated that Lean Sigma is applicable in healthcare. Overall, the Lean Sigma project increased revenue by approximately $750,000 per year. The Kaizen process proved to be successful and interesting. Within three days, the team installed new work flow processes. This implementation-oriented approach is what differentiates Lean Sigma from other quality improvement processes.

Can lean save lives?

Science.gov (United States)

Fillingham, David

2007-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to show how over the last 18 months Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust have been exploring whether or not lean methodologies, often known as the Toyota Production System, can indeed be applied to healthcare. This paper is a viewpoint. One's early experience is that lean really can save lives. The Toyota Production System is an amazingly successful way of manufacturing cars. It cannot be simply translated unthinkingly into a hospital but lessons can be learned from it and the method can be adapted and developed so that it becomes owned by healthcare staff and focused towards the goal of improved patient care. Working in healthcare is a stressful and difficult thing. Everyone needs a touch of inspiration and encouragement. Applying lean to healthcare in Bolton seems to be achieving just that for those who work there.

Large meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies five loci for lean body mass.

Science.gov (United States)

Zillikens, M Carola; Demissie, Serkalem; Hsu, Yi-Hsiang; Yerges-Armstrong, Laura M; Chou, Wen-Chi; Stolk, Lisette; Livshits, Gregory; Broer, Linda; Johnson, Toby; Koller, Daniel L; Kutalik, Zoltán; Luan, Jian'an; Malkin, Ida; Ried, Janina S; Smith, Albert V; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Vandenput, Liesbeth; Hua Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Weihua; Aghdassi, Ali; Åkesson, Kristina; Amin, Najaf; Baier, Leslie J; Barroso, Inês; Bennett, David A; Bertram, Lars; Biffar, Rainer; Bochud, Murielle; Boehnke, Michael; Borecki, Ingrid B; Buchman, Aron S; Byberg, Liisa; Campbell, Harry; Campos Obanda, Natalia; Cauley, Jane A; Cawthon, Peggy M; Cederberg, Henna; Chen, Zhao; Cho, Nam H; Jin Choi, Hyung; Claussnitzer, Melina; Collins, Francis; Cummings, Steven R; De Jager, Philip L; Demuth, Ilja; Dhonukshe-Rutten, Rosalie A M; Diatchenko, Luda; Eiriksdottir, Gudny; Enneman, Anke W; Erdos, Mike; Eriksson, Johan G; Eriksson, Joel; Estrada, Karol; Evans, Daniel S; Feitosa, Mary F; Fu, Mao; Garcia, Melissa; Gieger, Christian; Girke, Thomas; Glazer, Nicole L; Grallert, Harald; Grewal, Jagvir; Han, Bok-Ghee; Hanson, Robert L; Hayward, Caroline; Hofman, Albert; Hoffman, Eric P; Homuth, Georg; Hsueh, Wen-Chi; Hubal, Monica J; Hubbard, Alan; Huffman, Kim M; Husted, Lise B; Illig, Thomas; Ingelsson, Erik; Ittermann, Till; Jansson, John-Olov; Jordan, Joanne M; Jula, Antti; Karlsson, Magnus; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Kilpeläinen, Tuomas O; Klopp, Norman; Kloth, Jacqueline S L; Koistinen, Heikki A; Kraus, William E; Kritchevsky, Stephen; Kuulasmaa, Teemu; Kuusisto, Johanna; Laakso, Markku; Lahti, Jari; Lang, Thomas; Langdahl, Bente L; Launer, Lenore J; Lee, Jong-Young; Lerch, Markus M; Lewis, Joshua R; Lind, Lars; Lindgren, Cecilia; Liu, Yongmei; Liu, Tian; Liu, Youfang; Ljunggren, Östen; Lorentzon, Mattias; Luben, Robert N; Maixner, William; McGuigan, Fiona E; Medina-Gomez, Carolina; Meitinger, Thomas; Melhus, Håkan; Mellström, Dan; Melov, Simon; Michaëlsson, Karl; Mitchell, Braxton D; Morris, Andrew P; Mosekilde, Leif; Newman, Anne; Nielson, Carrie M; O'Connell, Jeffrey R; Oostra, Ben A; Orwoll, Eric S; Palotie, Aarno; Parker, Stephen C J; Peacock, Munro; Perola, Markus; Peters, Annette; Polasek, Ozren; Prince, Richard L; Räikkönen, Katri; Ralston, Stuart H; Ripatti, Samuli; Robbins, John A; Rotter, Jerome I; Rudan, Igor; Salomaa, Veikko; Satterfield, Suzanne; Schadt, Eric E; Schipf, Sabine; Scott, Laura; Sehmi, Joban; Shen, Jian; Soo Shin, Chan; Sigurdsson, Gunnar; Smith, Shad; Soranzo, Nicole; Stančáková, Alena; Steinhagen-Thiessen, Elisabeth; Streeten, Elizabeth A; Styrkarsdottir, Unnur; Swart, Karin M A; Tan, Sian-Tsung; Tarnopolsky, Mark A; Thompson, Patricia; Thomson, Cynthia A; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Tikkanen, Emmi; Tranah, Gregory J; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; van Schoor, Natasja M; Verma, Arjun; Vollenweider, Peter; Völzke, Henry; Wactawski-Wende, Jean; Walker, Mark; Weedon, Michael N; Welch, Ryan; Wichmann, H-Erich; Widen, Elisabeth; Williams, Frances M K; Wilson, James F; Wright, Nicole C; Xie, Weijia; Yu, Lei; Zhou, Yanhua; Chambers, John C; Döring, Angela; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Econs, Michael J; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Kooner, Jaspal S; Psaty, Bruce M; Spector, Timothy D; Stefansson, Kari; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Uitterlinden, André G; Wareham, Nicholas J; Ossowski, Vicky; Waterworth, Dawn; Loos, Ruth J F; Karasik, David; Harris, Tamara B; Ohlsson, Claes; Kiel, Douglas P

2017-07-19

Lean body mass, consisting mostly of skeletal muscle, is important for healthy aging. We performed a genome-wide association study for whole body (20 cohorts of European ancestry with n = 38,292) and appendicular (arms and legs) lean body mass (n = 28,330) measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry or bioelectrical impedance analysis, adjusted for sex, age, height, and fat mass. Twenty-one single-nucleotide polymorphisms were significantly associated with lean body mass either genome wide (p lean body mass and in 45,090 (42,360 of European ancestry) subjects from 25 cohorts for appendicular lean body mass was successful for five single-nucleotide polymorphisms in/near HSD17B11, VCAN, ADAMTSL3, IRS1, and FTO for total lean body mass and for three single-nucleotide polymorphisms in/near VCAN, ADAMTSL3, and IRS1 for appendicular lean body mass. Our findings provide new insight into the genetics of lean body mass.Lean body mass is a highly heritable trait and is associated with various health conditions. Here, Kiel and colleagues perform a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for whole body lean body mass and find five novel genetic loci to be significantly associated.

Role of protein and amino acids in promoting lean mass accretion with resistance exercise and attenuating lean mass loss during energy deficit in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Churchward-Venne, Tyler A; Murphy, Caoileann H; Longland, Thomas M; Phillips, Stuart M

2013-08-01

Amino acids are major nutrient regulators of muscle protein turnover. After protein ingestion, hyperaminoacidemia stimulates increased rates of skeletal muscle protein synthesis, suppresses muscle protein breakdown, and promotes net muscle protein accretion for several hours. These acute observations form the basis for strategized protein intake to promote lean mass accretion, or prevent lean mass loss over the long term. However, factors such as protein dose, protein source, and timing of intake are important in mediating the anabolic effects of amino acids on skeletal muscle and must be considered within the context of evaluating the reported efficacy of long-term studies investigating protein supplementation as part of a dietary strategy to promote lean mass accretion and/or prevent lean mass loss. Current research suggests that dietary protein supplementation can augment resistance exercise-mediated gains in skeletal muscle mass and strength and can preserve skeletal muscle mass during periods of diet-induced energy restriction. Perhaps less appreciated, protein supplementation can augment resistance training-mediated gains in skeletal muscle mass even in individuals habitually consuming 'adequate' (i.e., >0.8 g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) protein. Additionally, overfeeding energy with moderate to high-protein intake (15-25 % protein or 1.8-3.0 g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) is associated with lean, but not fat mass accretion, when compared to overfeeding energy with low protein intake (5 % protein or ~0.68 g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹). Amino acids represent primary nutrient regulators of skeletal muscle anabolism, capable of enhancing lean mass accretion with resistance exercise and attenuating the loss of lean mass during periods of energy deficit, although factors such as protein dose, protein source, and timing of intake are likely important in mediating these effects.

A Model to align the organizational culture to Lean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehrsa Taherimashhadi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Since the emergence of Lean Manufacturing many organizations strived to implement it. Nonetheless, sustainable Lean transformation is not as easy as to be simply achieved. Several aspects need to be taken into account before Lean implementation which national and organizational culture are important. By considering influences of national culture on the organizational culture, this paper aims at proposing an evaluation model to determine the cultural weaknesses of an organization and give some recommendations to manage people before implementing Lean. Design/methodology/approach: This research has been conducted based on literature review survey and semi-structured interviews. Research papers, conference proceedings, books, and official websites regarding Lean philosophy were reviewed to find the influence of national culture in Lean implementation. Different databases were scrutinized, from 2015 to 2017, containing Scopus and Web of Science with the time period of 1996-2016. A set of key terms and their combinations were used including: Toyota Production system, Lean production, Lean manufacturing, Lean management, Transformation, Implementation, Barriers/ Impediments/Challenges/Difficulties, Human resources, Success factors, Organizational culture, and National culture. Findings: The proposed evaluation model is a guide for organizations to determine cultural misalignments between the corporate culture and the Lean culture before its implementation and gives some managerial recommendations to correct them. Originality/value: This study is the first attempt to integrate the national models   with Lean culture to provide an evaluation model and some recommendations to help the organization to align its culture to Lean culture before its implementation.

Når lean organiserer på hospitalet

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hauge, Amalie Martinus

Lean er kendt og anvendt af mange offentlige organisationer i Danmark. Selv om Leans anvendelighed de fleste steder er slået fast, bliver Lean imidlertid ved med at udfordre og skabe konflikt. Hvorfor det? Dette spørgsmål – og mange andre – bliver belyst i denne rapport, som er baseret på en Ph...

Lean Accounting - An Ingenious Solution for Cost Optimization

OpenAIRE

Dimi Ofileanu; Dan Ioan Topor

2014-01-01

The aim of this work is to present a new concept in accounting management: Lean Accounting. This work explains the way the lean concept was born; its benefits for the production system of the factories and the necessity of applying lean accounting in the factories which have implemented lean production, taking into account both its advantages and the boundaries of the other cost management methods in those factories.

Implementing lean manufacturing system: ISM approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naveen Kumar

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Lean Manufacturing System has emerged as an important area of research in Indian context. The requirement of Lean Manufacturing has increased due to defects in products (semi finished and finished and subsequent increase in cost. In this context, this study is an attempt to develop a structural model of the variables, important to implement Lean Manufacturing System in Indian automobile industry. Design/Methodology/Approach: Various variables of lean manufacturing system implementation have been identified from literature review and experts’ opinions. Contextual relationship among these identified variables has been set after carrying out brainstorming session. Further, classification of the variables has been carried out based upon the driving power and dependence. In addition to this, a structural model of variables to implement lean concept in Indian automobile industry has also been developed using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM technique. Questionnaire based survey has also been conducted to rank these variables. Findings: Eighteen variables have been identified from the literature and subsequent discussions with experts. Out of which, nine variables have been identified as dependent and nine variables have been identified as driver. No variable has been identified as linkage variable and autonomous variable. From the model developed, ‘Relative cost benefits’ has been identified as top level dependent variable and top management commitment as bottom level most independent variable. Research limitations/Implications: The model so developed is a hypothetical model based upon experts’ opinions. The conclusions so drawn may be further modified to apply in real situation. Practical implication: Clear understanding of interactions among these variables will help organizations to prioritize and manage these variables more effectively and efficiently to draw advantage from lean manufacturing system implementation

Anomalous anisotropic compression behavior of superconducting CrAs under high pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zhenhai; Wu, Wei; Hu, Qingyang; Zhao, Jinggeng; Li, Chunyu; Yang, Ke; Cheng, Jinguang; Luo, Jianlin; Wang, Lin; Mao, Ho-kwang

2015-01-01

CrAs was observed to possess the bulk superconductivity under high-pressure conditions. To understand the superconducting mechanism and explore the correlation between the structure and superconductivity, the high-pressure structural evolution of CrAs was investigated using the angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. The structure of CrAs remains stable up to 1.8 GPa, whereas the lattice parameters exhibit anomalous compression behaviors. With increasing pressure, the lattice parameters a and c both demonstrate a nonmonotonic change, and the lattice parameter b undergoes a rapid contraction at ∼0.18−0.35 GPa, which suggests that a pressure-induced isostructural phase transition occurs in CrAs. Above the phase transition pressure, the axial compressibilities of CrAs present remarkable anisotropy. A schematic band model was used to address the anomalous compression behavior of CrAs. The present results shed light on the structural and related electronic responses to high pressure, which play a key role toward understanding the superconductivity of CrAs. PMID:26627230

Lean management in academic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Collar, Ryan M; Shuman, Andrew G; Feiner, Sandra; McGonegal, Amy K; Heidel, Natalie; Duck, Mary; McLean, Scott A; Billi, John E; Healy, David W; Bradford, Carol R

2012-06-01

Lean is a management system designed to enhance productivity by eliminating waste. Surgical practice offers many opportunities for improving efficiency. Our objective was to determine whether systematic implementation of lean thinking in an academic otolaryngology operating room improves efficiency and profitability and preserves team morale and educational opportunities. In an 18-month prospective quasi-experimental study, a multidisciplinary task force systematically implemented lean thinking within an otolaryngology operating room of an academic health system. Operating room turnover time and turnaround time were measured during a baseline period; an observer-effect period in which workers were made aware that their efficiency was being measured but before implementing lean changes; and an intervention period after redesign principles had been used. The impact on teamwork, morale, and surgical resident education were measured during the baseline and intervention periods through validated surveys. A profit model was applied to estimate the financial implications of the study. There was no difference between the baseline and observer-effect periods of the study for turnover time (p = 0.98) or turnaround time (p = 0.20). During the intervention period, the mean turnover time and turnaround time were significantly shorter than during the baseline period (29 vs 38 minutes; p improved morale after implementation (p = 0.011). Educational metrics were unchanged before and after implementation. The annual opportunity revenue for the involved operating room is $330,000; when extrapolated throughout the operating rooms, lean thinking could create 6,500 hours of capacity annually. Application of lean management techniques to a single operating room and surgical service improved operating room efficiency and morale, sustained resident education, and can provide considerable financial gains when scaled to an entire academic surgical suite. Copyright © 2012. Published by

Investigation on compression behaviour of highly compacted GMZ01 bentonite with suction and temperature control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ye, W.M., E-mail: ye_tju@tongji.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); United Research Center for Urban Environment and Sustainable Development, The Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200092 (China); Zhang, Y.W.; Chen, B.; Zheng, Z.J.; Chen, Y.G. [Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Cui, Y.J. [Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, UR Navier/CERMES 77455 (France)

2012-11-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Heating induced volumetric change of GMZ01 bentonite depends on suction. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Suction has significant influence on compressibility. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Temperature has slight influence on compressibility. - Abstract: In this paper, an oedometer with suction and temperature control was developed. Mechanical compaction tests have been performed on the highly compacted GMZ01 bentonite, which has been recognized as potential buffer/backfill material for construction of Chinese high-level radioactive waste (HLW) geological repository, under conditions of suction ranging from 0 to 110 MPa, temperature from 20 to 80 Degree-Sign C and vertical pressure from 0.1 to 80 MPa. Based on the test results, suction and temperature effects on compressibility parameters are investigated. Results reveal that: (1) at high suctions, heating induced an expansion, while contraction is induced by heating at low suctions. The thermal expansion coefficient of GMZ01 bentonite measured is 1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} Degree-Sign C{sup -1}; (2) with increasing suction, the elastic compressibility {kappa} and the plastic compressibility {lambda}(s) of the highly compacted GMZ01 bentonite decrease, while the pre-consolidation pressure increases markedly; (3) with increasing temperature, the elastic compressibility of compacted GMZ01 bentonite changes insignificantly, while the plastic compressibility {lambda}(s) slightly decreases and the yield surface tends to shrink.

Material Compressing Test of the High Polymer Part Used in Draft Gear of Heavy Load Locomotive

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Wei Yangang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available According to the actual load cases of heavy load locomotive, the material compressing tests of the high polymer parts used in the locomotive are researched. The relationship between stress and strain during the material compressing are acquired by means of comparing the many results of the material compressing tests under different test condition. The relationship between stress and strain during the material compressing is nonlinear in large range of strain, but the relationship is approximately linear in small range of strain. The material of the high polymer made in China and the material of the high polymer imported are compared through the tests. The results show that the compressing property of the material of the high polymer made in China and the material of the high polymer imported are almost same. The research offers the foundation to study the structure elasticity of the draft gear.

Leadership requirements for Lean versus servant leadership in health care: a systematic review of the literature

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Aij KH

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Kjeld Harald Aij, Sofia Rapsaniotis VU University Medical Center, Division Acute Care and Surgery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Abstract: As health care organizations face pressures to improve quality and efficiency while reducing costs, leaders are adopting management techniques and tools used in manufacturing and other industries, especially Lean. Successful Lean leaders appear to use a coaching leadership style that shares underlying principles with servant leadership. There is little information about specific similarities and differences between Lean and servant leaderships. We systematically reviewed the literature on Lean leadership, servant leadership, and health care and performed a comparative analysis of attributes using Russell and Stone’s leadership framework. We found significant overlap between the two leadership styles, although there were notable differences in origins, philosophy, characteristics and behaviors, and tools. We conclude that both Lean and servant leaderships are promising models that can contribute to the delivery of patient-centered, high-value care. Servant leadership may provide the means to engage and develop employees to become successful Lean leaders in health care organizations. Keywords: management, leadership attributes, efficiency, patient-centered, high-value care

Applying lean thinking to risk management in product development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Willumsen, Pelle Lundquist; Oehmen, Josef; Rossi, Monica

2017-01-01

This paper re-conceptualizes risk management (RM) in product development (PD) through a lean thinking perspective. Arguably, risk management in PD projects became a victim of its own success. It is often implemented as a highly formalized, compliance driven activity, ending up disconnected from...... delay or cost overrun. This paper explores the relationship between product development and risk management and proposes to make RM an integrated value adding part of PD. Through a literature review we identify the potential of re-conceptualizing RM through lean thinking. We then conceptualize...

Indførelse af Lean principper

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Balmer, Christian; Michelsen, Aage U

2004-01-01

I artiklen beskrives, hvorledes lean-principper er indført i en forsikringsvirksomhed samt de opnåede resultater.......I artiklen beskrives, hvorledes lean-principper er indført i en forsikringsvirksomhed samt de opnåede resultater....

LEAN PRACTICES FOR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

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Guilherme Luz Tortorella

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Lean product development (LPD is an approach that comprises lean principles and management practices that aim to reduce waste and improve operational effectiveness throughout the entire value stream in continuous improvement endless journey. Due to that, the ability to innovate, change and learn continuously is a key element in order to minimize product development problems. Several LPD techniques are presented in the literature as possible enablers for lean implementation. However, little has been known about the impact of these enablers on the problems related to product development processes. Thus, this paper aims to examine the relationship between five LPD practices’ constructs and the occurrence frequency of eleven LPD problems’ constructs in companies that are implementing lean. Moreover, the identification of relevant relationships between LPD practices’ and problems’ constructs may contribute to specify the contexts in which problems are expected to occur. The study sample comprises sixty four companies already undergoing lean implementation both in shop floor and offices area. The results indicate that the same practices’ constructs, which are deemed as influential for minimizing LPD problems, present different relationship intensities among them.

Why Lean doesn't work for everyone.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Gary S; Patterson, Sarah H; Ching, Joan M; Blackmore, C Craig

2014-12-01

Popularisation of Lean in healthcare has led to emphasis on Lean quality improvement tools in isolation, with inconsistent results. We argue that delivery of safer, more efficient, and higher quality-patient focused care requires organisational transformation of which the Lean toolkit is only one component. To successfully facilitate system transformation toward higher quality care at lower cost, Lean tools must be part of a comprehensive management system, within a supportive institutional culture, and with committed leadership. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Experimental Compressibility of Molten Hedenbergite at High Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Agee, C. B.; Barnett, R. G.; Guo, X.; Lange, R. A.; Waller, C.; Asimow, P. D.

2010-12-01

Experiments using the sink/float method have bracketed the density of molten hedenbergite (CaFeSi2O6) at high pressures and temperatures. The experiments are the first of their kind to determine the compressibility of molten hedenbergite at high pressure and are part of a collaborative effort to establish a new database for an array of silicate melt compositions, which will contribute to the development of an empirically based predictive model that will allow calculation of silicate liquid density and compressibility over a wide range of P-T-X conditions where melting could occur in the Earth. Each melt composition will be measured using: (i) double-bob Archimedean method for melt density and thermal expansion at ambient pressure, (ii) sound speed measurements on liquids to constrain melt compressibility at ambient pressure, (iii) sink/float technique to measure melt density to 15 GPa, and (iv) shock wave measurements of P-V-E equation of state and temperature between 10 and 150 GPa. Companion abstracts on molten fayalite (Waller et al., 2010) and liquid mixes of hedenbergite-diopside and anorthite-hedenbergite-diopside (Guo and Lange, 2010) are also presented at this meeting. In the present study, the hedenbergite starting material was synthesized at the Experimental Petrology Lab, University of Michigan, where melt density, thermal expansion, and sound speed measurements were also carried out. The starting material has also been loaded into targets at the Caltech Shockwave Lab, and experiments there are currently underway. We report here preliminary results from static compression measurement performed at the Department of Petrology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, and the High Pressure Lab, Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico. Experiments were carried out in Quick Press piston-cylinder devices and a Walker-style multi-anvil device. Sink/float marker spheres implemented were gem quality synthetic forsterite (Fo100), San Carlos olivine (Fo90), and

FEM Modeling of the Relationship between the High-Temperature Hardness and High-Temperature, Quasi-Static Compression Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Tao; Jiang, Feng; Yan, Lan; Xu, Xipeng

2017-12-26

The high-temperature hardness test has a wide range of applications, but lacks test standards. The purpose of this study is to develop a finite element method (FEM) model of the relationship between the high-temperature hardness and high-temperature, quasi-static compression experiment, which is a mature test technology with test standards. A high-temperature, quasi-static compression test and a high-temperature hardness test were carried out. The relationship between the high-temperature, quasi-static compression test results and the high-temperature hardness test results was built by the development of a high-temperature indentation finite element (FE) simulation. The simulated and experimental results of high-temperature hardness have been compared, verifying the accuracy of the high-temperature indentation FE simulation.The simulated results show that the high temperature hardness basically does not change with the change of load when the pile-up of material during indentation is ignored. The simulated and experimental results show that the decrease in hardness and thermal softening are consistent. The strain and stress of indentation were analyzed from the simulated contour. It was found that the strain increases with the increase of the test temperature, and the stress decreases with the increase of the test temperature.

FEM Modeling of the Relationship between the High-Temperature Hardness and High-Temperature, Quasi-Static Compression Experiment

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Tao Zhang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The high-temperature hardness test has a wide range of applications, but lacks test standards. The purpose of this study is to develop a finite element method (FEM model of the relationship between the high-temperature hardness and high-temperature, quasi-static compression experiment, which is a mature test technology with test standards. A high-temperature, quasi-static compression test and a high-temperature hardness test were carried out. The relationship between the high-temperature, quasi-static compression test results and the high-temperature hardness test results was built by the development of a high-temperature indentation finite element (FE simulation. The simulated and experimental results of high-temperature hardness have been compared, verifying the accuracy of the high-temperature indentation FE simulation.The simulated results show that the high temperature hardness basically does not change with the change of load when the pile-up of material during indentation is ignored. The simulated and experimental results show that the decrease in hardness and thermal softening are consistent. The strain and stress of indentation were analyzed from the simulated contour. It was found that the strain increases with the increase of the test temperature, and the stress decreases with the increase of the test temperature.

Application of lean manufacturing techniques in the Emergency Department.

Science.gov (United States)

Dickson, Eric W; Singh, Sabi; Cheung, Dickson S; Wyatt, Christopher C; Nugent, Andrew S

2009-08-01

"Lean" is a set of principles and techniques that drive organizations to continually add value to the product they deliver by enhancing process steps that are necessary, relevant, and valuable while eliminating those that fail to add value. Lean has been used in manufacturing for decades and has been associated with enhanced product quality and overall corporate success. To evaluate whether the adoption of Lean principles by an Emergency Department (ED) improves the value of emergency care delivered. Beginning in December 2005, we implemented a variety of Lean techniques in an effort to enhance patient and staff satisfaction. The implementation followed a six-step process of Lean education, ED observation, patient flow analysis, process redesign, new process testing, and full implementation. Process redesign focused on generating improvement ideas from frontline workers across all departmental units. Value-based and operational outcome measures, including patient satisfaction, expense per patient, ED length of stay (LOS), and patient volume were compared for calendar year 2005 (pre-Lean) and periodically after 2006 (post-Lean). Patient visits increased by 9.23% in 2006. Despite this increase, LOS decreased slightly and patient satisfaction increased significantly without raising the inflation adjusted cost per patient. Lean improved the value of the care we delivered to our patients. Generating and instituting ideas from our frontline providers have been the key to the success of our Lean program. Although Lean represents a fundamental change in the way we think of delivering care, the specific process changes we employed tended to be simple, small procedure modifications specific to our unique people, process, and place. We, therefore, believe that institutions or departments aspiring to adopt Lean should focus on the core principles of Lean rather than on emulating specific process changes made at other institutions.

Lean methodology for performance improvement in the trauma discharge process.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Mara, Michael Shaymus; Ramaniuk, Aliaksandr; Graymire, Vickie; Rozzell, Monica; Martin, Stacey

2014-07-01

High-volume, complex services such as trauma and acute care surgery are at risk for inefficiency. Lean process improvement can reduce health care waste. Lean allows a structured look at processes not easily amenable to analysis. We applied lean methodology to the current state of communication and discharge planning on an urban trauma service, citing areas for improvement. A lean process mapping event was held. The process map was used to identify areas for immediate analysis and intervention-defining metrics for the stakeholders. After intervention, new performance was assessed by direct data evaluation. The process was completed with an analysis of effect and plans made for addressing future focus areas. The primary area of concern identified was interservice communication. Changes centering on a standardized morning report structure reduced the number of consult questions unanswered from 67% to 34% (p = 0.0021). Physical therapy rework was reduced from 35% to 19% (p = 0.016). Patients admitted to units not designated to the trauma service had 1.6 times longer stays (p miscommunication exists around patient education at discharge. Lean process improvement is a viable means of health care analysis. When applied to a trauma service with 4,000 admissions annually, lean identifies areas ripe for improvement. Our inefficiencies surrounded communication and patient localization. Strategies arising from the input of all stakeholders led to real solutions for communication through a face-to-face morning report and identified areas for ongoing improvement. This focuses resource use and identifies areas for improvement of throughput in care delivery.

Context-dependent JPEG backward-compatible high-dynamic range image compression

Science.gov (United States)

Korshunov, Pavel; Ebrahimi, Touradj

2013-10-01

High-dynamic range (HDR) imaging is expected, together with ultrahigh definition and high-frame rate video, to become a technology that may change photo, TV, and film industries. Many cameras and displays capable of capturing and rendering both HDR images and video are already available in the market. The popularity and full-public adoption of HDR content is, however, hindered by the lack of standards in evaluation of quality, file formats, and compression, as well as large legacy base of low-dynamic range (LDR) displays that are unable to render HDR. To facilitate the wide spread of HDR usage, the backward compatibility of HDR with commonly used legacy technologies for storage, rendering, and compression of video and images are necessary. Although many tone-mapping algorithms are developed for generating viewable LDR content from HDR, there is no consensus of which algorithm to use and under which conditions. We, via a series of subjective evaluations, demonstrate the dependency of the perceptual quality of the tone-mapped LDR images on the context: environmental factors, display parameters, and image content itself. Based on the results of subjective tests, it proposes to extend JPEG file format, the most popular image format, in a backward compatible manner to deal with HDR images also. An architecture to achieve such backward compatibility with JPEG is proposed. A simple implementation of lossy compression demonstrates the efficiency of the proposed architecture compared with the state-of-the-art HDR image compression.

Leveraging lean in the office: Lean office needs a novel and differentiated approach

OpenAIRE

Rüttimann, Bruno G.; Fischer, Urs P.; Stöckli, Martin T.

2014-01-01

Lean Six Sigma tools have been increasingly employed also in the service industry, however with different success as field studies have shown. The reason not only has to be attributed to a poor Change Management, but can also be attributed to the intrinsic characteristics of the Lean techniques, which have been tailored to sustain a stable customer-takted pull-manufacturing principle. An office workplace shows significant differences to a procedural shop floor environment, as it comprises bot...

Reducing waste in administrative services with lean principles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijnhoven, Alphonsus B.J.M.; Beckers, David; Amrit, Chintan Amrit

2016-01-01

In the last few decades, lean techniques have been developed for removing with waste in manufacturing. More recently, lean is used outside the manufacturing context as well. This article focuses on using lean thinking for reducing waste in administrative services, i.e., business services with

High-energy synchrotron X-ray radiography of shock-compressed materials

Science.gov (United States)

Rutherford, Michael E.; Chapman, David J.; Collinson, Mark A.; Jones, David R.; Music, Jasmina; Stafford, Samuel J. P.; Tear, Gareth R.; White, Thomas G.; Winters, John B. R.; Drakopoulos, Michael; Eakins, Daniel E.

2015-06-01

This presentation will discuss the development and application of a high-energy (50 to 250 keV) synchrotron X-ray imaging method to study shock-compressed, high-Z samples at Beamline I12 at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron (Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, UK). Shock waves are driven into materials using a portable, single-stage gas gun designed by the Institute of Shock Physics. Following plate impact, material deformation is probed in-situ by white-beam X-ray radiography and complimentary velocimetry diagnostics. The high energies, large beam size (13 x 13 mm), and appreciable sample volumes (~ 1 cm3) viable for study at Beamline I12 compliment existing in-house pulsed X-ray capabilities and studies at the Dynamic Compression Sector. The authors gratefully acknowledge the ongoing support of Imperial College London, EPSRC, STFC and the Diamond Light Source, and AWE Plc.

LEAN MANAGEMENT - THE WAY TO A PERFORMANT ENTERPRISE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AMALIA VENERA TODORUŢ

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In this work we approached issues related to new methods of production organization such as Lean Management, a method specific for a flexible production of great success which represents the guarantee for a performant enterprise. In this paper we presented the main concepts, the application and adaptation way in different contexts, both in industry and in services. We showed a modern tendency which is taking shape more and more in the contemporary economic context, such as the integration of this concept with the Six Sigma concept, and thus we can talk about Lean Six Sigma, as an integrator method which guarantees high-class quality and lower costs.

Lean accounting – as a future accounting system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.V. Koryagin

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The historical development of lean accounting is researched. The comparison of lean accounting and accounting is carried out. The article determines the lean accounting basic principles, which are the basis for the selection of main ten steps of upgrading to the system of lean accounting: the evaluation of the current situation and the expected development prospects of the enterprise; the development of the principles of implementing lean accounting; the determining the production parameters and methodology of the economic model construction; the organization of lean manufacturing environment and reducing most of the stock; the determining the flow of value creation; the rejection of variable accounting and reverse cancellation of all labor costs and the cost of materials; the rejection of tracking stocks and assign of the costs directly to the costs of sales when occurred; the definition of client-targeted spending; the relationship with suppliers and automation of the accounts payable; the relationship with customers and automation of the payments received.

Quality improvement in basic histotechnology: the lean approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, David

2016-01-01

Lean is a comprehensive system of management based on the Toyota production system (TPS), encompassing all the activities of an organization. It focuses management activity on creating value for the end-user by continuously improving operational effectiveness and removing waste. Lean management creates a culture of continuous quality improvement with a strong emphasis on developing the problem-solving capability of staff using the scientific method (Deming's Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle). Lean management systems have been adopted by a number of histopathology departments throughout the world to simultaneously improve quality (reducing errors and shortening turnround times) and lower costs (by increasing efficiency). This article describes the key concepts that make up a lean management system, and how these concepts have been adapted from manufacturing industry and applied to histopathology using a case study of lean implementation and evidence from the literature. It discusses the benefits, limitations, and pitfalls encountered when implementing lean management systems.

The Emergence of the Lean Global Startup as a New Type of Firm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik Stavnsager Rasmussen

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This article contributes to the interplay between international entrepreneurship, innovation networks, and early internationalization research by emphasizing the need to conceptualize and introduce a new type of firm: the lean global startup. It discussed two different paths in linking the lean startup and born-global internationalization strategies. The first path refers to generic lean startups that have undertaken a rapid internationalization strategy (i.e., lean-to-global startups. The second path refers to startups that have started operating on global scale since their inception and adopted the lean startup approach by seamlessly synergizing their global and lean product development activities. The article emphasizes several aspects that could be used as part of the theoretical foundation for conceptualizing lean global startups as a special new type of firm: i the emergent nature of their business models, including the challenges of partnership development on a global scale; ii the inherently relational nature of the global resource allocation processes; iii the integration of the entrepreneurial, effectuation, and global marketing perspectives; iv the need to deal with a high degree of uncertainty, including the uncertainty associated with cross-border business operations; and v linking the ex-ante characteristics of lean startups with the ex-post characteristics of born-global firms in order to develop a technology adoption marketing perspective that considers the “crossing the chasm” process as a successful entry into a global market niche.

The Effect of Humidity on the Knock Behavior in a Medium BMEP Lean-Burn High-Speed Gas Engine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Essen, Vincent Martijn; Gersen, Sander; van Dijk, Gerco; Mundt, Torsten; Levinsky, Howard

2016-01-01

The effects of air humidity on the knock characteristics of fuels are investigated in a lean-burn, high-speed medium BMEP engine fueled with a CH4 + 4.7 mole% C3H8 gas mixture. Experiments are carried out with humidity ratios ranging from 4.3 to 11 g H2O/kg dry air. The measured pressure profiles at

Telemedicine + OCT: toward design of optimized algorithms for high-quality compressed images

Science.gov (United States)

Mousavi, Mahta; Lurie, Kristen; Land, Julian; Javidi, Tara; Ellerbee, Audrey K.

2014-03-01

Telemedicine is an emerging technology that aims to provide clinical healthcare at a distance. Among its goals, the transfer of diagnostic images over telecommunication channels has been quite appealing to the medical community. When viewed as an adjunct to biomedical device hardware, one highly important consideration aside from the transfer rate and speed is the accuracy of the reconstructed image at the receiver end. Although optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an established imaging technique that is ripe for telemedicine, the effects of OCT data compression, which may be necessary on certain telemedicine platforms, have not received much attention in the literature. We investigate the performance and efficiency of several lossless and lossy compression techniques for OCT data and characterize their effectiveness with respect to achievable compression ratio, compression rate and preservation of image quality. We examine the effects of compression in the interferogram vs. A-scan domain as assessed with various objective and subjective metrics.

LEAN Tools in the IT Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoltan VAJNA

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Nowadays the LEAN tools with their proven efficiency are indispensable parts of the production management. I think there is no producing enterprise that cannot utilize a wide variety of these LEAN tools. The question now is how these tools can support companies in increasing the efficiency of their supporting IT processes. In this study I will demonstrate how these well-known LEAN tools from production management can be used in IT management to create more cost-effective, efficient and transparent solutions during the IT system development and IT operation activities. I will show respectively without attempting to be comprehensive the most important tools of the LEAN management and I will analyse how these tools can be used in the IT sector. At the end of this study I will demonstrate what the IT managers think about the practical use of these tools.

Lean in service industries: A literature review

Science.gov (United States)

V, Vignesh; Suresh, M.; Aramvalarthan, S.

2016-09-01

Lean service is an amalgamation of tools and practices which, if applied appropriately, would definitely improve the existing quality of operations and ensure the generation of a large amount of favourable financial and economic outcomes and improve the behaviour of the workforce. As a result, it assumes of great significance in the fiercely competitive modern world. This article presents a comprehensive bibliographic study about the various lean service practices through a variety of approaches like service improvement, manufacturing, supply chain, market and retailing approaches, etc. Thus it gives a clear view on how the lean services are implemented in various sectors and the contribution of lean service towards improving the quality in the services provided while reducing the costs.

Getting 'Lean': hardwiring process excellence into Northeast Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Tricia; Duthe, Robert

2009-01-01

Many healthcare organizations are turning to the "Lean" Toyota Production System as a means to hardwire process excellence into their organizations. Northeast Health, an integrated delivery system in New York's capital region, introduced the Lean concept into its culture in 2004. After four years, the organization is beginning to see its staff hardwire Lean thinking into day-to-day behaviors. This paper focuses on the approach used by Northeast Health to introduce Lean concepts into its culture, challenges faced, lessons learned and the factors critical to success.

Performance of a hydrogen-enriched ethanol engine at unthrottled and lean conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Bo; Ji, Changwei; Wang, Shuofeng

2016-01-01

Highlights: • H_2 addition eased cyclic variation of ethanol engine at unthrottled condition. • H_2-blended ethanol engine gains better efficiency at lean conditions. • Bmep of H_2-blended ethanol engine could be controlled by lean burning. • H_2 addition results in reduced exhaust loss and HC emissions. - Abstract: Concerning the throttling loss under part load conditions, it is feasible to further improve the engine thermal efficiency through operating the engine under the unthrottled condition and controlling its load by changing the excess air ratio. However, the narrow flammability of ethanol may lead the ethanol engine to encounter high cyclic variations under unthrottled and lean conditions. The addition of hydrogen is potentially helpful for solving this problem. In this test, the engine was run under an speed of 1400 rpm and unthrottled conditions. The hydrogen volume fractions in the intake were respectively kept at 0% and 3%. For a given hydrogen blending level, the ethanol flow rate was reduced to enable the engine to run under lean conditions. The results showed that the engine efficiency was improved with the blending of hydrogen. The highest thermal efficiency was improved by 6.07% after blending 3% hydrogen to the intake air. The addition of hydrogen could increase the engine torque output at lean conditions. Both cooling and exhaust losses were decreased after the hydrogen enrichment while adopting the lean combustion strategy. The hydrogen addition contributed to the extended lean burn limit and decreased cyclic variation under lean conditions. HC and CO emissions were decreased whereas NOx emissions were increased after the blending of hydrogen.

Lean body mass and creatine kinase are associated with reduced inflammation in obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bekkelund, Svein I; Jorde, Rolf

2017-11-01

Obesity is associated with inflammation, but the role of lean mass and creatine kinase (CK) on the inflammatory process is less known. We investigated the associations between lean mass, CK and fat mass upon inflammatory parameters in an overweight and obese adult population. Body composition examined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), CK and supplementary clinical parameters were measured in 454 overweight and obese individuals. This is a secondary analysis from a cohort of obese individuals treated with Vitamin D. Mean age was 47·6 ± 11·4 years and mean body mass index 34·6 ± 3·9 kg/m 2 . Lean mass correlated negatively with hs-CRP (r = -0·127, P = 0·042) and ESR (r = -0·381, P lean mass in the lower ESR quartile was significantly higher than in the upper quartile (P lean mass and CK in an overweight and obese population. Hypothetically, lean mass has a favourable effect on obesity-related inflammation, and CK may play a role as an inhibitor of inflammation in obesity. © 2017 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation.

Thermogenesis induced by a high-carbohydrate meal in fasted lean and overweight young men: insulin, body fat, and sympathetic nervous system involvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Marques-Lopes, Iva; Forga, Luis; Martínez, J Alfredo

2003-01-01

This dietary trial was designed to evaluate the effect of an experimental short-term fasting period followed by a high-carbohydrate meal on energy expenditure, thermogenesis, and sympathetic nervous system activity in normal (body mass index 27 kg/m(2)) men who were healthy, non-diabetic or with no other endocrine disease, non-smokers, not taking oral prescription medications, and with a stable body weight for the previous 3 mo. Fasting and fed energy expenditures and diet-induced thermogenesis were measured after a high-carbohydrate meal in seven overweight and six lean young male subjects by indirect calorimetry. Heart rate, urinary excretion of catecholamines, serum glucose, and insulin were also measured over the experimental fasting (7.5 h) and postprandial (4 h) periods. After carbohydrate intake, overweight men showed a significantly higher energy production (kJ/kg of fat-free mass) than did lean individuals, and the diet-induced thermogenesis (percentage of energy intake) was positively correlated with body fat (kg), percentage of body fat, fat-free mass (kg), and fasting pre-meal serum insulin levels. Postprandial cumulative energy expenditure was directly associated with postprandial insulin response and with mean postprandial heart rate values. No significant differences in urinary catecholamines were found between lean and overweight men at basal conditions or during the study period. Overweight individuals showed similar short-term sympathetic nervous system responses induced by an experimental fasting period. Although diet-induced thermogenesis after carbohydrate intake was not statistically different between lean and overweight men, the postprandial insulin response and body fat content seemed to be involved in sympathetic nervous system activity.

Semi-physiological model of postprandial triglyceride response in lean, obese and very obese individuals after a high-fat meal.

Science.gov (United States)

Leohr, Jennifer; Heathman, Michael; Kjellsson, Maria C

2018-03-01

To quantify the postprandial triglyceride (TG) response of chylomicrons and very-low-density lipoprotein-V6 (VLDL-V6) after a high-fat meal in lean, obese and very obese healthy individuals, using a mechanistic population lipokinetic modelling approach. Healthy individuals from three body mass index population categories: lean (18.5-24.9 kg/m 2 ), obese (30-33 kg/m 2 ), and very obese (34-40 kg/m 2 ) were enrolled in a clinical study to assess the TG response after a high-fat meal, containing 60% fat. Non-linear mixed-effect modelling was used to analyse the TG concentrations of chylomicrons and large VLDL-V6 particles. The TGs in chylomicrons and VLDL-V6 particles had a prominent postprandial peak and represented the majority of the postprandial response; only the VLDL-V6 showed a difference across the populations. A turn-over model successfully described the TG concentration-time profiles of both chylomicrons and large VLDL-V6 particles after the high-fat meal. This model consisted of four compartments: two transit compartments for the lag between meal consumption and appearance of TGs in the blood, and one compartment each for the chylomicrons and large VLDL-V6 particles. The rate constants for the production of chylomicrons and elimination of large VLDL-V6 particles, along with the conversion rate of chylomicrons to large VLDL-V6 particles were well defined. This is the first lipokinetic model to describe the absorption of TGs from dietary fats into the blood stream and compares the dynamics of TGs in chylomicrons and large VLDL-V6 particles among lean, obese and very obese people. Such a model can be used to identify where pharmacological therapies act, thereby improving the determination of efficacy, and identifying complementary mechanisms for combinational drug therapies. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

De praktijk van Lean Six Sigma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Does, R.J.M.M.; de Koning, H.

2008-01-01

Zowel Lean als Six Sigma zijn benaderingen van kwaliteits- en efficiëntieverbetering die op dit moment sterk in de belangstelling staan van zowel de industrie als de dienstverlening. Lean Six Sigma integreert beide benaderingen. Ze wordt door sommigen gezien als panacee voor alle mogelijke

Just-in-Time og Lean Manufacturing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michelsen, Aage U.

2004-01-01

Filosofi, principper og teknikker i JIT. Princip i Kanban-styring og dimensionering af et Kanban-system. Lean Thinking og Value Stream Mapping.......Filosofi, principper og teknikker i JIT. Princip i Kanban-styring og dimensionering af et Kanban-system. Lean Thinking og Value Stream Mapping....

Lean Six Sigma in a hospital

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Heuvel, J.; Does, R.J.M.M.; de Koning, H.

2006-01-01

Abstract Hospitals today face major challenges. Patients demand quality of care to be improved continuously. Health insurance companies demand the lowest possible prices. Lean Six Sigma is a program that can help healthcare providers to achieve these (seemingly) conflicting goals. Lean Six Sigma is

Virtual modelling of components of a production system as the tool of lean engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Monica, Z.

2015-11-01

Between the most effective techniques of manufacturing management is considered the Lean Engineering. The term “lean engineering” was created by Japanese manufacturers. The high efficiency of this method resulted in a meaningful growth in concern in the philosophy of Lean among European companies, and consequently the use of its European markets. Lean philosophy is an approach to manufacturing to minimize the use of all resources, including time. These are resources that are used in the company for a variety of activities. This implies, first identify and then eliminate activities which does not generate added value in the field of design, manufacturing, supply chain management, and customer relations. The producers of these principles not only employ teams multi-professional employees at all levels of the organization, but also use a more automated machines to produce large quantities of products with a high degree of diversity. Lean Engineering is to use a number of principles and practical guidelines that allow you to reduce costs by eliminating absolute extravagance, and also simplification of all manufacturing processes and maintenance. Nowadays it could be applied the powerful engineering programs to realize the concept of Lean Engineering. They could be described using the term CAD/CAM/CAE. They consist of completely different packages for both the design of elements, as well process design. Their common feature is generally considered with their application area. They are used for computer programs assisting the design, development and manufacturing phases of a manufacturing process. The idea of the presented work is to use the Siemens NX software for aiding the process of Lean Engineering system creating. The investigated system is a robotized workcell. In the NX system are created the components of the designed workcell such as machine tools, as industrial robot, as conveyors and buffers. The system let to functionally link these components to

Hydrogen Addition for Improved Lean Burn Capability on Natural Gas Engine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Tobias [Lund Inst. of Technology (Sweden). Dept. of Heat and Power Engineering

2002-12-01

Lean burn spark ignition (SI) engines powered by natural gas is an attractive alternative to the Diesel engine, especially in urban traffic, where reduction of tailpipe emissions are of great importance. A major benefit is the large reduction in soot (PM). Lean burn spark ignition (SI) engines yield high fuel conversion efficiency and also relatively low NO{sub x} emissions at full load. In order to improve the engine operating characteristics at lower loads, the {lambda}-value is normally reduced to some degree, with increased NO{sub x} emissions and reduced efficiency as a result. This is a drawback for the lean burn engines, especially in urban applications such as in city buses and distribution trucks for urban use. So, it is desirable to find ways to extend the lean limit at low loads. One way to improve these part load properties is to add hydrogen to the natural gas in order to improve the combustion characteristics of the fuel. It is possible to extend the lean limit of a natural gas engine by addition of hydrogen to the primary fuel. This report presents measurements made on a single cylinder 1.6 liter natural gas engine. Two combustion chambers, one slow and one fast burning, were tested with various amounts of hydrogen (0 to 20 %-vol) added to natural gas. Three operating conditions were investigated for each combustion chamber and each hydrogen content level; idle, wide open throttle (WOT) and a high load condition (simulated turbo charging). For all three operating conditions, the air/fuel ratio was varied between stoichiometric and the lean limit. For each operating point, the ignition timing was swept in order to find maximum brake torque (MBT) timing. In some cases were the ignition timing limited by knock. Heat release rate calculations were made in order to assess the influence of hydrogen addition on burn rate. Addition of hydrogen showed an increase in burn rate for both combustion chambers, resulting in more stable combustion close to the lean

WSNs Microseismic Signal Subsection Compression Algorithm Based on Compressed Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhouzhou Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available For wireless network microseismic monitoring and the problems of low compression ratio and high energy consumption of communication, this paper proposes a segmentation compression algorithm according to the characteristics of the microseismic signals and the compression perception theory (CS used in the transmission process. The algorithm will be collected as a number of nonzero elements of data segmented basis, by reducing the number of combinations of nonzero elements within the segment to improve the accuracy of signal reconstruction, while taking advantage of the characteristics of compressive sensing theory to achieve a high compression ratio of the signal. Experimental results show that, in the quantum chaos immune clone refactoring (Q-CSDR algorithm for reconstruction algorithm, under the condition of signal sparse degree higher than 40, to be more than 0.4 of the compression ratio to compress the signal, the mean square error is less than 0.01, prolonging the network life by 2 times.

Using lean methodologies for economically and environmentally sustainable foundries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. M. Torielli

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Lean manufacturing is often seen as a set of tools that reduce the total cost and improve the quality of manufactured products. The lean management philosophy is one which targets waste reduction in every facet of the manufacturing business; however, only recently have studies linked lean management philosophies with improving environmental sustainability. These studies suggest that lean manufacturing is more than a set of lean tools that can optimize manufacturing efficiencies; it is a process and mindset that needs to be integrated into daily manufacturing systems to achieve sustainability. The foundry industry, as well as manufacturing in general, has significant challenges in the current regulatory and political climate with developing an economically and environmentally sustainable business model. Lean manufacturing has proven itself as a model for both economic sustainability and environmental stewardship. Several recent studies have shown that both lean and green techniques and “zero-waste” policies also lead to reductions in overall cost. While these strategies have been examined for general manufacturing, they have not been investigated in detail for the foundry industry. This paper will review the current literature and describe how lean and green can provide a relevant framework for environmentally and economically sustainable foundries. Examples of lean and green technologies and techniques which can be applied to foundries in a global context will be described.

Serum Predictors of Percent Lean Mass in Young Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Lustgarten, Michael S; Price, Lori L; Phillips, Edward M; Kirn, Dylan R; Mills, John; Fielding, Roger A

2016-08-01

Lustgarten, MS, Price, LL, Phillips, EM, Kirn, DR, Mills, J, and Fielding, RA. Serum predictors of percent lean mass in young adults. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2194-2201, 2016-Elevated lean (skeletal muscle) mass is associated with increased muscle strength and anaerobic exercise performance, whereas low levels of lean mass are associated with insulin resistance and sarcopenia. Therefore, studies aimed at obtaining an improved understanding of mechanisms related to the quantity of lean mass are of interest. Percent lean mass (total lean mass/body weight × 100) in 77 young subjects (18-35 years) was measured with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Twenty analytes and 296 metabolites were evaluated with the use of the standard chemistry screen and mass spectrometry-based metabolomic profiling, respectively. Sex-adjusted multivariable linear regression was used to determine serum analytes and metabolites significantly (p ≤ 0.05 and q ≤ 0.30) associated with the percent lean mass. Two enzymes (alkaline phosphatase and serum glutamate oxaloacetate aminotransferase) and 29 metabolites were found to be significantly associated with the percent lean mass, including metabolites related to microbial metabolism, uremia, inflammation, oxidative stress, branched-chain amino acid metabolism, insulin sensitivity, glycerolipid metabolism, and xenobiotics. Use of sex-adjusted stepwise regression to obtain a final covariate predictor model identified the combination of 5 analytes and metabolites as overall predictors of the percent lean mass (model R = 82.5%). Collectively, these data suggest that a complex interplay of various metabolic processes underlies the maintenance of lean mass in young healthy adults.

Alpha-1 adrenoceptors in brown adipose tissue of lean and ob/ob mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behrens-Zaror, G.; Himms-Hagen, J.

1986-01-01

Obese (ob/ob) mice have a low capacity to increase thyroxine 5'-deiodinase (T4 5'-D) in brown adipose tissue (BAT) when exposed to cold. This effect is mediated by alpha-1 (A-1) adrenoceptors. The authors objective was to find out whether BAT of the ob/ob mouse has normal A-1 receptors. Saturation analysis of binding of [3H]-WB4101 at 0.05 nM to 10 μM to crude membrane preparations (100,000 g pellets from Polytron homogenates) using the LIGAND program of Munson and Rodbard, showed two populations of binding sites in BAT of lean (+/+, 11-15 wk old) mice. Acute exposure (12 h, 14 0 C) or acclimation to cold (3 wk, 14 0 C) did not alter affinity or concentration of sites. Displacement with yohimbine and prazosin indicated binding of WB4101 to A-1 receptors. Very young (5 wk) lean (+/.) and obese mice had similar affinity constants (lean 0.13 +/- 0.043 and 34.2 +/- 14.9; obese, 0.12 +/- 0.028 and 20.9 +/- 5.48 nM) and concentrations (lean 22.4 +/- 3.8 and 647 +/- 137; obese, 28.6 +/- 4.6 and 547 +/- 105 fmol/mg protein) of sites. Old (1 yr) mice had high affinity sites similar to those in younger animals (KD lean 0.19 +/- 0.028, obese, 0.25 +/- 0.075; Bmax lean, 60.2 +/- 12.1; obese, 63.1 +/- 13.5 fmol/mg protein). The authors conclude that the ob/ob mouse has normal high affinity A-1 receptors in BAT. Anomalous properties of low affinity binding in old ob/ob mice could not be characterized because of high nonspecific binding. BAT of the ob/ob mouse does not lack A-1 receptors but may have a post-receptor alteration in the A-1 adrenoceptor-mediated response

A new type of hydrogen generator-HHEG (high-compressed hydrogen energy generator)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harada, H.; Tojima, K.; Takeda, M.; Nakazawa, T.

2004-01-01

'Full text:' We have developed a new type of hydrogen generator named HHEG (High-compressed Hydrogen Energy Generator). HHEG can produce 35 MPa high-compressed hydrogen for fuel cell vehicle without any mechanical compressor. HHEG is a kind of PEM(proton exchange membrane)electrolysis. It was well known that compressed hydrogen could be generated by water electrolysis. However, the conventional electrolysis could not generate 35 MPa or higher pressure that is required for fuel cell vehicle, because electrolysis cell stack is destroyed in such high pressure. In HHEG, the cell stack is put in high-pressure vessel and the pressure difference of oxygen and hydrogen that is generated by the cell stack is always kept at nearly zero by an automatic compensator invented by Mitsubishi Corporation. The cell stack of HHEG is not so special one, but it is not broken under such high pressure, because the automatic compensator always offsets the force acting on the cell stack. Hydrogen for fuel cell vehicle must be produce by no emission energy such as solar and atomic power. These energies are available as electricity. So, water electrolysis is the only way of producing hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen fuel is also 35 MPa high-compressed hydrogen and will become 70 MPa in near future. But conventional mechanical compressor is not useful for such high pressure hydrogen fuel, because of the short lifetime and high power consumption. Construction of hydrogen station network is indispensable in order to come into wide use of fuel cell vehicles. For such network contraction, an on-site type hydrogen generator is required. HHEG can satisfy above these requirements. So we can conclude that HHEG is the only way of realizing the hydrogen economy. (author)

Teaching Special Decisions in a Lean Accounting Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Haskin, Daniel

2010-01-01

Lean accounting has become increasingly important as more and more companies adopt the lean enterprise model or some variation of it. Cost and managerial accounting textbooks continue to use, almost exclusively, models based on standard overhead absorption, which if used in a lean environment will not accurately reflect the benefits from the…

Development of framework for sustainable Lean implementation: an ISM approach

Science.gov (United States)

Jadhav, Jagdish Rajaram; Mantha, S. S.; Rane, Santosh B.

2014-07-01

The survival of any organization depends upon its competitive edge. Even though Lean is one of the most powerful quality improvement methodologies, nearly two-thirds of the Lean implementations results in failures and less than one-fifth of those implemented have sustained results. One of the most significant tasks of top management is to identify, understand and deploy the significant Lean practices like quality circle, Kanban, Just-in-time purchasing, etc. The term `bundle' is used to make groups of inter-related and internally consistent Lean practices. Eight significant Lean practice bundles have been identified based on literature reviewed and opinion of the experts. The order of execution of Lean practice bundles is very important. Lean practitioners must be able to understand the interrelationship between these practice bundles. The objective of this paper is to develop framework for sustainable Lean implementation using interpretive structural modelling approach.

Clinical and biochemical profile of lean type 2 diabetes mellitus

OpenAIRE

Barma, Punyakrit Deb; Ranabir, Salam; Prasad, Lallan; Singh, Thangjam Premchand

2011-01-01

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most prevalent form of diabetes worldwide. In western countries majority of the cases are obese. The scenario may be different in certain parts of India. Various studies have reported a high prevalence of lean type 2 diabetes mellitus with a body mass index < 19 kg/m 2 . Materials and Methods: We evaluated 100 cases of lean type 2 diabetes mellitus (62 males and 38 females). Results and Conclusion: The mean duration of diabetes was 51.7 months (rang...

Standardized Gasoline Compression Ignition Fuels Matrix

KAUST Repository

Badra, Jihad; Bakor, Radwan; AlRamadan, Abdullah; Almansour, Mohammed; Sim, Jaeheon; Ahmed, Ahfaz; Viollet, Yoann; Chang, Junseok

2018-01-01

Direct injection compression ignition engines running on gasoline-like fuels have been considered an attractive alternative to traditional spark ignition and diesel engines. The compression and lean combustion mode eliminates throttle losses yielding higher thermodynamic efficiencies and the better mixing of fuel/air due to the longer ignition delay times of the gasoline-like fuels allows better emission performance such as nitric oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). These gasoline-like fuels which usually have lower octane compared to market gasoline have been identified as a viable option for the gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engine applications due to its lower reactivity and lighter evaporation compared to diesel. The properties, specifications and sources of these GCI fuels are not fully understood yet because this technology is relatively new. In this work, a GCI fuel matrix is being developed based on the significance of certain physical and chemical properties in GCI engine operation. Those properties were chosen to be density, temperature at 90 volume % evaporation (T90) or final boiling point (FBP) and research octane number (RON) and the ranges of these properties were determined from the data reported in literature. These proposed fuels were theoretically formulated, while applying realistic constraints, using species present in real refinery streams. Finally, three-dimensional (3D) engine computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed using the proposed GCI fuels and the similarities and differences were highlighted.

Standardized Gasoline Compression Ignition Fuels Matrix

KAUST Repository

Badra, Jihad

2018-04-03

Direct injection compression ignition engines running on gasoline-like fuels have been considered an attractive alternative to traditional spark ignition and diesel engines. The compression and lean combustion mode eliminates throttle losses yielding higher thermodynamic efficiencies and the better mixing of fuel/air due to the longer ignition delay times of the gasoline-like fuels allows better emission performance such as nitric oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). These gasoline-like fuels which usually have lower octane compared to market gasoline have been identified as a viable option for the gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engine applications due to its lower reactivity and lighter evaporation compared to diesel. The properties, specifications and sources of these GCI fuels are not fully understood yet because this technology is relatively new. In this work, a GCI fuel matrix is being developed based on the significance of certain physical and chemical properties in GCI engine operation. Those properties were chosen to be density, temperature at 90 volume % evaporation (T90) or final boiling point (FBP) and research octane number (RON) and the ranges of these properties were determined from the data reported in literature. These proposed fuels were theoretically formulated, while applying realistic constraints, using species present in real refinery streams. Finally, three-dimensional (3D) engine computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed using the proposed GCI fuels and the similarities and differences were highlighted.

Implementation of Lean Manufacturing in Romanian Organisations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ucenic Camelia Ioana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The implementation of lean manufacturing is one of the main tools for attaining a higher performance level in the Romanian organisations. The study uses data collected at middle management level from organisations located in Transylvania. The organisations come from different fields of activity and are in different stages of lean implementation. The article makes use of quantitative and qualitative instruments for the evaluation of lean in the above mentioned companies. Characteristics as waste reduction, cost, quality, product design have different approaches in the companies. Their way of approach gives useful information regarding the type of company from the point of view of lean manufacturing implementation. This knowledge provides a useful support at different managerial levels in the process of decision making.

A case study of lean, sustainable manufacturing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geoff Miller

2010-06-01

Full Text Available A small furniture production company has integrated lean tools and sustainability concepts with discrete event simulation modeling and analysis as well as mathematical optimization to make a positive impact on the environment, society and its own financial success. The principles of lean manufacturing that aid in the elimination of waste have helped the company meet ever increasing customer demands while preserving valuable resources for future generations. The implementation of lean and sustainable manufacturing was aided by the use of discrete event simulation and optimization to overcome deficits in lean’s traditional implementation strategies. Lean and green manufacturing can have a more significant, positive impact on multiple measures of operational performance when implemented concurrently rather than separately. These ideas are demonstrated by three applications.

Using Simulation to Explore Lean Manufacturing Implementation Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Shannon, Patrick W.; Krumwiede, Kip R.; Street, Jeffrey N.

2010-01-01

Lean manufacturing, an outgrowth of the Toyota Production System, has spread far beyond the automobile industry and is seen by many leaders as a key management philosophy in the battle to compete on an international scale. Successful implementation of lean requires that managers and employees be educated in the proper application of lean tools and…

Learning Lean: A Survey of Industry Lean Needs

Science.gov (United States)

Fliedner, Gene; Mathieson, Kieran

2009-01-01

The authors examined business practitioners' preferences for higher education curricula design in general and for what graduates should know about Lean, or waste-reduction efforts. The authors conducted a Web-based survey and found that practitioners are not as concerned about graduates' possessing specific technical skills as they are about them…

"The largest Lean transformation in the world": the implementation and evaluation of lean in Saskatchewan healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinsman, Leigh; Rotter, Thomas; Stevenson, Katherine; Bath, Brenna; Goodridge, Donna; Harrison, Liz; Dobson, Roy; Sari, Nazmi; Jeffery, Cathy; Bourassa, Carrie; Westhorp, Gill

2014-01-01

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Health has committed to a multi-million dollar investment toward the implementation of Lean methodology across the province's healthcare system. Originating as a production line discipline (the Toyota Production System), Lean has evolved to encompass process improvements including inventory management, waste reduction and quality improvement techniques. With an initial focus on leadership, strategic alignment, training and the creation of a supportive infrastructure (Lean promotion offices), the goal in Saskatchewan is a whole health system transformation that produces "better health, better value, better care, and better teams." Given the scope and scale of the initiative and the commitment of resources, it is vital that a comprehensive, longitudinal evaluation plan be implemented to support ongoing decision-making and program design. The nature of the initiative also offers a unique opportunity to contribute to health quality improvement science by advancing our understanding of the implementation and evaluation of complex, large-scale healthcare interventions. The purpose of this article is to summarize the background to Lean in Saskatchewan and the proposed evaluation methods. Copyright © 2014 Longwoods Publishing.

Principles of lean planning and control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Riezebos, J.

2015-01-01

Lean production systems use teams instead of functional departments as well as simple shop floor control methods to manage the flow of orders at the shop floor. Lean shop floor control focuses on robust and visual methods that are able to cope with variation in processing times, routing sequences,

Lean oncology: a new model for oncologists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Montesarchio Vincenzo

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract The history of the term Lean is relatively recent and originates from the Toyota Production System (TPS. The term "Lean" means "thin", which refers to a mental process, operational, productive, no-frills, quick but not hasty, consequential to the previous event. The Lean process flows seamlessly into the result, eliminates unnecessary complications to the effect, prevents unnecessary equipment processes. The idea is to 'do more with less', like using the (few available resources in the most productive way possible, through the elimination of all types of waste that inevitably accompanies every stage of a production process. Lean management is primarily a management philosophy, a system of values and behaviors that goes beyond the mere application of the instrument and that, once internalized, will form the nucleus of the corporate culture. "Lean Oncology" is a term coined to identify a methodology of care and treatment to cancer patients, consisting on process simplification, streamlining of the organizational and routes of drug treatment, detection and elimination of waste. Its main objective is the centrality of the patient.

Lean oncology: a new model for oncologists.

Science.gov (United States)

Montesarchio, Vincenzo; Grimaldi, Antonio Maria; Fox, Bernard A; Rea, Antonio; Marincola, Francesco M; Ascierto, Paolo A

2012-04-25

The history of the term Lean is relatively recent and originates from the Toyota Production System (TPS). The term "Lean" means "thin", which refers to a mental process, operational, productive, no-frills, quick but not hasty, consequential to the previous event. The Lean process flows seamlessly into the result, eliminates unnecessary complications to the effect, prevents unnecessary equipment processes. The idea is to 'do more with less', like using the (few) available resources in the most productive way possible, through the elimination of all types of waste that inevitably accompanies every stage of a production process. Lean management is primarily a management philosophy, a system of values and behaviors that goes beyond the mere application of the instrument and that, once internalized, will form the nucleus of the corporate culture. "Lean Oncology" is a term coined to identify a methodology of care and treatment to cancer patients, consisting on process simplification, streamlining of the organizational and routes of drug treatment, detection and elimination of waste. Its main objective is the centrality of the patient.

Lean IT partnering : How partners create value by developing a lean culture for IT supply and management

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zee, van der J.T.M.; Blijleven, V.B; Gong, Y.

2015-01-01

Lean, as a philosophy, has been around for quite some time, predominantly in the manufacturing domain. Since the 1990s Lean management provides organizations with a way to achieve superior performance by focusing on customer value, innovation and productivity. In 2011 Steven Bell and Michael Orzen

Implementation of lean thinking: one health system's journey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Christopher S; Spahlinger, David A; Kin, Jeanne M; Coffey, Richard J; Billi, John E

2009-08-01

Lean Thinking is a management philosophy derived from the manufacturing industry, where Toyota has long been the gold standard. Health care organizations have started to apply this approach to patient care. After initial experimentation, the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) has adopted Lean Thinking as its uniform approach to quality improvement and is striving to become a complete Lean organization. In 2005, the senior leadership selected an initial set of projects in areas that traced the patient's journey across different care settings within our health system. Four of the projects were as follows: orthopedic surgery clinic scheduling, radiation oncology therapy, peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) services, and coordination of care to the outpatient setting. Lean Thinking encourages service providers to focus on value as defined by the customer and the relentless elimination of waste that impedes the flow of value. A series of learning projects were conducted to test whether Lean methods would work at UMHS. The following factors were found to be key to LEAN PROJECT SUCCESS: expert guidance for initial efforts, leadership in the form of clinical champions and senior management support of the improvement work, frontline worker engagement in mapping out "current state" processes, identifying waste and designing an improved "future state," using metrics to develop and track interventions, and defining realistic project scope. As UMHS's experience applying Lean Thinking to our patient care processes has grown, so have support, enthusiasm, and expertise within the organization. UMHS's Lean Thinking system, now known as the Michigan Quality System, has emerged as the core improvement strategy.

Lean Transformation of Multinational Concerns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matthiesen, Rikke Vestergaard; Johansen, John

2008-01-01

triggered. This paper reports on exploratory studies from a multinational company adopting centrally managed pilot projects as a transformation mechanism for continuous change towards a lean business system and an organizational culture of continuous improvements (CI). Competitive pressure demands...... from a multinational company adopting centrally managed pilot projects as a transformation mechanism for continuous change towards a lean business system and an organizational culture of continuous improvements (CI)....

Lean healthcare from a change management perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

van Rossum, Lisa; Aij, Kjeld Harald; Simons, Frederique Elisabeth; van der Eng, Niels; Ten Have, Wouter Dirk

2016-05-16

Purpose - Lean healthcare is used in a growing number of hospitals to increase efficiency and quality of care. However, healthcare organizations encounter problems with the implementation of change initiatives due to an implementation gap: the gap between strategy and execution. From a change management perspective, the purpose of this paper is to increase scientific knowledge regarding factors that diminish the implementation gap and make the transition from the "toolbox lean" toward an actual transformation to lean healthcare. Design/methodology/approach - A cross-sectional study was executed in an operating theatre of a Dutch University Medical Centre. Transformational leadership was expected to ensure the required top-down commitment, whereas team leadership creates the required active, bottom-up behavior of employees. Furthermore, professional and functional silos and a hierarchical structure were expected to impede the workforce flexibility in adapting organizational elements and optimize the entire process flow. Findings - The correlation and regression analyses showed positive relations between the transformational leadership and team leadership styles and lean healthcare implementation. The results also indicated a strong relation between workforce flexibility and the implementation of lean healthcare. Originality/value - With the use of a recently developed change management model, the Change Competence Model, the authors suggest leadership and workforce flexibility to be part of an organization's change capacity as crucial success factor for a sustainable transformation to lean healthcare.

Developing weighted criteria to evaluate lean reverse logistics through analytical network process

Science.gov (United States)

Zagloel, Teuku Yuri M.; Hakim, Inaki Maulida; Krisnawardhani, Rike Adyartie

2017-11-01

Reverse logistics is a part of supply chain that bring materials from consumers back to manufacturer in order to gain added value or do a proper disposal. Nowadays, most companies are still facing several problems on reverse logistics implementation which leads to high waste along reverse logistics processes. In order to overcome this problem, Madsen [Framework for Reverse Lean Logistics to Enable Green Manufacturing, Eco Design 2009: 6th International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing, Sapporo, 2009] has developed a lean reverse logistics framework as a step to eliminate waste by implementing lean on reverse logistics. However, the resulted framework sets aside criteria used to evaluate its performance. This research aims to determine weighted criteria that can be used as a base on reverse logistics evaluation by considering lean principles. The resulted criteria will ensure reverse logistics are kept off from waste, thus implemented efficiently. Analytical Network Process (ANP) is used in this research to determine the weighted criteria. The result shows that criteria used for evaluation lean reverse logistics are Innovation and Learning (35%), Economic (30%), Process Flow Management (14%), Customer Relationship Management (13%), Environment (6%), and Social (2%).

Lean Manufacturing e Lean Accounting Cost: um enfoque no real desempenho em empresas de capital aberto na BOVESPA

OpenAIRE

Teixeira, Hipólito Francisco

2016-01-01

Esta pesquisa teve por alvo o campo de estudo denominado Lean Accounting (LA) aplicado as empresas que adotam os procedimentos de Produção Enxuta (PE). As empresas neste ambiente competitivo e muito imprevisivel têm procuradoadotar decisões e procedimentos voltadosa valorizar sua própria continuidade e diferencial para se expor perante ao mercado. Neste sentido novas tecnologias de produção e controles contábeis são necessários. Lean Accounting (LA) ou Contabilidade Lean ou “enxuta” pode s...

Lean Construction Supply Chain : A Literature Review

OpenAIRE

Ren, Jiamei

2012-01-01

The aim of this thesis is to enhance the management of supply systems in construction industry using lean principles. This study is an attempt to identify what kind of activities causes’ construction process delay and how to perform lean concept into supply chain in practice. The objective is to assure on-time delivery of information and materials to construction sites at lowest cost and maximum value for the customer. These study problems have been analysed from a lean construction supply ch...

Optimization of large scale food production using Lean Manufacturing principles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engelund, Eva Høy; Friis, Alan; Breum, Gitte

2009-01-01

This paper discusses how the production principles of Lean Manufacturing (Lean) can be applied in a large-scale meal production. Lean principles are briefly presented, followed by a field study of how a kitchen at a Danish hospital has implemented Lean in the daily production. In the kitchen...... not be negatively affected by the rationalisation of production procedures. The field study shows that Lean principles can be applied in meal production and can result in increased production efficiency and systematic improvement of product quality without negative effects on the working environment. The results...... show that Lean can be applied and used to manage the production of meals in the kitchen....

Offshore compression system design for low cost high and reliability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castro, Carlos J. Rocha de O.; Carrijo Neto, Antonio Dias; Cordeiro, Alexandre Franca [Chemtech Engineering Services and Software Ltd., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Special Projects Div.], Emails: antonio.carrijo@chemtech.com.br, carlos.rocha@chemtech.com.br, alexandre.cordeiro@chemtech.com.br

2010-07-01

In the offshore oil fields, the oil streams coming from the wells usually have significant amounts of gas. This gas is separated at low pressure and has to be compressed to the export pipeline pressure, usually at high pressure to reduce the needed diameter of the pipelines. In the past, this gases where flared, but nowadays there are a increasing pressure for the energy efficiency improvement of the oil rigs and the use of this gaseous fraction. The most expensive equipment of this kind of plant are the compression and power generation systems, being the second a strong function of the first, because the most power consuming equipment are the compressors. For this reason, the optimization of the compression system in terms of efficiency and cost are determinant to the plant profit. The availability of the plants also have a strong influence in the plant profit, specially in gas fields where the products have a relatively low aggregated value, compared to oil. Due this, the third design variable of the compression system becomes the reliability. As high the reliability, larger will be the plant production. The main ways to improve the reliability of compression system are the use of multiple compression trains in parallel, in a 2x50% or 3x50% configuration, with one in stand-by. Such configurations are possible and have some advantages and disadvantages, but the main side effect is the increase of the cost. This is the offshore common practice, but that does not always significantly improve the plant availability, depending of the previous process system. A series arrangement and a critical evaluation of the overall system in some cases can provide a cheaper system with equal or better performance. This paper shows a case study of the procedure to evaluate a compression system design to improve the reliability but without extreme cost increase, balancing the number of equipment, the series or parallel arrangement, and the driver selection. Two cases studies will be

Leadership requirements for Lean versus servant leadership in health care: a systematic review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Aij, Kjeld Harald; Rapsaniotis, Sofia

2017-01-01

As health care organizations face pressures to improve quality and efficiency while reducing costs, leaders are adopting management techniques and tools used in manufacturing and other industries, especially Lean. Successful Lean leaders appear to use a coaching leadership style that shares underlying principles with servant leadership. There is little information about specific similarities and differences between Lean and servant leaderships. We systematically reviewed the literature on Lean leadership, servant leadership, and health care and performed a comparative analysis of attributes using Russell and Stone's leadership framework. We found significant overlap between the two leadership styles, although there were notable differences in origins, philosophy, characteristics and behaviors, and tools. We conclude that both Lean and servant leaderships are promising models that can contribute to the delivery of patient-centered, high-value care. Servant leadership may provide the means to engage and develop employees to become successful Lean leaders in health care organizations.

Direct numerical simulations of the ignition of lean primary reference fuel/air mixtures with temperature inhomogeneities

KAUST Repository

Luong, Minhbau

2013-10-01

The effects of fuel composition, thermal stratification, and turbulence on the ignition of lean homogeneous primary reference fuel (PRF)/air mixtures under the conditions of constant volume and elevated pressure are investigated by direct numerical simulations (DNSs) with a new 116-species reduced kinetic mechanism. Two-dimensional DNSs were performed in a fixed volume with a two-dimensional isotropic velocity spectrum and temperature fluctuations superimposed on the initial scalar fields with different fuel compositions to elucidate the influence of variations in the initial temperature fluctuation and turbulence intensity on the ignition of three different lean PRF/air mixtures. In general, it was found that the mean heat release rate increases slowly and the overall combustion occurs fast with increasing thermal stratification regardless of the fuel composition under elevated pressure and temperature conditions. In addition, the effect of the fuel composition on the ignition characteristics of PRF/air mixtures was found to vanish with increasing thermal stratification. Chemical explosive mode (CEM), displacement speed, and Damköhler number analyses revealed that the high degree of thermal stratification induces deflagration rather than spontaneous ignition at the reaction fronts, rendering the mean heat release rate more distributed over time subsequent to thermal runaway occurring at the highest temperature regions in the domain. These analyses also revealed that the vanishing of the fuel effect under the high degree of thermal stratification is caused by the nearly identical propagation characteristics of deflagrations of different PRF/air mixtures. It was also found that high intensity and short-timescale turbulence can effectively homogenize mixtures such that the overall ignition is apt to occur by spontaneous ignition. These results suggest that large thermal stratification leads to smooth operation of homogeneous charge compression-ignition (HCCI

Green-Lean Synergy - Root-Cause Analysis in Food Waste Prevention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pegah Amani

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose_The goal of this paper is to explore the possible synergetic effects between lean philosophy and green endeavors in improving resource efficiency in the food sector. To that end, it is investigated how a proper and tailor-made adaptation of the lean six sigma root cause analysis method could help in overcoming the complexities of increased resource efficiency in food production.Design/methodology/approach_The case study concerned reduction of waste at an industrial production line of a dough-based product, through the implementation of the lean six sigma tool.Findings_An achievement of a 50% reduction of waste on the studied process line was reached, thus exceeding the initial improvement goal.Research limitations/implications (if applicable_While the explicit findings on the specific root causes of waste on this actual production line are not immediately transferrable to other cases, they show that applying this method to identifying and eliminating root causes of waste for other products and processes in the food sector could not only reduce costs but also contribute to more resource-efficient and sustainable industrial food production.Practical implications (if applicable_ Political and public high interest in environmental and social sustainability associated with food waste render this an important development.Originality/value_ While the potential of linking green and lean efforts has been acknowledged, the application of the lean six sigma methodology for more sustainable food production has not yet been explored. This paper contributes to this research

Audiovisual focus of attention and its application to Ultra High Definition video compression

Science.gov (United States)

Rerabek, Martin; Nemoto, Hiromi; Lee, Jong-Seok; Ebrahimi, Touradj

2014-02-01

Using Focus of Attention (FoA) as a perceptual process in image and video compression belongs to well-known approaches to increase coding efficiency. It has been shown that foveated coding, when compression quality varies across the image according to region of interest, is more efficient than the alternative coding, when all region are compressed in a similar way. However, widespread use of such foveated compression has been prevented due to two main conflicting causes, namely, the complexity and the efficiency of algorithms for FoA detection. One way around these is to use as much information as possible from the scene. Since most video sequences have an associated audio, and moreover, in many cases there is a correlation between the audio and the visual content, audiovisual FoA can improve efficiency of the detection algorithm while remaining of low complexity. This paper discusses a simple yet efficient audiovisual FoA algorithm based on correlation of dynamics between audio and video signal components. Results of audiovisual FoA detection algorithm are subsequently taken into account for foveated coding and compression. This approach is implemented into H.265/HEVC encoder producing a bitstream which is fully compliant to any H.265/HEVC decoder. The influence of audiovisual FoA in the perceived quality of high and ultra-high definition audiovisual sequences is explored and the amount of gain in compression efficiency is analyzed.

Lean computing for the cloud

CERN Document Server

Bauer, Eric

2016-01-01

Applies lean manufacturing principles across the cloud service delivery chain to enable application and infrastructure service providers to sustainably achieve the shortest lead time, best quality, and value This book focuses on lean in the context of cloud computing capacity management of applications and the physical and virtual cloud resources that support them. Lean Computing for the Cloud considers business, architectural and operational aspects of efficiently delivering valuable services to end users via cloud-based applications hosted on shared cloud infrastructure. The work also focuses on overall optimization of the service delivery chain to enable both application service and infrastructure service providers to adopt leaner, demand driven operations to serve end users more efficiently. The book’s early chapters analyze how capacity management morphs with cloud computing into interlocked physical infrastructure capacity management, virtual resou ce capacity management, and application capacity ma...

High-power rf pulse compression with SLED-II at SLAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nantista, C.

1993-04-01

Increasing the peak rf power available from X-band microwave tubes by means of rf pulse compression is envisioned as a way of achieving the few-hundred-megawatt power levels needed to drive a next-generation linear collider with 50--100 MW klystrons. SLED-II is a method of pulse compression similar in principal to the SLED method currently in use on the SLC and the LEP injector linac. It utilizes low-los resonant delay lines in place of the storage cavities of the latter. This produces the added benefit of a flat-topped output pulse. At SLAC, we have designed and constructed a prototype SLED-II pulse-compression system which operates in the circular TE 01 mode. It includes a circular-guide 3-dB coupler and other novel components. Low-power and initial high-power tests have been made, yielding a peak power multiplication of 4.8 at an efficiency of 40%. The system will be used in providing power for structure tests in the ASTA (Accelerator Structures Test Area) bunker. An upgraded second prototype will have improved efficiency and will serve as a model for the pulse compression system of the NLCTA (Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator)

Investigating employee resistance to Lean transformation: UK case study.

OpenAIRE

Bruce, J.; Scott, Philip; Roberts, Martyn

2011-01-01

Lean is a business process transformation approach that eliminates ‘wastes’ – activities that generate no value for the customer. Lean originated from the production line but is widely implemented in the service sector. This study investigates human and social factors in a Lean transformation in a ‘knowledge worker’ environment. We identify a paradox: a successful Lean programme in the service sector develops staff who are educated and empowered and thus potential opponents to future business...

The evolution of Lean organizations

OpenAIRE

Serafinas, Dalius; Ruželė, Darius

2014-01-01

Remiantis evoliucijos tyrimų modeliais bei autorių sudarytu evoliucionuojančios organizacijos modeliu,straipsnyje analizuojama Lean vadybos metodologija ir tiriama, kaip evoliucionuoja ją įgyvendinančios Lietuvosgamybinės organizacijos. The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution of Lean organizations.Design/methodology/approach: a conceptual literature on the evolution of species, organisms and organizations was reviewed and an original model (framework) of the evolution of orga...

Assessment of insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance in lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Stovall, Dale William; Bailey, Amelia Purser; Pastore, Lisa M

2011-01-01

To analyze insulin resistance (IR) and determine the need for a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the identification of IR and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in lean nondiabetic women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This was a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive women with PCOS who enrolled in a university-based clinical trial. Nondiabetic women with PCOS based on the Eunice Kennedy Shriven National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) definition, aged 18-43 years and weighing ≤113 kg, were evaluated. Glucose and insulin levels were assessed at times 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after a 75-g glucose load. Lean was defined as body mass index (BMI) women was studied. The prevalence of IR was 0% among lean women vs. 21% among nonlean subjects based on fasting insulin I(0) and 40%-68% based on two different homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) cutoff points (p women with IR had a BMI ≥ 28. Controlling for age and race, BMI explained over 57% of the variation in insulin fasting (I(o)), glucose fasting/Io (G(o)/I(o)), the qualitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), and HOMA and was a highly significant predictor of these outcomes (p lean PCOS women had IGT based on a 2-hour OGTT, and no lean subjects had IGT based on their fasting blood glucose. Diabetes mellitus, IGT, and IR are far less common in young lean women with PCOS compared with obese women with PCOS. These data imply that it is unnecessary to routinely perform either IR testing or 2-hour OGTT in lean women with PCOS; however, greater subject accumulation is needed to determine if OGTT is necessary in lean women with PCOS. BMI is highly predictive of both insulin and glucose levels in women with PCOS.

LEAN THINKING IN HEALTHCARE: REVIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION RESULTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marija Kovacevic

2016-03-01

Full Text Available For over decade, automotive industry originated lean concept has been successfully implemented in healthcare systems as a management method and philosophy with main focus on elimination of all types of wastes and looses in all tasks and processes so that time, materials, resources and medical procedures could be realized as effectively as it is possible. As main result lean concept implementation ensured to healthcare organizations to focus on their main core function and dedicate more time and efforts to patients without additional costs for them or healthcare system. However, lean implementation in healthcare could be much more difficult than in standard industrial environment and there are significant number of examples of lean in healthcare projects that failed to gain any measurable results and sustainable benefits from it. This paper presents review of some of the most successful implementations of lean tools and principles in healthcare organizations.

The application of lean principles in product development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjarnø, Ole-Christian

2007-01-01

Although Lean Manufacturing has been a megatrend for several years, its principles have not been broadly applied in product development processes. We have therefore found it useful to look into the theories of lean manufacturing and to discuss how and to what extent they could be applied in the p......Although Lean Manufacturing has been a megatrend for several years, its principles have not been broadly applied in product development processes. We have therefore found it useful to look into the theories of lean manufacturing and to discuss how and to what extent they could be applied...... in the product development processes, and this study is compared with industrial practices in several front running companies in Denmark. From this research a suggestion for a framework and a tool-box for lean product development is created and discussed from a HR management, an implementation, an operational...

Lean healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstock, Donna

2008-01-01

As healthcare organizations look for new and improved ways to reduce costs and still offer quality healthcare, many are turning to the Toyota Production System of doing business. Rather than focusing on cutting personnel and assets, "lean healthcare" looks to improve patient satisfaction through improved actions and processes.

Ultra high-speed x-ray imaging of laser-driven shock compression using synchrotron light

Science.gov (United States)

Olbinado, Margie P.; Cantelli, Valentina; Mathon, Olivier; Pascarelli, Sakura; Grenzer, Joerg; Pelka, Alexander; Roedel, Melanie; Prencipe, Irene; Laso Garcia, Alejandro; Helbig, Uwe; Kraus, Dominik; Schramm, Ulrich; Cowan, Tom; Scheel, Mario; Pradel, Pierre; De Resseguier, Thibaut; Rack, Alexander

2018-02-01

A high-power, nanosecond pulsed laser impacting the surface of a material can generate an ablation plasma that drives a shock wave into it; while in situ x-ray imaging can provide a time-resolved probe of the shock-induced material behaviour on macroscopic length scales. Here, we report on an investigation into laser-driven shock compression of a polyurethane foam and a graphite rod by means of single-pulse synchrotron x-ray phase-contrast imaging with MHz frame rate. A 6 J, 10 ns pulsed laser was used to generate shock compression. Physical processes governing the laser-induced dynamic response such as elastic compression, compaction, pore collapse, fracture, and fragmentation have been imaged; and the advantage of exploiting the partial spatial coherence of a synchrotron source for studying low-density, carbon-based materials is emphasized. The successful combination of a high-energy laser and ultra high-speed x-ray imaging using synchrotron light demonstrates the potentiality of accessing complementary information from scientific studies of laser-driven shock compression.

Experienced Barriers to Lean in Swedish Manufacturing and Health Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bengt Halling

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose is to compare similarities and divergences in how the concepts of Lean and barriers to Lean are described by key informants at a production unit in a large manufacturing company and two emergency health care units in Sweden. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed with the constant comparative method (CCM and Porras and Robertson’s (1992 change model. : In both organizations, the view of Lean changed from a toolbox to a human behavior view. Eight barriers were experienced in both organizations. Three barriers were unique to manufacturing or to health care, respectively. Nine barriers were elements of social factors; five were elements of organizing arrangements. Only people practically involved and responsible for the implementation at the two organizations participated in the study. Persons responsible for implementing Lean should consider organizational arrangements and social factors in order to limit barriers to successful implementation. Most research on Lean has been about successful Lean implementations. This study focuses on how Lean is viewed and what barriers personnel in manufacturing and health care have experienced. In comparing the barriers to Lean experienced in the two groups, common, archetypical, and unique barriers for manufacturing and health care can be identified, thus contributing to knowledge about barriers to Lean implementation.

How does lean work in emergency care? A case study of a lean-inspired intervention at the Astrid Lindgren Children's hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzocato, Pamela; Holden, Richard J; Brommels, Mats; Aronsson, Håkan; Bäckman, Ulrika; Elg, Mattias; Thor, Johan

2012-02-01

There is growing interest in applying lean thinking in healthcare, yet, there is still limited knowledge of how and why lean interventions succeed (or fail). To address this gap, this in-depth case study examines a lean-inspired intervention in a Swedish pediatric Accident and Emergency department. We used a mixed methods explanatory single case study design. Hospital performance data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and statistical process control techniques to assess changes in performance one year before and two years after the intervention. We collected qualitative data through non-participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and internal documents to describe the process and content of the lean intervention. We then analyzed empirical findings using four theoretical lean principles (Spear and Bowen 1999) to understand how and why the intervention worked in its local context as well as to identify its strengths and weaknesses. Improvements in waiting and lead times (19-24%) were achieved and sustained in the two years following lean-inspired changes to employee roles, staffing and scheduling, communication and coordination, expertise, workspace layout, and problem solving. These changes resulted in improvement because they: (a) standardized work and reduced ambiguity, (b) connected people who were dependent on one another, (c) enhanced seamless, uninterrupted flow through the process, and (d) empowered staff to investigate problems and to develop countermeasures using a "scientific method". Contextual factors that may explain why not even greater improvement was achieved included: a mismatch between job tasks, licensing constraints, and competence; a perception of being monitored, and discomfort with inter-professional collaboration. Drawing on Spear and Bowen's theoretical propositions, this study explains how a package of lean-like changes translated into better care process management. It adds new knowledge regarding how lean

The use of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies in surgery: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, S E; Nicolay, C R; Darzi, A

2015-04-01

Lean and Six Sigma are improvement methodologies developed in the manufacturing industry and have been applied to healthcare settings since the 1990 s. They use a systematic and reproducible approach to provide Quality Improvement (QI), with a flexible process that can be applied to a range of outcomes across different patient groups. This review assesses the literature with regard to the use and utility of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies in surgery. MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, British Nursing Index, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Health Business Elite and the Health Management Information Consortium were searched in January 2014. Experimental studies were included if they assessed the use of Lean or Six Sigma on the ability to improve specified outcomes in surgical patients. Of the 124 studies returned, 23 were suitable for inclusion with 11 assessing Lean, 6 Six Sigma and 6 Lean Six Sigma. The broad range of outcomes can be collated into six common aims: to optimise outpatient efficiency, to improve operating theatre efficiency, to decrease operative complications, to reduce ward-based harms, to reduce mortality and to limit unnecessary cost and length of stay. The majority of studies (88%) demonstrate improvement; however high levels of systematic bias and imprecision were evident. Lean and Six Sigma QI methodologies have the potential to produce clinically significant improvement for surgical patients. However there is a need to conduct high-quality studies with low risk of systematic bias in order to further understand their role. Copyright © 2014 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lean-burn stratified combustion at gasoline engines; Magere Schichtverbrennung beim Ottomotor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breitbach, Hermann [Daimler AG, Stuttgart (Germany). Entwicklung Einspritzung und Betriebsstoffe; Waltner, Anton [Daimler AG, Stuttgart (Germany). Verbrennungsentwicklung Pkw-Ottomotoren; Landenfeld, Tilo [Robert Bosch GmbH, Schwieberdingen (Germany). Hochdruckeinspritzung Piezo; Porten, Guido [Robert Bosch GmbH, Schwieberdingen (Germany). Systementwicklung Benzindirekteinspritzung

2013-05-01

Spray-guided lean-burn combustion is an integral part of the Mercedes-Benz technology strategy for highly efficient and clean gasoline engines. With regard to the excellent fuel efficiency combined with outstanding specific power, a good combustion system robustness and the low particulate emissions, the concept offers a very good cost/benefit ratio especially for the Euro 6 emission legislation. Thus, Mercedes-Benz believes, that the sprayguided lean-burn combustion offers the by far highest future viability of gasoline engine combustion systems.

Six sigma and lean production adoption in a manufacturing company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alisson Christian Scheller

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The connection among Lean Production with Six Sigma originated the Lean Six Sigma methodology, focused on processes variation and waste reduction. This methodology was developed on different ways in the companies and there is no consensus over its structure and its implementation. In this context, this paper aims to identify and analyze the main characteristics on the adoption and integration of Lean Six Sigma methodology through a case study conducted in a manufacturing company that adopts lean production and six sigma. The results show two important aspects of the Lean Six Sigma methodology. One of them is the adoption of the value stream mapping as a central tool on Lean Six Sigma. The other is the use of DMAIC for improvements actions. The study indicates that despite the difficulties on Lean Six Sigma implementation, the methodology offers benefits to the company that adopts it in the suitable way.

Product innovation and commercialization in lean global start-ups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tanev, Stoyan; Rasmussen, Erik Stavnsager; Zijdemans, Erik

2015-01-01

The paper examines the distinctive characteristics of product innovation and commercialization in Lean Global Start-up (LGS) – new technology firms which have adopted a lean and global path from or near to their inception. It suggests an uncertainty vs risk framework which allows integrating two...... research streams – Born Global (BG) firms and lean start-ups. In addition to its integrative theoretical value, the paper offers insights for lean start-up managers dealing with the challenges of a global start....

Using Lean to Advance Quality Improvement Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Blackmore, Christopher Craig; Williams, Barbara L; Ching, Joan M; Chafetz, Lynne A; Kaplan, Gary S

2016-01-01

Quality improvement research skills are not commonplace among quality improvement practitioners, and research on the effectiveness of quality improvement has not always kept pace with improvement innovation. However, the Lean tools applied to quality improvement should be equally relevant to the advancement of quality improvement research. We applied the Lean methods to develop a simplified quality improvement publication pathway enabling a small research methodology group to increase quality improvement research throughout the institution. The key innovations of the pathway are horizontal integration of the quality improvement research methods group across the institution, implementation of a Lean quality improvement research pathway, and application of a just-in-time quality improvement research toolkit. This work provides a road map and tools for the acceleration of quality improvement research. At our institution, the Lean quality improvement research approach was associated with statistically significant increases in the number (annual mean increase from 3.0 to 8.5, p = .03) and breadth of published quality improvement research articles, and in the number of quality improvement research projects currently in process. Application of Lean methods to the quality improvement research process can aid in increasing publication of quality improvement articles from across the institution.

Compressible dynamic stall control using high momentum microjets

Science.gov (United States)

Beahan, James J.; Shih, Chiang; Krothapalli, Anjaneyulu; Kumar, Rajan; Chandrasekhara, Muguru S.

2014-09-01

Control of the dynamic stall process of a NACA 0015 airfoil undergoing periodic pitching motion is investigated experimentally at the NASA Ames compressible dynamic stall facility. Multiple microjet nozzles distributed uniformly in the first 12 % chord from the airfoil's leading edge are used for the dynamic stall control. Point diffraction interferometry technique is used to characterize the control effectiveness, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The microjet control has been found to be very effective in suppressing both the emergence of the dynamic stall vortex and the associated massive flow separation at the entire operating range of angles of attack. At the high Mach number ( M = 0.4), the use of microjets appears to eliminate the shock structures that are responsible for triggering the shock-induced separation, establishing the fact that the use of microjets is effective in controlling dynamic stall with a strong compressibility effect. In general, microjet control has an overall positive effect in terms of maintaining leading edge suction pressure and preventing flow separation.

Soliton compression to few-cycle pulses with a high quality factor by engineering cascaded quadratic nonlinearities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zeng, Xianglong; Guo, Hairun; Zhou, Binbin

2012-01-01

We propose an efficient approach to improve few-cycle soliton compression with cascaded quadratic nonlinearities by using an engineered multi-section structure of the nonlinear crystal. By exploiting engineering of the cascaded quadratic nonlinearities, in each section soliton compression...... with a low effective order is realized, and high-quality few-cycle pulses with large compression factors are feasible. Each subsequent section is designed so that the compressed pulse exiting the previous section experiences an overall effective self-defocusing cubic nonlinearity corresponding to a modest...... soliton order, which is kept larger than unity to ensure further compression. This is done by increasing the cascaded quadratic nonlinearity in the new section with an engineered reduced residual phase mismatch. The low soliton orders in each section ensure excellent pulse quality and high efficiency...

Is there a lean future for global startups?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tanev, Stoyan

2017-01-01

This article integrates insights from the latest research on the lean startup entrepreneurial method, born-global firms, and global startups. It contributes to the clarification of terminology referring to the global aspects of startups, summarizes insights from previous literature focusing on gl......-based global startup research and practice. The analysis should benefit both researchers and practitioners in technology entrepreneurship, international entrepreneurship, and global innovation management.......This article integrates insights from the latest research on the lean startup entrepreneurial method, born-global firms, and global startups. It contributes to the clarification of terminology referring to the global aspects of startups, summarizes insights from previous literature focusing...... on global startups, and further substantiates the articulation of the need for considering the lean global startup as a new type of firm. The main message is that the lessons learned from the emergence of lean startup entrepreneurship offer a basis for promoting a similar lean phase in technology...

Lean-team effectiveness through leader values and members’ informing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dun, Desirée Hermina; Wilderom, Celeste P.M.

2016-01-01

Purpose Although empirical tests of effective lean-team leadership are scarce, leaders are often blamed when lean work-floor initiatives fail. In the present study, a lean-team leader’s work values are assumed to affect his or her team members’ behaviors and, through them, to attain team

Lean Manufacturing Auto Cluster at Chennai

Science.gov (United States)

Bhaskaran, E.

2012-10-01

Due the presence of lot of automotive Industry, Chennai is known as Detroit of India, that producing over 40 % of the Indian vehicle and components. Lean manufacturing concepts have been widely recognized as an important tool in improving the competitiveness of industries. This is a continuous process involving everyone, starting from management to the shop floor. Automotive Component Industries (ACIs) in Ambattur Industrial Estate, Chennai has formed special purpose vehicle (SPV) society namely Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers Association (AIEMA) Technology Centre (ATC) lean manufacturing cluster (ATC-LMC) during July 2010 under lean manufacturing competitiveness scheme, that comes under National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme of Government of India. The Tripartite Agreement is taken place between National Productivity Council, consultants and cluster (ATC-LMC). The objective is to conduct diagnostic study, study on training and application of various lean manufacturing techniques and auditing in ten ACIs. The methodology adopted is collection of primary data/details from ten ACIs. In the first phase, diagnostic study is done and the areas for improvement in each of the cluster member companies are identified. In the second phase, training programs and implementation is done on 5S and other areas. In the third phase auditing is done and found that the lean manufacturing techniques implementation in ATC-LMC is sustainable and successful in every cluster companies, which will not only enhance competitiveness but also decrease cost, time and increase productivity. The technical efficiency of LMC companies also increases significantly.

Compressive laser ranging.

Science.gov (United States)

Babbitt, Wm Randall; Barber, Zeb W; Renner, Christoffer

2011-12-15

Compressive sampling has been previously proposed as a technique for sampling radar returns and determining sparse range profiles with a reduced number of measurements compared to conventional techniques. By employing modulation on both transmission and reception, compressive sensing in ranging is extended to the direct measurement of range profiles without intermediate measurement of the return waveform. This compressive ranging approach enables the use of pseudorandom binary transmit waveforms and return modulation, along with low-bandwidth optical detectors to yield high-resolution ranging information. A proof-of-concept experiment is presented. With currently available compact, off-the-shelf electronics and photonics, such as high data rate binary pattern generators and high-bandwidth digital optical modulators, compressive laser ranging can readily achieve subcentimeter resolution in a compact, lightweight package.

Lean process management implementation through enhanced problem solving capabilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perumal Puvanasvaran

2010-12-01

Full Text Available All Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM organizations in Aerospace, Automotive and Electronics industries had to upgrade their functions. These organizations including suppliers and solutions providers are duty bound to improve their functions through strategic initiatives. One such initiative is Lean Process Management. Lean Process Management has proven to aid organizations in developing manufacturing and administrative management solutions and make the organization a leaner at the same time a ‘fitter’ one, achieving World Class standards in terms of production, quality, marketing, etc, etc. The issue or problem is, although a number of authors, experts, researchers have discussed the lean process management as part organization centric issues, they failed to provide an effective lean process management system. Besides the need to formulate an effective lean process as suggested by some authors, another important reason suggested is the employee’s development aspect regarding how to unlock the infinite potential of their workforce. This employee’s development is basically the problem solving capabilities of the employees while implementing the Lean through clear cutting protocols or processes of Lean Process Management. The employees need to be developed and equipped to contribute optimally to the process. Because of this scenario, the main objective of this study is to develop an employees development system which the author has acronym or trademark it as People Development System (PDS to enhance problem solving capability among its employees while implementing the lean process management there. Although, the PDS can be implemented throughout the organization, if it is implemented in a particular department in an organization, it will be feasible to study and analyze its effectiveness in-depth. So, this study documents and analyzes the implementation of Lean process in the Kitting Department of the aerospace company, ABC Company

Efficacy and efficiency of a lean cataract pathway: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

van Vliet, Ellen Joan; Sermeus, Walter; van Gaalen, Claudia M; Sol, Johannes C A; Vissers, Jan M H

2010-12-01

The demand for cataract surgery is rising, calling for pathways that have good access and are cost-effective. Lean thinking is a management strategy, aimed at improving quality while reducing costs. Lean production processes are designed to identify gaps between expected and actual performance. To analyse the efficacy and efficiency of a lean cataract pathway. Lean care delivered to a prospective cohort (616 cataract patients) was compared (1) with traditional care delivered to a historical cohort (591 cataract patients) and (2) with expected lean care in the prospective cohort. To evaluate efficacy, the authors analysed how many patients received care that adhered to the lean pathway's specifications. To evaluate efficiency, the authors analysed how often patients visited the hospital and how many additional patients could access the pathway. In the lean pathway, patient visits decreased by 23%, and access to the cataract pathway increased with 42%. A 40% decrease in patient visits and a 76% increase in access could have been realised if healthcare staff would have adhered to the lean pathway's specifications. Lean pathways can realise large improvements, and still have a significant gap between expected and actual care delivery. The challenge for healthcare teams is not to improve care delivery by using lean pathways as opposed to using traditional pathways, but to strive for optimal performance by consistently adhering to the specifications of the lean pathway.

Distinct effects of calorie restriction on adipose tissue cytokine and angiogenesis profiles in obese and lean mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurki Eveliina

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Obesity associates with low-grade inflammation and adipose tissue remodeling. Using sensitive high-throughput protein arrays we here investigated adipose tissue cytokine and angiogenesis-related protein profiles from obese and lean mice, and in particular, the influence of calorie restriction (CR. Methods Tissue samples from visceral fat were harvested from obese mice fed with a high-fat diet (60% of energy, lean controls receiving low-fat control diet as well as from obese and lean mice kept under CR (energy intake 70% of ad libitum intake for 50 days. Protein profiles were analyzed using mouse cytokine and angiogenesis protein array kits. Results In obese and lean mice, CR was associated with 11.3% and 15.6% reductions in body weight, as well as with 4.0% and 4.6% reductions in body fat percentage, respectively. Obesity induced adipose tissue cytokine expressions, the most highly upregulated cytokines being IL-1ra, IL-2, IL-16, MCP-1, MIG, RANTES, C5a, sICAM-1 and TIMP-1. CR increased sICAM-1 and TIMP-1 expression both in obese and lean mice. Overall, CR showed distinct effects on cytokine expressions; in obese mice CR largely decreased but in lean mice increased adipose tissue cytokine expressions. Obesity was also associated with increased expressions of angiogenesis-related proteins, in particular, angiogenin, endoglin, endostatin, endothelin-1, IGFBP-3, leptin, MMP-3, PAI-1, TIMP-4, CXCL16, platelet factor 4, DPPIV and coagulation factor III. CR increased endoglin, endostatin and platelet factor 4 expressions, and decreased IGFBP-3, NOV, MMP-9, CXCL16 and osteopontin expressions both in obese and lean mice. Interestingly, in obese mice, CR decreased leptin and TIMP-4 expressions, whereas in lean mice their expressions were increased. CR decreased MMP-3 and PAI-1 only in obese mice, whereas CR decreased FGF acidic, FGF basic and coagulation factor III, and increased angiogenin and DPPIV expression only in lean mice

Is There a Lean Future for Global Startups?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stoyan Tanev

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This article integrates insights from the latest research on the lean startup entrepreneurial method, born-global firms, and global startups. It contributes to the clarification of terminology referring to the global aspects of startups, summarizes insights from previous literature focusing on global startups, and further substantiates the articulation of the need for considering the lean global startup as a new type of firm. The main message is that the lessons learned from the emergence of lean startup entrepreneurship offer a basis for promoting a similar lean phase in technology-based global startup research and practice. The analysis should benefit both researchers and practitioners in technology entrepreneurship, international entrepreneurship, and global innovation management.

Lean Principles and Defense Information Technology Acquisition: An Investigation of the Determinants of Successful Application

Science.gov (United States)

Haley, M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not there have been successful applications of lean manufacturing principles in highly variable defense IT environments. Specifically, the study assessed if implementation of the lean philosophies by a defense organization yielded repeatable, predictable results in software release schedules…

Improving Healthcare through Lean Management: Experiences from the Danish healthcare system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edwards, Kasper; Nielsen, Anders Paarup

still is in its infancy and it is just a matter of letting sufficient time pass in order have a successful implementation of lean in all areas of healthcare. The second hypothesis states that a major barrier to lean management in healthcare simply is lacking understanding of the lean concepts leading......The ideas and principles from lean management are now widely being adopted within the healthcare sector. The analysis in this paper shows that organizations within healthcare most often only implement a limited set of tools and methods from the lean tool-box. Departing from a theoretical analysis...... of the well-known and universal lean management principles in the context of the healthcare this paper will attempt to formulate and test four hypotheses about possible barriers to the successful implementation of lean management in healthcare. The first hypothesis states that lean management in healthcare...

Lean Supply Chain Planning: A Performance Evaluation through Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rossini Matteo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays companies look more and more for improving their efficiency to excel in the market. At the same time, the competition has moved from firm level to whole supply chain level. Supply chain are very complex systems and lacks of coordination among their members leads to inefficiency. Supply chain planning task is to improve coordination among supply chain members. Which is the best planning solution to improve efficiency is an open issue. On the other hand, Lean approach is becoming more and more popular among managers. Lean approach is recognize as efficiency engine for production systems, but effects of Lean implementation out of single firm boundaries is not clear. This paper aims at providing a theoretical and practical starting point for Lean implementation in supply chain planning issue. To reach it, a DES simulation model of a three-echelon and multi-product supply chain has been set. Lean management is a very broad topic and this paper focuses on two principles of “pull” and “create the flow”. Kanban system and setup-time and batch-size reductions are implemented in the lean-configured supply chain to apply “pull” and “create the flow” respectively. Lean principles implementations have been analyzed and compared with other supply chain planning policies: EOQ and information sharing (Visibility. Supported by the simulation study, this paper points Lean supply chain planning is a competitive planning policies to increase efficiency.

The roles of communication process for an effective lean manufacturing implementation

OpenAIRE

Puvanasvaran, Perumal; Megat, Hamdan; Hong, Tang Sai; Razali, Muhamad Mohd.

2009-01-01

Many companies are implementing lean manufacturing concept in order to remain competitive and sustainable, however, not many of them are successful in the process due to various reasons. Communication is an important aspect of lean process in order to successfully implement lean manufacturing. This paper determines the roles of communication process in ensuring a successful implementation of leanness in manufacturing companies. All the information of lean manufacturing practice...

THE TURBULENT DYNAMO IN HIGHLY COMPRESSIBLE SUPERSONIC PLASMAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Federrath, Christoph [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2611 (Australia); Schober, Jennifer [Universität Heidelberg, Zentrum für Astronomie, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Albert-Ueberle-Strasse 2, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Bovino, Stefano; Schleicher, Dominik R. G., E-mail: christoph.federrath@anu.edu.au [Institut für Astrophysik, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, D-37077 Göttingen (Germany)

2014-12-20

The turbulent dynamo may explain the origin of cosmic magnetism. While the exponential amplification of magnetic fields has been studied for incompressible gases, little is known about dynamo action in highly compressible, supersonic plasmas, such as the interstellar medium of galaxies and the early universe. Here we perform the first quantitative comparison of theoretical models of the dynamo growth rate and saturation level with three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical simulations of supersonic turbulence with grid resolutions of up to 1024{sup 3} cells. We obtain numerical convergence and find that dynamo action occurs for both low and high magnetic Prandtl numbers Pm = ν/η = 0.1-10 (the ratio of viscous to magnetic dissipation), which had so far only been seen for Pm ≥ 1 in supersonic turbulence. We measure the critical magnetic Reynolds number, Rm{sub crit}=129{sub −31}{sup +43}, showing that the compressible dynamo is almost as efficient as in incompressible gas. Considering the physical conditions of the present and early universe, we conclude that magnetic fields need to be taken into account during structure formation from the early to the present cosmic ages, because they suppress gas fragmentation and drive powerful jets and outflows, both greatly affecting the initial mass function of stars.

Lean production and business performance: influences of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Hence, this study aims to examine the influence of leadership style in the implementation of lean production. Data were gathered from randomly selected Malaysian manufacturing firms. Findings reveal a positive relationship between lean production and business performance. Specifically, democratic leadership style was ...

LEAN SIX SIGMA – MULTIPLE CASE STUDY

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Delvio Venanzi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Lean Six Sigma é uma gestão focada na qualidade e desempenho produtivo em sistemas operacionais. Este artigo discute os fundamentos desta metodologia através de duas diferentes concepções de gestão, Lean Manufacturing e Six Sigma. Primeiro, o artigo explica o DMAIC (definir, medir, analisar, melhorar e controlar e suas respectivas fases, após a filosofia Lean com o sipoc e técnicas de mapeamento de fluxo de valor. O artigo pretende mostrar a integração destes dois conceitos e seus resultados. A metodologia consistiu em uma teoria baseada em uma pesquisa bibliográfica de pesquisa exploratória que consistiu de três estudos de caso em empresas de diferenças localizadas em Sorocaba, São Paulo. Neste artigo estuda a aplicação de Lean Seis Sigma e seus resultados.

Lean six sigma application to transportation logistics

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Simone Tavares Fernandes

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This work presents the application of Lean Six Sigma in a case study of a metallurgic industry. The Six Sigma and the Lean are two processes used by enterprises in Brazil and worldwide. Currently the integration of these processes is a challenge for these companies, which search a way more efficient to reduce their wastes and to adapt to the needs of their markets. The paper had as purpose to demonstrate the applicability of the Lean Six Sigma in a real logistical problem related to the transportation of goods among units of a metallurgic industry. The stages used for the solution of the problem follow the DMAIC cycle – Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. The paper presents in details the integrated approach of the improvement processes Lean and Six Sigma, their tools set, as well the excellent results obtained in the case study.

What Determines Lean Manufacturing Implementation? A CB-SEM Model

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Tan Ching Ng

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This research aims to ascertain the determinants of effective Lean Manufacturing (LM. In this research, Covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM analysis will be used in order to analyze the determinants. Through CB-SEM analysis, the significant key determinants can be determined and the direct relationships among determinants can be analyzed. Thus, the findings of this research can act as guidelines for achievement of LM effectiveness, not only providing necessary steps for successful implementation of lean, but also helping lean companies to achieve higher level of lean cost and time savings.

Compression of a mixed antiproton and electron non-neutral plasma to high densities

Science.gov (United States)

Aghion, Stefano; Amsler, Claude; Bonomi, Germano; Brusa, Roberto S.; Caccia, Massimo; Caravita, Ruggero; Castelli, Fabrizio; Cerchiari, Giovanni; Comparat, Daniel; Consolati, Giovanni; Demetrio, Andrea; Di Noto, Lea; Doser, Michael; Evans, Craig; Fanì, Mattia; Ferragut, Rafael; Fesel, Julian; Fontana, Andrea; Gerber, Sebastian; Giammarchi, Marco; Gligorova, Angela; Guatieri, Francesco; Haider, Stefan; Hinterberger, Alexander; Holmestad, Helga; Kellerbauer, Alban; Khalidova, Olga; Krasnický, Daniel; Lagomarsino, Vittorio; Lansonneur, Pierre; Lebrun, Patrice; Malbrunot, Chloé; Mariazzi, Sebastiano; Marton, Johann; Matveev, Victor; Mazzotta, Zeudi; Müller, Simon R.; Nebbia, Giancarlo; Nedelec, Patrick; Oberthaler, Markus; Pacifico, Nicola; Pagano, Davide; Penasa, Luca; Petracek, Vojtech; Prelz, Francesco; Prevedelli, Marco; Rienaecker, Benjamin; Robert, Jacques; Røhne, Ole M.; Rotondi, Alberto; Sandaker, Heidi; Santoro, Romualdo; Smestad, Lillian; Sorrentino, Fiodor; Testera, Gemma; Tietje, Ingmari C.; Widmann, Eberhard; Yzombard, Pauline; Zimmer, Christian; Zmeskal, Johann; Zurlo, Nicola; Antonello, Massimiliano

2018-04-01

We describe a multi-step "rotating wall" compression of a mixed cold antiproton-electron non-neutral plasma in a 4.46 T Penning-Malmberg trap developed in the context of the AEḡIS experiment at CERN. Such traps are routinely used for the preparation of cold antiprotons suitable for antihydrogen production. A tenfold antiproton radius compression has been achieved, with a minimum antiproton radius of only 0.17 mm. We describe the experimental conditions necessary to perform such a compression: minimizing the tails of the electron density distribution is paramount to ensure that the antiproton density distribution follows that of the electrons. Such electron density tails are remnants of rotating wall compression and in many cases can remain unnoticed. We observe that the compression dynamics for a pure electron plasma behaves the same way as that of a mixed antiproton and electron plasma. Thanks to this optimized compression method and the high single shot antiproton catching efficiency, we observe for the first time cold and dense non-neutral antiproton plasmas with particle densities n ≥ 1013 m-3, which pave the way for an efficient pulsed antihydrogen production in AEḡIS.

The challenges of lean manufacturing implementation in kitting assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Fansuri, A. F. H.; Rose, A. N. M.; Nik Mohamed, N. M. Z.; Ahmad, H.

2017-10-01

Literature studies shows that lean manufacturing goes way back with the original founder Eli Whitney in year 1799. The main purpose of lean manufacturing is to identify and eliminate waste in production. The application of lean manufacturing can be carried out in any industrial processes with regards to the understanding of lean principles, theories and practices. Kitting is one of the important aspects in a successful production. The continuous supply of materials from store to production has to be systematic and able to achieve lean standard for it to be successful. The objective of this paper is to review the implementation of lean manufacturing in kitting assembly. Previous papers show that, the implementation of lean manufacturing in kitting assembly may be beneficial to the organization such as reduce in space occupancy, part shortages, lead time and manpower. Based on previous research, some industries may tend to change between kitting and line stocking which are due to lack of understanding when implementing kitting and causes longer lead time and materials overflow in store. With a proper understanding on what to kit, where to kit, how to kit, why to kit and who kits the material with a standardised process flow may ensure the success of kitting.

Improvement of emergency department patient flow using lean thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez, Miquel; Suárez, Montse; Asenjo, María; Bragulat, Ernest

2018-05-01

To apply lean thinking in triage acuity level-3 patients in order to improve emergency department (ED) throughtput and waiting time. A prospective interventional study. An ED of a tertiary care hospital. Triage acuity level-3 patients. To apply lean techniques such as value stream mapping, workplace organization, reduction of wastes and standardization by the frontline staff. Two periods were compared: (i) pre-lean: April-September, 2015; and (ii) post-lean: April-September, 2016. Variables included: median process time (time from beginning of nurse preparation to the end of nurse finalization after doctor disposition) of both discharged and transferred to observation patients; median length of stay; median waiting time; left without being seen, 72-h revisit and mortality rates, and daily number of visits. There was no additional staff or bed after lean implementation. Despite an increment in the daily number of visits (+8.3%, P lean implementation. No significant differences were registered in left without being seen rate (5.23% vs 4.95%), 72-h revisit rate (3.41% vs 3.93%), and mortality rate (0.23% vs 0.15%). Lean thinking is a methodology that can improve triage acuity level-3 patient flow in the ED, resulting in better throughput along with reduced waiting time.

Performance effect of multiple control forms in a Lean organization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Thomas Borup; Israelsen, Poul

2012-01-01

Over the last decades Lean has developed into a prominent management philosophy reaching beyond shop floor tools. However, substantial support of performance effects from Lean is still scarce and at best with mixed results. Recently, research has turned its focus towards perceiving Lean...... as a control package. In this paper we present statistical support for enhanced performance coming from Lean. Furthermore, our results strongly support the perception of Lean as a set of multiple control forms (output, behavioral, and social controls) that complement each other. Therefore, performance...... is increased if the average level of control forms is increased, and performance is further increased if the control forms are balanced at the same level representing a complementary effect between them. Our data are archival data spanning multiple years in a strong Lean organization. The dependent performance...

Barriers of lean construction implementation in the Moroccan construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Bajjou, Mohamed Saad; Chafi, Anas

2018-04-01

Improving the production system performance has become a fundamental pillar that must be taken into consideration in the construction industry. Recent developments in the construction sector have led to renewed interest in new techniques of management. Lean Construction is a very effective approach that has gained a high popularity by its ability to eliminate waste and maximize the value for the customer. Although both developed and developing countries have gained large benefits by implementing Lean Construction approach, several experiences showed many barriers that are hindering its implementation especially in developing countries. This paper aims to assess the critical barriers to the successful implementation in the Moroccan construction industry. Based on a literature review, followed by an analysis of data collected from a questionnaire survey which targeted 330 practitioners in the Moroccan construction field, several barriers were identified as key barriers. The findings of this investigation revealed that there are significant barriers such as Lack of knowledge about Lean Construction concepts, Unskilled Human Resources, and insufficient financial resources.

DSP accelerator for the wavelet compression/decompression of high- resolution images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunt, M.A.; Gleason, S.S.; Jatko, W.B.

1993-07-23

A Texas Instruments (TI) TMS320C30-based S-Bus digital signal processing (DSP) module was used to accelerate a wavelet-based compression and decompression algorithm applied to high-resolution fingerprint images. The law enforcement community, together with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NISI), is adopting a standard based on the wavelet transform for the compression, transmission, and decompression of scanned fingerprint images. A two-dimensional wavelet transform of the input image is computed. Then spatial/frequency regions are automatically analyzed for information content and quantized for subsequent Huffman encoding. Compression ratios range from 10:1 to 30:1 while maintaining the level of image quality necessary for identification. Several prototype systems were developed using SUN SPARCstation 2 with a 1280 {times} 1024 8-bit display, 64-Mbyte random access memory (RAM), Tiber distributed data interface (FDDI), and Spirit-30 S-Bus DSP-accelerators from Sonitech. The final implementation of the DSP-accelerated algorithm performed the compression or decompression operation in 3.5 s per print. Further increases in system throughput were obtained by adding several DSP accelerators operating in parallel.

Lean principles applied to software development – avoiding waste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ionel NAFTANAILA

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Under the current economic conditions many organizations strive to continue the trend towards adopting better software development processes, in order to take advantage of the numerous benefits that these can offer. Those benefits include quicker return on investment, better software quality, and higher customer satisfaction. To date, however, there is little body of research that can guide organizations in adopting modern software development practices, especially when it comes to Lean thinking and principles. To address this situation, the current paper identifies and structures the main wastes (or muda in Lean terms in software development as described by Lean principles, in an attempt to bring into researchers’ and practitioners’ attention Lean Software Development, a modern development methodology based on well-established practices such as Lean Manufacturing or Toyota Production System.

How does lean work in emergency care? A case study of a lean-inspired intervention at the Astrid Lindgren Children's hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mazzocato Pamela

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is growing interest in applying lean thinking in healthcare, yet, there is still limited knowledge of how and why lean interventions succeed (or fail. To address this gap, this in-depth case study examines a lean-inspired intervention in a Swedish pediatric Accident and Emergency department. Methods We used a mixed methods explanatory single case study design. Hospital performance data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA and statistical process control techniques to assess changes in performance one year before and two years after the intervention. We collected qualitative data through non-participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and internal documents to describe the process and content of the lean intervention. We then analyzed empirical findings using four theoretical lean principles (Spear and Bowen 1999 to understand how and why the intervention worked in its local context as well as to identify its strengths and weaknesses. Results Improvements in waiting and lead times (19-24% were achieved and sustained in the two years following lean-inspired changes to employee roles, staffing and scheduling, communication and coordination, expertise, workspace layout, and problem solving. These changes resulted in improvement because they: (a standardized work and reduced ambiguity, (b connected people who were dependent on one another, (c enhanced seamless, uninterrupted flow through the process, and (d empowered staff to investigate problems and to develop countermeasures using a "scientific method". Contextual factors that may explain why not even greater improvement was achieved included: a mismatch between job tasks, licensing constraints, and competence; a perception of being monitored, and discomfort with inter-professional collaboration. Conclusions Drawing on Spear and Bowen's theoretical propositions, this study explains how a package of lean-like changes translated into better care process

How does lean work in emergency care? A case study of a lean-inspired intervention at the Astrid Lindgren Children's hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background There is growing interest in applying lean thinking in healthcare, yet, there is still limited knowledge of how and why lean interventions succeed (or fail). To address this gap, this in-depth case study examines a lean-inspired intervention in a Swedish pediatric Accident and Emergency department. Methods We used a mixed methods explanatory single case study design. Hospital performance data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and statistical process control techniques to assess changes in performance one year before and two years after the intervention. We collected qualitative data through non-participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and internal documents to describe the process and content of the lean intervention. We then analyzed empirical findings using four theoretical lean principles (Spear and Bowen 1999) to understand how and why the intervention worked in its local context as well as to identify its strengths and weaknesses. Results Improvements in waiting and lead times (19-24%) were achieved and sustained in the two years following lean-inspired changes to employee roles, staffing and scheduling, communication and coordination, expertise, workspace layout, and problem solving. These changes resulted in improvement because they: (a) standardized work and reduced ambiguity, (b) connected people who were dependent on one another, (c) enhanced seamless, uninterrupted flow through the process, and (d) empowered staff to investigate problems and to develop countermeasures using a "scientific method". Contextual factors that may explain why not even greater improvement was achieved included: a mismatch between job tasks, licensing constraints, and competence; a perception of being monitored, and discomfort with inter-professional collaboration. Conclusions Drawing on Spear and Bowen's theoretical propositions, this study explains how a package of lean-like changes translated into better care process management. It adds

Advancing lean manufacturing, the role of IT

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Riezebos, J.; Klingenberg, W.

This introduction to the special issue discusses the changing role of information technology (IT) in advancing lean production. Lean principles and techniques have been applied in a wide variety of organisations, from make-to-stock to engineer-to-order industries, and even in typical service

System-wide lean implementation in health care: A multiple case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Centauri, Federica; Mazzocato, Pamela; Villa, Stefano; Marsilio, Marta

2018-05-01

Background Lean practices have been widely used by health care organizations to meet efficiency, performance and quality improvement needs. The lean health care literature shows that the effective implementation of lean requires a holistic system-wide approach. However, there is still limited evidence on what drives effective system-wide lean implementation in health care. The existing literature suggests that a deeper understanding of how lean interventions interact with the organizational context is necessary to identify the critical variables to successfully sustain system-wide lean strategies. Purpose and methodology: A multiple case study of three Italian hospitals is conducted with the aim to explore the organizational conditions that are relevant for an effective system-wide lean implementation. A conceptual framework, built on socio-technical system schemas, is used to guide data collection and analysis. The analysis points out the importance to support lean implementation with an integrated and coordinated strategy involving the social, technical, and external components of the overall hospital system.

Chronic exercise preserves lean muscle mass in masters athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wroblewski, Andrew P; Amati, Francesca; Smiley, Mark A; Goodpaster, Bret; Wright, Vonda

2011-09-01

Aging is commonly associated with a loss of muscle mass and strength, resulting in falls, functional decline, and the subjective feeling of weakness. Exercise modulates the morbidities of muscle aging. Most studies, however, have examined muscle-loss changes in sedentary aging adults. This leaves the question of whether the changes that are commonly associated with muscle aging reflect the true physiology of muscle aging or whether they reflect disuse atrophy. This study evaluated whether high levels of chronic exercise prevents the loss of lean muscle mass and strength experienced in sedentary aging adults. A cross-section of 40 high-level recreational athletes ("masters athletes") who were aged 40 to 81 years and trained 4 to 5 times per week underwent tests of health/activity, body composition, quadriceps peak torque (PT), and magnetic resonance imaging of bilateral quadriceps. Mid-thigh muscle area, quadriceps area (QA), subcutaneous adipose tissue, and intramuscular adipose tissue were quantified in magnetic resonance imaging using medical image processing, analysis, and visualization software. One-way analysis of variance was used to examine age group differences. Relationships were evaluated using Spearman correlations. Mid-thigh muscle area (P = 0.31) and lean mass (P = 0.15) did not increase with age and were significantly related to retention of mid-thigh muscle area (P lean mass (P = 0.4) and PT. This study contradicts the common observation that muscle mass and strength decline as a function of aging alone. Instead, these declines may signal the effect of chronic disuse rather than muscle aging. Evaluation of masters athletes removes disuse as a confounding variable in the study of lower-extremity function and loss of lean muscle mass. This maintenance of muscle mass and strength may decrease or eliminate the falls, functional decline, and loss of independence that are commonly seen in aging adults.

Lean thinking in emergency departments: concepts and tools for quality improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, Frances

2017-10-12

The lean approach is a viable framework for reducing costs and enhancing the quality of patient care in emergency departments (EDs). Reports on lean-inspired quality improvement initiatives are rapidly growing but there is little emphasis on the philosophy behind the processes, which is the essential ingredient in sustaining transformation. This article describes lean philosophy, also referred to as lean, lean thinking and lean healthcare, and its main concepts, to enrich the knowledge and vocabulary of nurses involved or interested in quality improvement in EDs. The article includes examples of lean strategies to illustrate their practical application in EDs. ©2012 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

The LEAN Payload Integration Process

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Lee P.; Young, Yancy; Rice, Amanda

2011-01-01

It is recognized that payload development and integration with the International Space Station (ISS) can be complex. This streamlined integration approach is a first step toward simplifying payload integration; making it easier to fly payloads on ISS, thereby increasing feasibility and interest for more research and commercial organizations to sponsor ISS payloads and take advantage of the ISS as a National Laboratory asset. The streamlined integration approach was addressed from the perspective of highly likely initial payload types to evolve from the National Lab Pathfinder program. Payloads to be accommodated by the Expedite the Processing of Experiments for Space Station (EXPRESS) Racks and Microgravity Sciences Glovebox (MSG) pressurized facilities have been addressed. It is hoped that the streamlined principles applied to these types of payloads will be analyzed and implemented in the future for other host facilities as well as unpressurized payloads to be accommodated by the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier (ELC). Further, a payload does not have to be classified as a National Lab payload in order to be processed according to the lean payload integration process; any payload that meets certain criteria can follow the lean payload integration process.

Improvement of laboratory turnaround time using lean methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Shradha; Kapil, Sahil; Sharma, Monica

2018-05-14

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the implementation of lean methodology to reduce the turnaround time (TAT) of a clinical laboratory in a super speciality hospital. Delays in report delivery lead to delayed diagnosis increased waiting time and decreased customer satisfaction. The reduction in TAT will lead to increased patient satisfaction, quality of care, employee satisfaction and ultimately the hospital's revenue. Design/methodology/approach The generic causes resulting in increasing TAT of clinical laboratories were identified using lean tools and techniques such as value stream mapping (VSM), Gemba, Pareto Analysis and Root Cause Analysis. VSM was used as a tool to analyze the current state of the process and further VSM was used to design the future state with suggestions for process improvements. Findings This study identified 12 major non-value added factors for the hematology laboratory and 5 major non-value added factors for the biochemistry lab which were acting as bottlenecks resulting in limiting throughput. A four-month research study by the authors together with hospital quality department and laboratory staff members led to reduction of the average TAT from 180 to 95minutes in the hematology lab and from 268 to 208 minutes in the biochemistry lab. Practical implications Very few improvement initiatives in Indian healthcare are based on industrial engineering tools and techniques, which might be due to a lack of interaction between healthcare and engineering. The study provides a positive outcome in terms of improving the efficiency of services in hospitals and identifies a scope for lean in the Indian healthcare sector. Social implications Applying lean in the Indian healthcare sector gives its own potential solution to the problem caused, due to a wide gap between lean accessibility and lean implementation. Lean helped in changing the mindset of an organization toward providing the highest quality of services with faster delivery at

Model predictive control of a lean-burn gasoline engine coupled with a passive selective catalytic reduction system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Pingen [Tennessee Technological University (TTU); Lin, Qinghua [Tennessee Technological University (TTU); Prikhodko, Vitaly Y. [ORNL

2017-10-01

Lean-burn gasoline engines have demonstrated 10–20% engine efficiency gain over stoichiometric engines and are widely considered as a promising technology for meeting the 54.5 miles-per-gallon (mpg) Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard by 2025. Nevertheless, NOx emissions control for lean-burn gasoline for meeting the stringent EPA Tier 3 emission standards has been one of the main challenges towards the commercialization of highly-efficient lean-burn gasoline engines in the United States. Passive selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, which consist of a three-way catalyst and SCR, have demonstrated great potentials of effectively reducing NOx emissions for lean gasoline engines but may cause significant fuel penalty due to ammonia generation via rich engine combustion. The purpose of this study is to develop a model-predictive control (MPC) scheme for a lean-burn gasoline engine coupled with a passive SCR system to minimize the fuel penalty associated with passive SCR operation while satisfying stringent NOx and NH3 emissions requirements. Simulation results demonstrate that the MPC-based control can reduce the fuel penalty by 47.7% in a simulated US06 cycle and 32.0% in a simulated UDDS cycle, compared to the baseline control, while achieving over 96% deNOx efficiency and less than 15 ppm tailpipe ammonia slip. The proposed MPC control can potentially enable high engine efficiency gain for highly-efficient lean-burn gasoline engine while meeting the stringent EPA Tier 3 emission standards.

Disturbing Practices: Training Workers to Be Lean

Science.gov (United States)

Yasukawa, Keiko; Brown, Tony; Black, Stephen

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibilities for expansive learning during organisational change. It considers the introduction of "lean production" as a disturbance to the existing work practices. Design/methodology/approach: The paper considers two case studies of "lean production" training with…

Lean Thinking and Transferring Lean Management - The Best Defence against an Economic Recession?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel D. GEORGESCU

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Productivity growth is a fundamental means for society to improve its living standards. Productivity growth comes from technological change (new ways of producing goods and services and better organisation of production (better ways of using available resources given available technology. Both processes operate simultaneously and, in practice, it is difficult to distinguish between the effects of each process. The processes are dynamic and affect individual activities differently over time. These years, manufacturing functions have been transferred rapidly and globally from mature countries to emerging countries. This paper is about the lean philosophy and the critical elements for successful transfer of lean management among sites and countries.

Lean healthcare in developing countries: evidence from Brazilian hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Luana Bonome Message; Filho, Moacir Godinho; Rentes, Antonio Freitas; Bertani, Thiago Moreno; Mardegan, Ronaldo

2017-01-01

The present study evaluates how five sectors of two Brazilian hospitals have implemented lean healthcare concepts in their operations. The main characteristics of the implementation process are analyzed in the present study: the motivational factor for implementation, implementation time, form (consultancy or internal), team (hospital and consultants), lean implementation continuity/sustainability, lean healthcare tools and methods implemented, problems/improvement opportunities, lean healthcare barriers faced during the implementation process, and critical factors that affected the implementation and the results obtained in each case. The case studies indicate that reducing patient lead times and costs and making financial improvements were the primary factors that motivated lean healthcare implementation in the hospitals studied. Several tools and methods were used in the cases studied, especially value stream mapping and DMAIC. The barriers found in both hospitals are primarily associated with the human factor. Additionally, the results obtained after implementation were analyzed and improvements in financial aspects, productivity and capacity, and lead time reduction of the analyzed sectors were observed. Further, this study also exhibited four propositions elaborated from the results obtained from the cases that highlighted barriers and challenges to lean healthcare implementation in developing countries. Two of these barriers are hospital organizational structure (and, consequently, how the senior management works with medical staff), and outsourcing hospital activities. This study also concluded that the initialization and maintenance of lean healthcare implementation rely heavily on external support because lean healthcare subject knowledge is not yet available in the healthcare organization, which represents a challenge. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lean spare parts delivery chain

OpenAIRE

Sjöstrand, Niklas; Larsson, Mona-Liza

2015-01-01

AbstractWhen a product has been sold to a customer a new market arises for the company to earn profit from and to differentiate itself within. According to Bartwal, et al. (2010) the after sales market generally does not provide great revenues but good profits of the total revenue. In order to gain competiveness and live up to customer’s expectations a company needs to be efficient (Atkinson, 2004). He continuous that this can be accomplished if companies implement Lean. Lean is different too...

Investigating emergency room service quality using lean manufacturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelhadi, Abdelhakim

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a lean manufacturing metric called Takt time as a benchmark evaluation measure to evaluate a public hospital's service quality. Lean manufacturing is an established managerial philosophy with a proven track record in industry. A lean metric called Takt time is applied as a measure to compare the relative efficiency between two emergency departments (EDs) belonging to the same public hospital. Outcomes guide managers to improve patient services and increase hospital performances. The patient treatment lead time within the hospital's two EDs (one department serves male and the other female patients) are the study's focus. A lean metric called Takt time is used to find the service's relative efficiency. Findings show that the lean manufacturing metric called Takt time can be used as an effective way to measure service efficiency by analyzing relative efficiency and identifies bottlenecks in different departments providing the same services. The paper presents a new procedure to compare relative efficiency between two EDs. It can be applied to any healthcare facility.

Lean management-the journey from toyota to healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Teich, Sorin T; Faddoul, Fady F

2013-04-01

The evolution of production systems is tightly linked to the story of Toyota Motor Company (TMC) that has its roots around 1918. The term "lean" was coined in 1990 following the exploration of the Toyota model that led to the "transference" thesis sustaining the concept that manufacturing problems and technologies are universal problems faced by management and that these concepts can be emulated in non-Japanese enterprises. Lean is a multi-faceted concept and requires organizations to exert effort along several dimensions simultaneously; some consider a successful implementation either achieving major strategic components of lean, implementing practices to support operational aspects, or providing evidence that the improvements are sustainable in the long term. The article explores challenges and opportunities faced by organizations that intend incorporating lean management principles and presents the specific context of the healthcare industry. Finally, the concepts of "essential few" and customer value are illustrated through a simple example of process change following lean principles, which was implemented in a dental school in the United States.

Lean manufacturing: A better way for enhancement in productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar Ahir, Pankaj; Kumar Yadav, Lalit; Singh Chandrawat, Saurabh

2012-03-01

Productivity is the impact of peoples working together. Machines are merely an extended way of collective imagination and energy. Lean Manufacturing is the most used method for continues improvement of business. Organization management philosophy focusing on the reduction of wastage to improve overall customer value. "Lean" operating principles began in manufacturing environments and are known by a variety of synonyms; Lean Manufacturing, Lean Production, Toyota Production System, etc. It is commonly believed that Lean started in Japan "The notable activities in keeping the price of Ford products low is the steady restriction of the production cycle. The longer an article is in the process of manufacture and the more it is moved about, the greater is its ultimate cost." "A systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste through continuous improvement, flowing the product at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection."

Lean Start-up in Established Companies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goduscheit, René Chester

2018-01-01

Lean start-up is an emergent perspective on how entrepreneurs can bring new products and services to the market. This approach challenges the dominant role of lengthy business plans, linear product development processes, and seeking complete overview of the potential of the new products....../services before market launch. Instead it suggests that start-ups could benefit from a ‘minimum-viable product’ approach where products and services are launched when they contain critical features. The emphasis in the lean start-up approach is on business models rather than the elaborate business plan...... at the companies (strategy meetings, development workshops etc.). The aim is to shed light on the implications for companies that seek to employ lean start-up. These implications will be aimed at aspects like innovation management, organizational structure, customer relations etc....

Intelligent condition monitoring method for bearing faults from highly compressed measurements using sparse over-complete features

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, H. O. A.; Wong, M. L. D.; Nandi, A. K.

2018-01-01

Condition classification of rolling element bearings in rotating machines is important to prevent the breakdown of industrial machinery. A considerable amount of literature has been published on bearing faults classification. These studies aim to determine automatically the current status of a roller element bearing. Of these studies, methods based on compressed sensing (CS) have received some attention recently due to their ability to allow one to sample below the Nyquist sampling rate. This technology has many possible uses in machine condition monitoring and has been investigated as a possible approach for fault detection and classification in the compressed domain, i.e., without reconstructing the original signal. However, previous CS based methods have been found to be too weak for highly compressed data. The present paper explores computationally, for the first time, the effects of sparse autoencoder based over-complete sparse representations on the classification performance of highly compressed measurements of bearing vibration signals. For this study, the CS method was used to produce highly compressed measurements of the original bearing dataset. Then, an effective deep neural network (DNN) with unsupervised feature learning algorithm based on sparse autoencoder is used for learning over-complete sparse representations of these compressed datasets. Finally, the fault classification is achieved using two stages, namely, pre-training classification based on stacked autoencoder and softmax regression layer form the deep net stage (the first stage), and re-training classification based on backpropagation (BP) algorithm forms the fine-tuning stage (the second stage). The experimental results show that the proposed method is able to achieve high levels of accuracy even with extremely compressed measurements compared with the existing techniques.

Lean assessment for manufacturing of small and medium enterprises (SMEs: A case study of electronics industry in the Northeast of Thailand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chanchai Laoha

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This research was aimed at assessing for manufacturing a small and medium enterprise of electronic industry case study in the Northeast of Thailand. Electronic industry produces integrated circuits products (IC. We use lean assessment tools with 14 lean technique and tools. The value of lean assessment are scoring system derived from the malcolm baldrige national quality award, the two-dimensioned scoring system composing of the process; approach, deployment, learning, and integration. There are reveal operations of each of lean techniques and tools, and the performance; the 0 - 4 level needed to be improved in depth and hence would reflect operations requiring sustainable outcomes. This lean assessment is a systematic approach, assessor come to sit, examine operations from a lean perspective and assessed the situation as prior. The purposes of this visit were to introduced to production or factory manager or window person of SMEs who gave assessor a tour of the plant. Assessor also got a chance to explain lean assessment criteria on the shop floor. Assessor selects a value streaming line that produce most goods or main production line to assess. Assessor takes 1 day to assess and discuss the lean assessment. As a result, the lean assessment survey should be adjusted to fit the systems adaptively. Three plants of electronic industries were leanness of 1.06 or 26%. Five plants of garment industry were leanness of 1.13 or 28%. Four plants of shoe industry were leanness of 1.39 or 34%. Shoe industry had high leanness all unless quick changeover and multi skill. The quick changeover and multi skill were high score on garment industry. Electronics industry has not the lead but second in visual management, 5s, operation base layout, quick changeover, multi skill, standard operation procedures, and policy deployment.

Debates Regarding Lean Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Narrative Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Goyal, Manu; Dawood, Ayman S

2017-01-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex syndrome showing the clinical features of an endocrine/metabolic disorder, including hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism. Two phenotypes are present, either lean or obese, with different biochemical, hormonal, and metabolic profiles. Evidence suggests many treatment modalities that can be applied. However, many of these modalities were found to be not suitable for the lean phenotype of PCOS. Much contradictory research was found regarding lean patients with PCOS. The aim of this narrative review is to shed light on the debate prevailing regarding characteristics, as well as metabolic, hematological, and potential management modalities. Literature review was performed from January 1, 2000 to March 31, 2017 with specific word search such as lean PCOS, hormonal abnormalities in lean PCOS, and the management of lean PCOS. All retrieved articles were carefully assessed, and data were obtained. We could conclude that the debate is still prevailing regarding this specific lean population with PCOS, especially with regard to their characteristics and management modalities. Further studies are still required to resolve this debate on the presence of PCOS in lean women.

Debates regarding lean patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: A narrative review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manu Goyal

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS is a complex syndrome showing the clinical features of an endocrine/metabolic disorder, including hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism. Two phenotypes are present, either lean or obese, with different biochemical, hormonal, and metabolic profiles. Evidence suggests many treatment modalities that can be applied. However, many of these modalities were found to be not suitable for the lean phenotype of PCOS. Much contradictory research was found regarding lean patients with PCOS. The aim of this narrative review is to shed light on the debate prevailing regarding characteristics, as well as metabolic, hematological, and potential management modalities. Literature review was performed from January 1, 2000 to March 31, 2017 with specific word search such as lean PCOS, hormonal abnormalities in lean PCOS, and the management of lean PCOS. All retrieved articles were carefully assessed, and data were obtained. We could conclude that the debate is still prevailing regarding this specific lean population with PCOS, especially with regard to their characteristics and management modalities. Further studies are still required to resolve this debate on the presence of PCOS in lean women.

Leading Lean: a Canadian healthcare leader's guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Fine, Benjamin A; Golden, Brian; Hannam, Rosemary; Morra, Dante

2009-01-01

Canadian healthcare organizations are increasingly asked to do more with less, and too often this has resulted in demands on staff to simply work harder and longer. Lean methodologies, originating from Japanese industrial organizations and most notably Toyota, offer an alternative - tried and tested approaches to working smarter. Lean, with its systematic approaches to reducing waste, has found its way to Canadian healthcare organizations with promising results. This article reports on a study of five Canadian healthcare providers that have recently implemented Lean. We offer stories of success but also identify potential obstacles and ways by which they may be surmounted to provide better value for our healthcare investments.

Assessing the impacts of implementing lean construction Evaluando los impactos de la implementación de lean construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis F Alarcón

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Over the last 10 years an increasing number of companies have implemented lean construction practices in an attempt to improve performance in construction projects. Most companies, and also some researchers, have reported satisfactory results from their implementation. However, there is still a need to provide more extensive analysis of the empirical evidence available to assess the impact of the implementation of lean construction. The authors have researched the implementation of the Last Planner System and other Lean Construction techniques in over one hundred construction projects over the last five years. They have also developed strategies and support tools for implementation. This paper analyzes some of the main impacts observed in the studied projects, and some of the lessons learned from implementations. The paper discusses difficulties and barriers for implementation, productivity improvements, variability reduction and effectiveness of implementation strategies. The paper also provides recommendations for future implementation and researchEn los últimos 10 años un creciente número de empresas constructoras ha implementado prácticas de Lean Construction para mejorar el desempeño de sus proyectos. La mayor parte de estas empresas, y también algunos investigadores, han informado sobre buenos resultados obtenidos en los proyectos. Sin embargo, todavía es necesario un análisis más completo de la evidencia empírica disponible para evaluar así el impacto de Lean Construction en los proyectos y empresas. Los autores han investigado la implementación del Sistema Ultimo Planificador y otras técnicas de Lean Construction en mas de un centenar de proyectos en los últimos 5 años y han desarrollado estrategias y herramientas de apoyo para su implementación. Este artículo analiza algunos de los principales impactos observados en los proyectos estudiados y las lecciones aprendidas en este proceso. Se discuten dificultades y barreras

Quality and Competitiveness: A Lean Six Sigma Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina-Virginia Drăgulănescu

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Originally developed to improve the quality and production efficiency, Lean Six Sigma is now widely adopted in other non-manufacturing sectors such as financial, trade, services, etc. The methodology known as Lean Six Sigma combines the Six Sigma techniques, ‒ which allow companies to reduce manufacturing defects ‒ and the Lean Manufacturing principles, ‒ which help companies benefit from faster processing for lower costs and with superior quality. As a result of the research, the authors observed that, despite growing popularity and impressive outcomes obtained by some companies, the Lean Six Sigma model does not always offer the expected results. However, the research has shown that the analysed company, operating in the field of courier services has managed to boost productivity and competitiveness by implementing measures that generated added value.

'Lean' approach gives greater efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Call, Roger

2014-02-01

Adapting the 'Lean' methodologies used for many years by many manufacturers on the production line - such as in the automotive industry - and deploying them in healthcare 'spaces' can, Roger Call, an architect at Herman Miller Healthcare in the US, argues, 'easily remedy many of the inefficiencies' found within a healthcare facility. In an article that first appeared in the September 2013 issue of The Australian Hospital Engineer, he explains how 'Lean' approaches such as the 'Toyota production system', and 'Six Sigma', can be harnessed to good effect in the healthcare sphere.

Gasoline surrogate modeling of gasoline ignition in a rapid compression machine and comparison to experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mehl, M; Kukkadapu, G; Kumar, K; Sarathy, S M; Pitz, W J; Sung, S J

2011-09-15

The use of gasoline in homogeneous charge compression ignition engines (HCCI) and in duel fuel diesel - gasoline engines, has increased the need to understand its compression ignition processes under engine-like conditions. These processes need to be studied under well-controlled conditions in order to quantify low temperature heat release and to provide fundamental validation data for chemical kinetic models. With this in mind, an experimental campaign has been undertaken in a rapid compression machine (RCM) to measure the ignition of gasoline mixtures over a wide range of compression temperatures and for different compression pressures. By measuring the pressure history during ignition, information on the first stage ignition (when observed) and second stage ignition are captured along with information on the phasing of the heat release. Heat release processes during ignition are important because gasoline is known to exhibit low temperature heat release, intermediate temperature heat release and high temperature heat release. In an HCCI engine, the occurrence of low-temperature and intermediate-temperature heat release can be exploited to obtain higher load operation and has become a topic of much interest for engine researchers. Consequently, it is important to understand these processes under well-controlled conditions. A four-component gasoline surrogate model (including n-heptane, iso-octane, toluene, and 2-pentene) has been developed to simulate real gasolines. An appropriate surrogate mixture of the four components has been developed to simulate the specific gasoline used in the RCM experiments. This chemical kinetic surrogate model was then used to simulate the RCM experimental results for real gasoline. The experimental and modeling results covered ultra-lean to stoichiometric mixtures, compressed temperatures of 640-950 K, and compression pressures of 20 and 40 bar. The agreement between the experiments and model is encouraging in terms of first

Improving a Dental School's Clinic Operations Using Lean Process Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Fonda G; Cunningham, Larry L; Turner, Sharon P; Lindroth, John; Ray, Deborah; Khan, Talib; Yates, Audrey

2016-10-01

The term "lean production," also known as "Lean," describes a process of operations management pioneered at the Toyota Motor Company that contributed significantly to the success of the company. Although developed by Toyota, the Lean process has been implemented at many other organizations, including those in health care, and should be considered by dental schools in evaluating their clinical operations. Lean combines engineering principles with operations management and improvement tools to optimize business and operating processes. One of the core concepts is relentless elimination of waste (non-value-added components of a process). Another key concept is utilization of individuals closest to the actual work to analyze and improve the process. When the medical center of the University of Kentucky adopted the Lean process for improving clinical operations, members of the College of Dentistry trained in the process applied the techniques to improve inefficient operations at the Walk-In Dental Clinic. The purpose of this project was to reduce patients' average in-the-door-to-out-the-door time from over four hours to three hours within 90 days. Achievement of this goal was realized by streamlining patient flow and strategically relocating key phases of the process. This initiative resulted in patient benefits such as shortening average in-the-door-to-out-the-door time by over an hour, improving satisfaction by 21%, and reducing negative comments by 24%, as well as providing opportunity to implement the electronic health record, improving teamwork, and enhancing educational experiences for students. These benefits were achieved while maintaining high-quality patient care with zero adverse outcomes during and two years following the process improvement project.

Does lean muddy the quality improvement waters? A qualitative study of how a hospital management team understands lean in the context of quality improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Savage, Carl; Parke, Louise; von Knorring, Mia; Mazzocato, Pamela

2016-10-19

Health care has experimented with many different quality improvement (QI) approaches with greater variation in name than content. This has been dubbed pseudoinnovation. However, it could also be that the subtleties and differences are not clearly understood. To explore this further, the purpose of this study was to explore how hospital managers perceive lean in the context of QI. We used a qualitative study design with semi-structured interviews to explore twelve top managers' perceptions of the relationship between lean and quality improvement (QI) at a university-affiliated hospital. Managers described that QI and lean shared the same overall purpose: focus on patient needs and improve efficiency and effectiveness. Employee involvement was emphasized in both strategies, as well as the support offered by managers of staff initiatives. QI was perceived as a strategy that could support structural changes at the organizational level whereas lean was seen as applicable at the operational level. Moreover, lean carried a negative connotation, lacked the credibility of QI, and was perceived as a management fad. Aspects of QI and lean were misunderstood. In a context where lean remains an abstract term, and staff associate lean with automotive applications and cost reduction, it may be fruitful for managers to invest time and resources to develop a strategy for continual improvement and utilize vocabulary that resonates with health care staff. This could reduce the risk that improvement efforts are rejected out of hand.

Relationship Between Lean Production and Operational Performance in the Manufacturing Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Rasi, Raja Zuraidah R. M.; Syamsyul Rakiman, Umol; Ahmad, Md Fauzi Bin

2015-05-01

Nowadays, more and more manufacturing firms have started to implement lean production system in their operations. Lean production viewed as one of the mechanism to maintain the organisation's position and to compete globally. However, many fail to apply the lean concepts successfully in their operations. Based on previous studies, implementation of lean production in the manufacturing industry is more focused on the relationship between Lean and Operational Performance of one dimension only. Therefore, this study attempted to examine the relationship between Lean Production (LP) and Operational Performance in 4 dimensions which are quality, delivery, cost and flexibility. This study employed quantitative study using questionnaires. Data was collected from 50 manufacturing industries. The data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 22.0. This study is hoped to shed new understanding on the concept of Lean Production (LP) in regards of Operational Performance covering the 4 dimensions.

NOx storage and reduction over a lean-burn automotive catalyst

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scholz, C.M.L.

2007-01-01

Nowadays, there is an increased interest in lean-burn technologies, i.e. diesel and lean-burn gasoline engines, mainly due to their higher fuel efficiency compared to conventional gasoline engines. Lean-burn engines work under excess oxygen and consequently produce oxygen-rich exhaust. This

Ignition of a lean PRF/air mixture under RCCI/SCCI conditions: A comparative DNS study

KAUST Repository

Luong, Minh Bau

2016-10-11

The ignition characteristics of a lean primary reference fuel (PRF)/air mixture under reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) and stratified charge compression ignition (SCCI) conditions are investigated using 2-D direct numerical simulations (DNSs) with a 116-species reduced mechanism of PRF oxidation. For RCCI combustion, n-heptane and iso-octane are used as two different reactivity fuels and the corresponding global PRF number is PRF50 which is also used as a single fuel for SCCI combustion. The 2-D DNSs of RCCI/SCCI combustion are performed by varying degree of fuel stratification, r, and turbulence intensity, u\\', at different initial mean temperature, T , with negatively-correlated T-r fields. It is found that in the low- and intermediate-temperature regimes, the overall combustion of RCCI cases occurs earlier and its mean heat release rate (HRR) is more distributed over time than those of the corresponding SCCI cases. This is because PRF number stratification, PRF\\', plays a dominant role and T\\' has a negligible effect on the overall combustion within the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) regime. In the high-temperature regime, however, the difference between RCCI and SCCI combustion becomes marginal because the ignition of the PRF/air mixture is highly-sensitive to T\\' rather than PRF\\' and ϕ(symbol)\\'. The Damköhler number analysis verifies that the mean HRR is more distributed over time with increasing r because the portion of deflagration mode of combustion becomes larger with increasing fuel stratification. Finally, it is found that the overall combustion of both RCCI and SCCI cases becomes more like the 0-D ignition with increasing u\\' due to the homogenization of initial mixture by turbulent mixing.

Superplasticity in a lean Fe-Mn-Al steel.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jeongho; Kang, Seok-Hyeon; Lee, Seung-Joon; Kawasaki, Megumi; Lee, Han-Joo; Ponge, Dirk; Raabe, Dierk; Lee, Young-Kook

2017-09-29

Superplastic alloys exhibit extremely high ductility (>300%) without cracks when tensile-strained at temperatures above half of their melting point. Superplasticity, which resembles the flow behavior of honey, is caused by grain boundary sliding in metals. Although several non-ferrous and ferrous superplastic alloys are reported, their practical applications are limited due to high material cost, low strength after forming, high deformation temperature, and complicated fabrication process. Here we introduce a new compositionally lean (Fe-6.6Mn-2.3Al, wt.%) superplastic medium Mn steel that resolves these limitations. The medium Mn steel is characterized by ultrafine grains, low material costs, simple fabrication, i.e., conventional hot and cold rolling, low deformation temperature (ca. 650 °C) and superior ductility above 1300% at 850 °C. We suggest that this ultrafine-grained medium Mn steel may accelerate the commercialization of superplastic ferrous alloys.Research in new alloy compositions and treatments may allow the increased strength of mass-produced, intricately shaped parts. Here authors introduce a superplastic medium manganese steel which has an inexpensive lean chemical composition and which is suited for conventional manufacturing processes.

Fracture Energy of High-Strength Concrete in Compression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl, H.; Brincker, Rune

1989-01-01

is essential for understanding the fracture mechanism of concrete in compression. In this paper a series of tests is reported, carried out for the purpose of studying the fracture mechanical properties of concrete in compression. Including the measurement and study of the descending branch, a new experimental...

High temperature compression tests performed on doped fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duguay, C.; Mocellin, A.; Dehaudt, P.; Fantozzi, G.

1997-01-01

The use of additives of corundum structure M 2 O 3 (M=Cr, Al) is an effective way of promoting grain growth of uranium dioxide. The high-temperature compressive deformation of large-grained UO 2 doped with these oxides has been investigated and compared with that of pure UO 2 with a standard microstructure. Such doped fuels are expected to exhibit enhanced plasticity. Their use would therefore reduce the pellet-cladding mechanical interaction and thus improve the performances of the nuclear fuel. (orig.)

[Research on the Application of Lean Management in Medical Consumables Material Logistics Management].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chai; Zhang, Wei; Gu, Wei; Shen, Aizong

2016-11-01

Solve the problems of high cost, low utilization rate of resources, low medical care quality problem in medical consumables material logistics management for scientific of medical consumables management. Analysis of the problems existing in the domestic medical consumables material logistics management in hospital, based on lean management method, SPD(Supply, Processing, Distribution) for specific applications, combined HBOS(Hospital Business Operation System), HIS (Hospital Information System) system for medical consumables material management. Achieve the lean management in medical consumables material purchase, warehouse construction, push, clinical use and retrospect. Lean management in medical consumables material can effectively control the cost in logistics management, optimize the alocation of resources, liberate unnecessary time of medical staff, improve the quality of medical care. It is a scientific management method.

Should insulin resistance be screened in lean hirsute women?

Science.gov (United States)

Arduc, Ayse; Sarıcam, Orkun; Dogan, Bercem Aycicek; Tuna, Mazhar Muslum; Tutuncu, Yasemin Ates; Isik, Serhat; Berker, Dilek; Sennaroglu, Engin; Guler, Serdar

2015-04-01

The role of insulin resistance (IR) is well-documented in obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Controversies exist concerning the presence of IR in idiopathic hirsutism (IH) or if it is a manifestation of high body mass index (BMI). We aimed to investigate the presence/absence of IR in lean hirsute women. One-hundred fifty-one lean women with hirsutism [96 PCOS (group 1) and 55 IH (group 2)] and 58 age-and BMI-matched healthy controls (group 3) were recruited in the study (mean age 25.21 ± 6.1 versus 26.26 ± 4.6years; BMI 21.79 ± 1.7 versus 22.02 ± 2.2 kg/m(2), respectively). Significantly higher insulin and HOMA-IR, and significantly lower fasting glucose insulin ratio (FGIR), quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), reciprocal insulin, and Raynaud index were detected in groups 1 and 2 than in group 3 (p  2, FGIR lean hirsute women regardless of they having PCOS or IH. IR may contribute to aetiopathogenesis of IH, or may cause some metabolic abnormalities in these patients.

Lean Production and information technology : Connection or contradiction?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Riezebos, Jan; Klingenberg, Warse; Hicks, Christian

The principles of Lean Production have enabled organisations in the manufacturing and service sectors to significantly improve their competitiveness. The application of Lean principles, derived from the Toyota Production System has enabled many organisations to Simultaneously improve productivity,

Application of a mathematical model for ergonomics in lean manufacturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Botti, Lucia; Mora, Cristina; Regattieri, Alberto

2017-10-01

The data presented in this article are related to the research article "Integrating ergonomics and lean manufacturing principles in a hybrid assembly line" (Botti et al., 2017) [1]. The results refer to the application of the mathematical model for the design of lean processes in hybrid assembly lines, meeting both the lean principles and the ergonomic requirements for safe assembly work. Data show that the success of a lean strategy is possible when ergonomics of workers is a parameter of the assembly process design.

LEAN ACCOUNTING: SUATU ALTERNATIF TEKNIK AKUNTANSI MANAJEMEN DALAM INDUSTRI MANUFAKTUR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eka Ardhani Sisdyani

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Manufacturing techniques have been developed to embrace theaims of continuous improvement. Continuous improvement would leadcompanies to win business competition. One technique that gains moreand more followers is lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing hastwo main purposes, which are eliminating wastes and creating valuesto customers. It focuses on customer values, value stream, productionflows, demand-pull, and perfection. Lean accounting is needed tosupport and encourage the development of lean manufacturing, forinstances in product costing system, external reporting, and otherdecision making processes that need accounting data.

Lean principles and defense information technology acquisition: An investigation of the determinants of successful application

Science.gov (United States)

Haley, M.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not there have been successful applications of lean manufacturing principles in highly variable defense IT environments. Specifically, the study assessed if implementation of the lean philosophies by a defense organization yielded repeatable, predictable results in software release schedules reductions. Additionally, the study set out to determine what potential critical success factors (CSF's) were documented in the secondary data captured for each release, and extracted the variables used in the decision making for acceptability of fielding. In evaluating lean applicability to the high variability environment of USAF IT acquisitions, the research was conducted using non-experimental quantitative methods of archival secondary data. The sample for this case study was compiled from a USAF office that had implemented these techniques in pre-development, development and testing, and fielding phases. Based on the research data, acquisitionists and lean practitioners are inherently interconnected. Therefore, an understanding that critical success factors (CSFs) are integral to successful lean application in DoD IT acquisitions is crucial. Through a combination of synergistic alignments, plyometric CSFs were discovered to maximize the effects of each single CSF to produce rapid results in defense IT acquisitions. These include: (1) Enterprise Incorporation, (2) Team Trust, (3) Transformational Leadership, (4) Recursive Improvement, (5) Integrated Synergy, (6) Customer-Centric Culture and (7) Heuristic Communication.

Succesful Lean Manufacturing Implementation: Internal Key Influencing Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Virginia, Iuga; Claudiu, Kifor

2015-09-01

Manufacturing sectors and companies all over the world are successfully implementing lean principles within their processes. Nowadays, lean has become an indispensable part of global players. Companies worldwide need to be aware of multiple factors which weigh heavily on the success or failure of lean implementation. This paper focuses on giving a brief and structured overview over the fundamental organizational factors which play a substantial role for the lean manufacturing (LM) implementation process. The study below focuses on internal factors which are indispensable for a successful LM implementation within organizations. It is imperative that these internal factors are known, recognized and taken into consideration during the whole LM implementation process. Ignoring their influence on the process's implementation may lead to endangering the expected results or to making the process more difficult which could result in much higher human resource consumption.

Ares Launch Vehicles Lean Practices Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Doreswamy, Rajiv; Self, Timothy A.

2007-01-01

The Ares launch vehicles team, managed by the Ares Projects Office (APO) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, has completed the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle System Requirements Review and System Definition Review and early design work for the Ares V Cargo Launch Vehicle. This paper provides examples of how Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen events, and Six Sigma practices are helping APO deliver a new space transportation capability on time and within budget, while still meeting stringent technical requirements. For example, Lean philosophies have been applied to numerous process definition efforts and existing process improvement activities, including the Ares I-X test flight Certificate of Flight Readiness (CoFR) process, risk management process, and review board organization and processes. Ares executives learned Lean practices firsthand, making the team "smart buyers" during proposal reviews and instilling the team with a sense of what is meant by "value-added" activities. Since the goal of the APO is to field launch vehicles at a reasonable cost and on an ambitious schedule, adopting Lean philosophies and practices will be crucial to the Ares Project's long-term SUCCESS.

The current state of Lean implementation in health care: literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Poksinska, Bozena

2010-01-01

The purpose of this article is to discuss the current state of implementation of Lean production in health care. The study focuses on the definition of Lean in health care and implementation process, barriers, challenges, enablers, and outcomes of implementing Lean production methods in health care. A comprehensive search of the literature concerning the implementation of Lean production in health care was used to generate a synthesis of the literature around the chosen research questions. Lean production in health care is mostly used as a process improvement approach and focuses on 3 main areas: (1) defining value from the patient point of view, (2) mapping value streams, and (3) eliminating waste in an attempt to create continuous flow. Value stream mapping is the most frequently applied Lean tool in health care. The usual implementation steps include conducting Lean training, initiating pilot projects, and implementing improvements using interdisciplinary teams. One of the barriers is lack of educators and consultants who have their roots in the health care sector and can provide support by sharing experience and giving examples from real-life applications of Lean in health care. The enablers of Lean in health care seem not to be different from the enablers of any other change initiative. The outcomes can be divided into 2 broad areas: the performance of the health care system and the development of employees and work environment.

Leaning on lean: the reception of a management fashion in Germany

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Benders, J.G.J.M.; Bijsterveld, M.J.L. van

2000-01-01

The ‘fashionable’ concept of lean production has been discussed more intensively in Germany than elsewhere in Europe but has resulted not only in rationalisation measures such as downsizing and delayering but also in implementing ‘Gruppenarbeit’. Through interpretation processes at different levels,

Neutron scattering experiments of the ionic crystal deformed plastically with uniaxial compression under high temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsuchiya, Yoshinori; Minakawa, Nobuaki; Aizawa, Kazuya; Ozawa, Kunio [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1996-04-01

As an aim of huge growth of alkali halide (AH) single crystal, a mosaic structure of small size AH single crystal deformed plastically with uniaxial compression under high temperature was evaluated due to its neutron irradiation experiment. Using TAS-2 installed at JRR-3M guide hole of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, locking curve at a representative face factor of the specimen was measured to observe the mosaic structure accompanied with expansion of the crystal due to compression. As a result, though the specimen before compression could be supposed to be divided to some parts already, the locking curve under 10 sec. of compression time showed already some fracture to divisions to suppose finer degradation of the crystal, and division of the locking curve at 600 sec. of compression time could be observed onto its 220 face. And, every compressed specimens showed some changes of crystallization method from standard sample. (G.K.)

Simulation-enhanced lean design process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jon H. Marvel

2009-07-01

Full Text Available 72 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} A traditional lean transformation process does not validate the future state before implementation, relying instead on a series of iterations to modify the system until performance is satisfactory. An enhanced lean process that includes future state validation before implementation is presented.  Simulation modeling and experimentation is proposed as the primary validation tool.  Simulation modeling and experimentation extends value stream mapping to include time, the behavior of individual entities, structural variability, random variability, and component interaction effects. Experiments to analyze the model and draw conclusions about whether the lean transformation effectively addresses the current state gap can be conducted.  Industrial applications of the enhanced lean process show it effectiveness.

Lean Government Methods Guide

Science.gov (United States)

This Guide focuses primarily on Lean production, which is an organizational improvement philosophy and set of methods that originated in manufacturing but has been expanded to government and service sectors.

Does accelerometer feedback on high-quality chest compression improve survival rate? An in-hospital cardiac arrest simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Min Hee; Oh, Je Hyeok; Kim, Chan Woong; Kim, Sung Eun; Lee, Dong Hoon; Chang, Wen Joen

2015-08-01

We investigated whether visual feedback from an accelerometer device facilitated high-quality chest compressions during an in-hospital cardiac arrest simulation using a manikin. Thirty health care providers participated in an in-hospital cardiac arrest simulation with 1 minute of continuous chest compressions. Chest compressions were performed on a manikin lying on a bed according to visual feedback from an accelerometer feedback device. The manikin and accelerometer recorded chest compression data simultaneously. The simulated patient was deemed to have survived when the chest compression data satisfied all of the preset high-quality chest compression criteria (depth ≥51 mm, rate >100 per minute, and ≥95% full recoil). Survival rates were calculated from the feedback device and manikin data. The survival rate according to the feedback device data was 80%; however, the manikin data indicated a significantly lower survival rate (46.7%; P = .015). The difference between the accelerometer and manikin survival rates was not significant for participants with a body mass index greater than or equal to 20 kg/m(2) (93.3 vs 73.3%, respectively; P = .330); however, the difference in survival rate was significant in participants with body mass index less than 20 kg/m(2) (66.7 vs 20.0%, respectively; P = .025). The use of accelerometer feedback devices to facilitate high-quality chest compression may not be appropriate for lightweight rescuers because of the potential for compression depth overestimation. Clinical Research Information Service (KCT0001449). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simulation of operational processes in hospital emergency units as lean healthcare tool

OpenAIRE

Gomes, Andreia Macedo; Vieira, Pedro Senna; Reis, Augusto da Cunha

2017-01-01

Recently, the Lean philosophy is gaining importance due to a competitive environment, which increases the need to reduce costs. Lean practices and tools have been applied to manufacturing, services, supply chain, startups and, the next frontier is healthcare. Most lean techniques can be easily adapted to health organizations. Therefore, this paper intends to summarize Lean practices and tools that are already being applied in health organizations. Among the numerous techniques and lean tools ...

Numerical Simulations of Hollow-Cone Injection and Gasoline Compression Ignition Combustion With Naphtha Fuels

KAUST Repository

Badra, Jihad A.

2016-01-29

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI), also known as partially premixed compression ignition (PPCI) and gasoline direct injection compression ignition (GDICI), engines have been considered an attractive alternative to traditional spark ignition (SI) engines. Lean-burn combustion with the direct injection of fuel eliminates throttle losses for higher thermodynamic efficiencies, and the precise control of the mixture compositions allows better emission performance such as NOx and particulate matter (PM). Recently, low octane gasoline fuel has been identified as a viable option for the GCI engine applications due to its longer ignition delay characteristics compared to diesel and lighter evaporation compared to gasoline fuel (Chang et al., 2012, "Enabling High Efficiency Direct Injection Engine With Naphtha Fuel Through Partially Premixed Charge Compression Ignition Combustion," SAE Technical Paper No. 2012-01-0677). The feasibility of such a concept has been demonstrated by experimental investigations at Saudi Aramco (Chang et al., 2012, "Enabling High Efficiency Direct Injection Engine With Naphtha Fuel Through Partially Premixed Charge Compression Ignition Combustion," SAE Technical Paper No. 2012-01-0677; Chang et al., 2013, "Fuel Economy Potential of Partially Premixed Compression Ignition (PPCI) Combustion With Naphtha Fuel," SAE Technical Paper No. 2013-01-2701). The present study aims to develop predictive capabilities for low octane gasoline fuel compression ignition (CI) engines with accurate characterization of the spray dynamics and combustion processes. Full three-dimensional simulations were conducted using converge as a basic modeling framework, using Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulent mixing models. An outwardly opening hollow-cone spray injector was characterized and validated against existing and new experimental data. An emphasis was made on the spray penetration characteristics. Various spray breakup and collision models have been

Instill Lean A3 Thinking into Healthcare IT Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jihong Zeng

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Healthcare information technology is a key enabler for care transformation to provide quality care at low cost and better population health.  Many healthcare organizations have established IT Program Management and adopted ITIL best practice to manage IT services. However, ITIL and traditional project management are heavily process oriented, and neither flexible nor effective enough for swift response to changing business demand. Lean methodologies are increasingly deployed by healthcare providers to improve workflow process management but only has limited use cases documented in healthcare IT service. This paper introduces the Lean A3 Thinking methodology and its value in identifying and eliminating wastes to provide agile and effective solutions in response to customer requests. We present a case study of applying Lean A3 Thinking to improve clinical informatics reporting service. The initial evaluation results are promising and indicate that both ITIL and Lean A3 Thinking focus on customer and service quality, complementing each other well. ITIL provides a framework for ITSM based on a set of best practice to manage IT services. Lean A3 Thinking specifies a set of framework and tools for improving quality of services and processes by eliminating wastes. Proper balance between Lean and ITIL principles for ITSM needs more research and further study.

A Simulation of Lean Manufacturing: The Lean Lemonade Tycoon 2

Science.gov (United States)

Ncube, Lisa B.

2010-01-01

This article discusses the functions and effectiveness of games and simulations in the learning processes, in particular as an experiential learning methodology. The application of the game Lemonade Tycoon in the development of lean manufacturing concepts is described. This article addresses the use of the game to teach the principles of lean…

Developing A Strategy to Enact Lean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicola Morrey

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper explains the strategy employed by a case study company to implement lean across the business, and to reflect on the success of this approach so other companies may consider this learning and how it might be useful to them. The strategy to enact lean in the case study company was based on creating a number of standard tools/ways of working. These tools can be considered to be standardised work for key aspects of the construction process that the company undertakes. The aim of the tools was to ensure that critical tasks would be carried out to the correct standard (quality, time, cost, health and safety every time, across the business. Achievement of this is expected to lead to improved performance and elimination of variation (waste. To implement this strategy of using standardised work to eliminate variation and lead to improved performance, a step-by-step process was developed to create the tools/standardised work. The paper describes the process that was undertaken and how it aimed to not only produce a number of tools/standardised work, but also to involve people and managers from across the business such that lean philosophy and thinking might also begin to become embedded. The paper will firstly explain, with reference to the relevant literature, how and why the strategy to implement standardised work was chosen, the process that was defined to develop the standardised work, and what happened when that process was put into practice. The findings of the paper show that whilst the completed tools delivered business benefits, the development of the tools did not follow the planned process. The paper discusses how people within the business responded to this strategy and how the process had to be continuously adapted to cope with the current business environment and path dependencies, further evidencing that lean implementations need to be tailored to suit the needs of the individual firm, rather than there being a one size fits all

Design thinking & lean

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bravos, Cynthia; Adler, Isabel K.

2015-01-01

This paper aims at presenting how a Brazilian innovation consultancy guided a collaborative development of a mobile solution using the Design Thinking approach (Vianna et al, 2012) and Lean principles (Ries, 2011). It will describe tools and methods used and how it was applied to requirement gath...

DNABIT Compress - Genome compression algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajarajeswari, Pothuraju; Apparao, Allam

2011-01-22

Data compression is concerned with how information is organized in data. Efficient storage means removal of redundancy from the data being stored in the DNA molecule. Data compression algorithms remove redundancy and are used to understand biologically important molecules. We present a compression algorithm, "DNABIT Compress" for DNA sequences based on a novel algorithm of assigning binary bits for smaller segments of DNA bases to compress both repetitive and non repetitive DNA sequence. Our proposed algorithm achieves the best compression ratio for DNA sequences for larger genome. Significantly better compression results show that "DNABIT Compress" algorithm is the best among the remaining compression algorithms. While achieving the best compression ratios for DNA sequences (Genomes),our new DNABIT Compress algorithm significantly improves the running time of all previous DNA compression programs. Assigning binary bits (Unique BIT CODE) for (Exact Repeats, Reverse Repeats) fragments of DNA sequence is also a unique concept introduced in this algorithm for the first time in DNA compression. This proposed new algorithm could achieve the best compression ratio as much as 1.58 bits/bases where the existing best methods could not achieve a ratio less than 1.72 bits/bases.

Industry 4.0 implies lean manufacturing: research activities in industry 4.0 function as enablers for lean manufacturing

OpenAIRE

Sanders, Adam; Elangeswaran, Chola; Wulfsberg, Jens

2016-01-01

Purpose: Lean Manufacturing is widely regarded as a potential methodology to improve productivity and decrease costs in manufacturing organisations. The success of lean manufacturing demands consistent and conscious efforts from the organisation, and has to overcome several hindrances. Industry 4.0 makes a factory smart by applying advanced information and communication systems and future-oriented technologies. This paper analyses the incompletely perceived link between Industr...

Contribution of Lean Management to Excellence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

López-Fresno Palmira

2014-11-01

Full Text Available To continuously and systematically improve efficiency and efficacy of processes, organizations need the implication of all employees in continuous improvement and innovation through suitable Quality Management Programs (QMPs. Effectiveness of these programs is directly linked to the requirement employees understand the methodologies and tools used for QM and the benefits that will derivate from their implementation, individually and collectively, so they can commit and implicate. Lean Management is a friendly methodology to continuously and systematically achieve process improvement, so helping the organization seeking operational excellence that contributes to overall excellence. This paper identifies Critical Success Factors (CSFs for an effective implementation of QMPs, suggests Lean Management as an easy-to-understand, powerful and friendly methodology for operational excellence and overall excellence, and presents a case experience of implementation of Lean Management in a health care organization that applies the EFQM model, and the lessons learnt.

Implementing lean office: a successful case in public sector

OpenAIRE

Monteiro, Mónica F. J. R.; Pacheco, Claudia C. L.; Dinis-Carvalho, José; Paiva, Francisco C.

2015-01-01

Applying lean approaches in office areas can lead to performance improvements and other benefits as achieved in traditional manufacturing environments. The intangibility of office operations may appear as a major difficulty for lean implementations but in fact the benefits achievable are as important as the ones achieved in manufacturing environments. This paper reports a successful case of lean office implementation in a public sector organization giving emphasis to its major performance imp...

Lean and Efficient Software: Whole-Program Optimization of Executables

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-30

Lean and Efficient Software: Whole-Program Optimization of Executables” Project Summary Report #5 (Report Period: 7/1/2015 to 9/30/2015...TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2015 to 00-00-2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Lean and Efficient Software: Whole-Program Optimization of Executables 5a...unclassified c. THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Lean and Efficient Software: Whole-Program

Influence of curing regimes on compressive strength of ultra high

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The present paper is aimed to identify an efficient curing regime for ultra high performance concrete (UHPC), to achieve a target compressive strength more than 150 MPa, using indigenous materials. The thermal regime plays a vital role due to the limited fineness of ingredients and low water/binder ratio. By activation of the ...

Comparison of problem solving tools in lean organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iuga Maria Virginia

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As global market competition is getting fiercer, and companies are looking at ways to stay on top, more and more organizations are looking at Lean Manufacturing and lean tools to support them in achieving their goals. Especially within the automotive industry, lean practices are very well received. The speed at which the automotive industry is evolving, especially but not only, in countries like Romania, leads to the need to carefully analyze lean manufacturing concepts, examine them against local production conditions, and to develop and standardize them. One of the most important things to take into consideration here is the application of an adequate problem solving technique to avoid waste. The objective of this research paper lies in analyzing and comparing the problem-solving methods recommended by the Toyota Production System, and to propose their appropriate application at shop floor, in relation to the specific problem type.

Acceptance of lean redesigns in primary care: A contextual analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Dorothy; Gray, Caroline; Martinez, Meghan; Schmittdiel, Julie; Harrison, Michael I

Lean is a leading change strategy used in health care to achieve short-term efficiency and quality improvement while promising longer-term system transformation. Most research examines Lean intervention to address isolated problems, rather than to achieve broader systemic changes to care delivery. Moreover, no studies examine contextual influences on system-wide Lean implementation efforts in primary care. The aim of this study was to identify contextual factors most critical to implementing and scaling Lean redesigns across all primary care clinics in a large, ambulatory care delivery system. Over 100 interviews and focus groups were conducted with frontline physicians, clinical staff, and operational leaders. Data analysis was guided by a modified Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), a popular implementation science framework. On the basis of expert recommendations, the modified framework targets factors influencing the implementation of process redesigns. This modified framework, the CFIR-PR, informed our identification of contextual factors that most impacted Lean acceptance among frontline physicians and staff. Several domains identified by the CFIR-PR were critical to acceptance of Lean redesigns. Regarding the implementation process acceptance was influenced by time and intensity of exposure to changes, "top-down" versus "bottom-up" implementation styles, and degrees of employee engagement in developing new workflows. Important factors in the inner setting were the clinic's culture and style of leadership, along with availability of information about Lean's effectiveness. Last, implementation efforts were impacted by individual and team characteristics regarding changed work roles and related issues of professional identity, authority, and autonomy. This study underscores the need for change leaders to consider the contextual factors that surround efforts to implement Lean in primary care. As Lean redesigns are scaled across a system

Readiness factors for lean implementation in healthcare settings--a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Balushi, S; Sohal, A S; Singh, P J; Al Hajri, A; Al Farsi, Y M; Al Abri, R

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to determine the readiness factors that are critical to the application and success of lean operating principles in healthcare organizations through a review of relevant literature. A comprehensive review of literature focussing on lean and lean healthcare was conducted. Leadership, organizational culture, communication, training, measurement, and reward systems are all commonly attributed readiness factors throughout general change management and lean literature. However, directly related to the successful implementation of lean in healthcare is that a setting is able to authorize a decentralized management style and undertake an end-to-end process view. These can be particularly difficult initiatives for complex organizations such as healthcare settings. The readiness factors identified are based on a review of the published literature. The external validity of the findings could be enhanced if tested using an empirical study. The readiness factors identified will enable healthcare practitioners to be better prepared as they begin their lean journeys. Sustainability of the lean initiative will be at stake if these readiness factors are not addressed. To the best of the knowledge, this is the first paper that provides a consolidated list of key lean readiness factors that can guide practice, as well as future theory and empirical research.

The roles of communication process for an effective lean manufacturing implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perumal Puvanasvaran

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Many companies are implementing lean manufacturing concept in order to remain competitive and sustainable, however, not many of them are successful in the process due to various reasons. Communication is an important aspect of lean process in order to successfully implement lean manufacturing.  This paper determines the roles of communication process in ensuring a successful implementation of leanness in manufacturing companies. All the information of lean manufacturing practices and roles of communication in the implementation were compiled from related journals, books and websites. A study was conducted in an aerospace manufacturing in Malaysia. A five-point scale questionnaire is used as the study instrument. These questionnaires were distributed to 45 employees working in a kitting department and to 8 top management people. The results indicate that the degree of leanness were moderate.

Compressed gas domestic aerosol valve design using high viscous product

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A Nourian

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Most of the current universal consumer aerosol products using high viscous product such as cooking oil, antiperspirants, hair removal cream are primarily used LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas propellant which is unfriendly environmental. The advantages of the new innovative technology described in this paper are: i. No butane or other liquefied hydrocarbon gas is used as a propellant and it replaced with Compressed air, nitrogen or other safe gas propellant. ii. Customer acceptable spray quality and consistency during can lifetime iii. Conventional cans and filling technology There is only a feasible energy source which is inert gas (i.e. compressed air to replace VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds and greenhouse gases, which must be avoided, to improve atomisation by generating gas bubbles and turbulence inside the atomiser insert and the actuator. This research concentrates on using "bubbly flow" in the valve stem, with injection of compressed gas into the passing flow, thus also generating turbulence. The new valve designed in this investigation using inert gases has advantageous over conventional valve with butane propellant using high viscous product (> 400 Cp because, when the valving arrangement is fully open, there are negligible energy losses as fluid passes through the valve from the interior of the container to the actuator insert. The use of valving arrangement thus permits all pressure drops to be controlled, resulting in improved control of atomising efficiency and flow rate, whereas in conventional valves a significant pressure drops occurs through the valve which has a complex effect on the corresponding spray.

Structure and Properties of Silica Glass Densified in Cold Compression and Hot Compression

Science.gov (United States)

Guerette, Michael; Ackerson, Michael R.; Thomas, Jay; Yuan, Fenglin; Bruce Watson, E.; Walker, David; Huang, Liping

2015-10-01

Silica glass has been shown in numerous studies to possess significant capacity for permanent densification under pressure at different temperatures to form high density amorphous (HDA) silica. However, it is unknown to what extent the processes leading to irreversible densification of silica glass in cold-compression at room temperature and in hot-compression (e.g., near glass transition temperature) are common in nature. In this work, a hot-compression technique was used to quench silica glass from high temperature (1100 °C) and high pressure (up to 8 GPa) conditions, which leads to density increase of ~25% and Young’s modulus increase of ~71% relative to that of pristine silica glass at ambient conditions. Our experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide solid evidences that the intermediate-range order of the hot-compressed HDA silica is distinct from that of the counterpart cold-compressed at room temperature. This explains the much higher thermal and mechanical stability of the former than the latter upon heating and compression as revealed in our in-situ Brillouin light scattering (BLS) experiments. Our studies demonstrate the limitation of the resulting density as a structural indicator of polyamorphism, and point out the importance of temperature during compression in order to fundamentally understand HDA silica.

Using adapted budget cost variance techniques to measure the impact of Lean – based on empirical findings in Lean case studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Thomas Borup

2015-01-01

Lean is dominating management philosophy, but the management accounting techniques that best supports this is still not fully understood. Especially how Lean fits traditional budget variance analysis, which is a main theme of every management accounting textbook. I have studied three Scandinavian...

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON EMPLOYEE’S PERCEPTION TOWARDS LEAN MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajesh Kumar MEHTA

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Lean deals with generating more value for customers by eliminating factors that are merely considered waste. Lean Manufacturing is a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste through continuous improvement. Lean Manufacturing uses less of everything and attains its set objectives by excellent teamwork, communication, and competent use of available resources & continuous Improvement. The present paper is an attempt to study employee’s perception towards lean manufacturing systems in gear industry.

Theories of lean management: an empirical evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Handel, Michael J

2014-03-01

Debates within organization theory traditionally argued the relative merits of bureaucracy but today there is broad agreement across different perspectives that bureaucratic organization is inefficient and outmoded. Despite their differences, post-bureaucratic and neo-liberal theories argue that organizations with relatively flat hierarchies and low management overhead are better adapted to current market requirements. Post-bureaucratic theory also argues that employees, as well as firms, benefit from leaner management structures. This paper investigates trends in managerial leanness, proposed explanations for such trends, and the consequences of leanness for firms and employees. Although there is a trend toward flatter management hierarchies, there is only weak support for current claims regarding both the causes and consequences of lean management. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Lean Six Sigma program in higher education

KAUST Repository

Svensson, Carsten

2015-01-01

Purpose The objective of this paper is to contribute to the body of Lean Six Sigma knowledge within the field of higher education institutions. The paper will review the initial phase of an implementation and highlight future challenges of applying the Lean Six Sigma method in a complex transactional environment. Design/methodology/approach The observations presented in this paper originate from rolling out a large Lean Six Sigma implementation at a recently established university. The paper is supported with secondary data from literature. Findings The implementation of Lean Six Sigma methodology at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has resulted in improvements in business processes and efficiency. This has been achieved through project execution and training programs. Approximately 350 staff members have completed awareness training, 50 yellow belts and 150 green belts have been trained, and the first round of seven black belts have completed training of which two have completed certification. Research limitations/implications This paper is based on an empirical study of a single instance and the authors’ experiences as practitioners. Originality/value This paper is the first description of what is believed to be one of the largest implementations of Lean Six Sigma in higher education.

[Compressive and bend strength of experimental admixed high copper alloys].

Science.gov (United States)

Sourai, P; Paximada, H; Lagouvardos, P; Douvitsas, G

1988-01-01

Mixed alloys for dental amalgams have been used mainly in the form of admixed alloys, where eutectic spheres are blend with conventional flakes. In the present study the compressive strength, bend strength and microstructure of two high-copper alloys (Tytin, Ana-2000) is compared with three experimental alloys prepared of the two high copper by mixing them in proportions of 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3 by weight. The results revealed that experimental alloys inherited high early and final strength values without any significant change in their microstructure.

Wellhead compression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harrington, Joe [Sertco Industries, Inc., Okemah, OK (United States); Vazquez, Daniel [Hoerbiger Service Latin America Inc., Deerfield Beach, FL (United States); Jacobs, Denis Richard [Hoerbiger do Brasil Industria de Equipamentos, Cajamar, SP (Brazil)

2012-07-01

Over time, all wells experience a natural decline in oil and gas production. In gas wells, the major problems are liquid loading and low downhole differential pressures which negatively impact total gas production. As a form of artificial lift, wellhead compressors help reduce the tubing pressure resulting in gas velocities above the critical velocity needed to surface water, oil and condensate regaining lost production and increasing recoverable reserves. Best results come from reservoirs with high porosity, high permeability, high initial flow rates, low decline rates and high total cumulative production. In oil wells, excessive annulus gas pressure tends to inhibit both oil and gas production. Wellhead compression packages can provide a cost effective solution to these problems by reducing the system pressure in the tubing or annulus, allowing for an immediate increase in production rates. Wells furthest from the gathering compressor typically benefit the most from wellhead compression due to system pressure drops. Downstream compressors also benefit from higher suction pressures reducing overall compression horsepower requirements. Special care must be taken in selecting the best equipment for these applications. The successful implementation of wellhead compression from an economical standpoint hinges on the testing, installation and operation of the equipment. Key challenges and suggested equipment features designed to combat those challenges and successful case histories throughout Latin America are discussed below.(author)

Roadmap for Lean implementation in Indian automotive component manufacturing industry: comparative study of UNIDO Model and ISM Model

Science.gov (United States)

Jadhav, J. R.; Mantha, S. S.; Rane, S. B.

2015-06-01

The demands for automobiles increased drastically in last two and half decades in India. Many global automobile manufacturers and Tier-1 suppliers have already set up research, development and manufacturing facilities in India. The Indian automotive component industry started implementing Lean practices to fulfill the demand of these customers. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has taken proactive approach in association with Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and the Government of India to assist Indian SMEs in various clusters since 1999 to make them globally competitive. The primary objectives of this research are to study the UNIDO-ACMA Model as well as ISM Model of Lean implementation and validate the ISM Model by comparing with UNIDO-ACMA Model. It also aims at presenting a roadmap for Lean implementation in Indian automotive component industry. This paper is based on secondary data which include the research articles, web articles, doctoral thesis, survey reports and books on automotive industry in the field of Lean, JIT and ISM. ISM Model for Lean practice bundles was developed by authors in consultation with Lean practitioners. The UNIDO-ACMA Model has six stages whereas ISM Model has eight phases for Lean implementation. The ISM-based Lean implementation model is validated through high degree of similarity with UNIDO-ACMA Model. The major contribution of this paper is the proposed ISM Model for sustainable Lean implementation. The ISM-based Lean implementation framework presents greater insight of implementation process at more microlevel as compared to UNIDO-ACMA Model.

Lean Enterprise Value Phase

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Shields, John T

2005-01-01

... using a philosophy called "lean." LAl's mission is to research, develop, and promulgate practices, tools, and knowledge that enable and accelerate the envisioned transformation of the greater US aerospace enterprise through people and processes...

Activity Behaviours in Lean and Morbidly Obese Pregnant Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazzi, Caterina; Mohd-Shukri, Nor; Denison, Fiona C; Saunders, David H; Norman, Jane E; Reynolds, Rebecca M

2018-05-17

Interventions to increase physical activity in pregnancy are challenging for morbidly obese women. Targeting sedentary behaviours may be a suitable alternative to increase energy expenditure. We aimed to determine total energy expenditure, and energy expended in sedentary activities in morbidly obese and lean pregnant women. We administered the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire PPAQ (non-objective) and the Actical accelerometer (objective) to morbidly obese (BMI≥40kg/m²) and lean (BMI≤25Kg/M²) pregnant women recruited in early (lean pregnant women. No differences were observed in the proportion of energy expended sedentary between lean and morbidly obese pregnant women. The greater total energy expenditure in morbidly obese pregnant women was corroborated by Actical accelerometer in early (n=14 per group, obese 1167.7 (313.6) Kcal; lean 781.1 (210.1) Kcal, plean 893.7 (175.9) Kcal, plean pregnant. Further studies are needed to determine whether sedentary behaviours are a suitable target for intervention in morbidly obese pregnancy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

High temperature compression tests performed on doped fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duguay, C.; Mocellin, A.; Dehaudt, P. [Commissariat a l`Energie Atomique, CEA Grenoble (France); Fantozzi, G. [INSA Lyon - GEMPPM, Villeurbanne (France)

1997-12-31

The use of additives of corundum structure M{sub 2}O{sub 3} (M=Cr, Al) is an effective way of promoting grain growth of uranium dioxide. The high-temperature compressive deformation of large-grained UO{sub 2} doped with these oxides has been investigated and compared with that of pure UO{sub 2} with a standard microstructure. Such doped fuels are expected to exhibit enhanced plasticity. Their use would therefore reduce the pellet-cladding mechanical interaction and thus improve the performances of the nuclear fuel. (orig.) 5 refs.

Using Lean Thinking at an otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic to improve quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

van Leijen-Zeelenberg, Janneke E; Brunings, Jan Wouter; Houkes, Inge; van Raak, Arno J A; Ruwaard, Dirk; Vrijhoef, Hubertus J M; Kremer, Bernd

2016-04-01

Although Lean Thinking has led to considerable improvement in a variety of healthcare settings, its effects on otorhinolaryngology remain underexposed. This study reports on how the implementation of Lean Thinking at an otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic has affected patient and provider satisfaction, waste reduction, and organizational culture. Prospective before-and-after design. The 18-month prospective before-and-after design used mixed methods for data collection and analysis. A survey was conducted to measure satisfaction among patients and providers. Semistructured interviews were conducted to evaluate the effect of Lean Thinking on waste and organizational culture. During the project, 69 issues were posted on the Lean board. Improvements were made on 36 inefficiency issues, not all concerning a specific type of waste. Employees reported considerable improvement in transportation, motion, and waiting. Patient satisfaction was high both at baseline and follow-up and did not change significantly. The effects on provider satisfaction were slight; satisfaction with autonomy and participation decreased significantly, but satisfaction with communication increased significantly. The implementation of Lean Thinking at an otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic reduced waste and increased provider satisfaction with communication. Although patient satisfaction did not change significantly, it cannot be concluded that the intervention had no effect on perceived quality of care. Other approaches to measure patients' perceptions should be considered. NA. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Successful Paths to Becoming a Lean Organization in the Construction Industry

OpenAIRE

Warcup, Robert D.

2015-01-01

Lean construction is considered a valuable solution for the declining productivity of the construction industry. This study seeks to answer the general research question: What does it take to become lean? The research explored the possible paths to becoming lean by examining the journeys of three successful lean construction firms in the U.S. The results are intended to assist other construction firms with their own transformations. This study is especially useful to executives and management...

LEAN LABORATORY APPROACHES FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE IN FOOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laxmana Naik

2011-09-01

Full Text Available A lean laboratory is one which is focused on testing products and materials to deliver results in the most efficient way in terms of cost or speed or both; primarily focused on improving measurable performance and reducing costs. The goal of a lean laboratory is to use less effort, less resources and less time to test incoming samples. Laboratories have a critical role to play in establishing and improving process capability and key performance indicator (KPI of the organization. There are inevitably many opinions as to what a lean lab actually is; here is one version fr om. Quality assurance laboratories are crucial to the success of organization and this effectiveness needs to be measurable and demonstrable. To facilitate this, a method of measuring a laboratory's progress towards complete deployment has been created by lean tools. These tools allow laboratories to conduct gap analysis and identify opportunities for improvement.

Lean management in the current context of evolution of an organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AMALIA VENERA TODORUŢ

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper I have approached issues concerning the importance of Lean Management method in the current context of evolution of an organization. With roots in the just in time method, Lean Management model focuses on the process of changes evolving and adapting to them and regards issues such as: the dimensioning of life cycle, the dimensioning of processes, the dimensioning of ranges of products. I have also presented the relationship between Lean Management method and the human factor as a determinant in forming an organizational culture which leads to the formation and development of Lean thinking. Relevant factors which determine the change and interact with the Lean Management method are: training, motivation, teamwork spirit, communication methods, training and motivation. An important aspect of this paper is to integrate Lean Management with Six Sigma, and with other managerial techniques leading to getting quality products at low costs

Antecedents and characteristics of lean thinking implementation in a Swedish hospital: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulhassan, Waqar; Sandahl, Christer; Westerlund, Hugo; Henriksson, Peter; Bennermo, Marie; von Thiele Schwarz, Ulrica; Thor, Johan

2013-01-01

Despite the reported success of Lean in health care settings, it is unclear why and how organizations adopt Lean and how Lean transforms work design and, in turn, affects employees' work. This study investigated a cardiology department's journey to adopt and adapt Lean. The investigation was focused on the rationale and evolution of the Lean adoption to illuminate how a department with a long quality improvement history arrived at the decision to introduce Lean, and how Lean influenced employees' daily work. This is an explanatory single case study based on semistructured interviews, nonparticipant observations, and document studies. Guided by a Lean model, we undertook manifest content analysis of the data. We found that previous improvement efforts may facilitate the introduction of Lean but may be less important when forecasting whether Lean will be sustained over time. Contextual factors seemed to influence both what Lean tools were implemented and how well the changes were sustained. For example, adoption of Lean varied with the degree to which staff saw a need for change. Work redesign and teamwork were found helpful to improve patient care whereas problem solving was found helpful in keeping the staff engaged and sustaining the results over time.

Illusion or delusion--Lean management in the health sector.

Science.gov (United States)

McIntosh, Bryan; Sheppy, Bruce; Cohen, Ivan

2014-01-01

There has been considerable interest in the implementation of practices imported from manufacturing into healthcare as a solution to rising healthcare spending and disappointing patient safety indicators. One approach that has attracted particular interest is Lean management and the purpose of this paper is to engage with this topic. Secondary research. Despite widespread enthusiasm about the potential of Lean management processes, evidence about its contribution to higher organisational performance remains inconsistent. This paper engages with the major Lean concepts of operations management and human resource management, including just-in-time, total quality management, total productive maintenance and does not engage in-depth with concepts related to employee empowerment, and training This paper contributes to the organisational management literature in healthcare by showing that although Lean management seems to have the potential to improve organisational performance it is far from a panacea against under performing hospitals. It informs policy making by suggesting that a progressive managerial philosophy has a stronger impact on healthcare performance than the adoption of practices from any particular managerial approach. This paper provides a critical evaluation of the impact of Lean practices in informing healthcare policy. The paper contributes to the organisational management literature in healthcare by showing that even though Lean management in healthcare appears to have the potential to improve organisational performance; there remain problems with its application.

Yalın düşünce ve Muhasebe (Lean Thinking and Accounting

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Baki Rıza BALCI

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to introduce the relationship between Lean Thinking and Accounting. It is explained in detail the kinds of reports generated when Lean Thinking implemented in accounting.It is identified that accounting, which could not keep pace with Lean Transformation and remain traditional, shares the failures of companies, who went Lean. This article emphasize that the companies that want to transform themselves into Lean, have to generate proper reports that suit Lean transformation. The types of reports are explained.Literature was scanned and some sample reports are submitted to the Turkish companies that want to go Lean and successful in their Lean efforts.

Systematic Review of the Application of Lean and Six Sigma Quality Improvement Methodologies in Radiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Amaratunga, Thelina; Dobranowski, Julian

2016-09-01

Preventable yet clinically significant rates of medical error remain systemic, while health care spending is at a historic high. Industry-based quality improvement (QI) methodologies show potential for utility in health care and radiology because they use an empirical approach to reduce variability and improve workflow. The aim of this review was to systematically assess the literature with regard to the use and efficacy of Lean and Six Sigma (the most popular of the industrial QI methodologies) within radiology. MEDLINE, the Allied & Complementary Medicine Database, Embase Classic + Embase, Health and Psychosocial Instruments, and the Ovid HealthStar database, alongside the Cochrane Library databases, were searched on June 2015. Empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals were included if they assessed the use of Lean, Six Sigma, or Lean Six Sigma with regard to their ability to improve a variety of quality metrics in a radiology-centered clinical setting. Of the 278 articles returned, 23 studies were suitable for inclusion. Of these, 10 assessed Six Sigma, 7 assessed Lean, and 6 assessed Lean Six Sigma. The diverse range of measured outcomes can be organized into 7 common aims: cost savings, reducing appointment wait time, reducing in-department wait time, increasing patient volume, reducing cycle time, reducing defects, and increasing staff and patient safety and satisfaction. All of the included studies demonstrated improvements across a variety of outcomes. However, there were high rates of systematic bias and imprecision as per the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation guidelines. Lean and Six Sigma QI methodologies have the potential to reduce error and costs and improve quality within radiology. However, there is a pressing need to conduct high-quality studies in order to realize the true potential of these QI methodologies in health care and radiology. Recommendations on how to improve the quality of the literature are proposed

Lean tool used in the automotive industry

OpenAIRE

Manuela Ingaldi; Marta Jagusiak-Kocik

2014-01-01

In the paper basic concepts of Lean Manufacturing were presented. A company specializing in the development of vehicle dynamics, driver assistance systems, brake systems, seat belt sand electronics technology was characterized. The company is engaged in designing and manufacturing world-class products for the automotive market. The Lean tools used in the production hall, such as Yamazumi chart, machine motion analysis, MTM method and timing, were presented.

Lean på sygehuset - del I: Introduktion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Martin Lindgaard; Gertsen, Frank

2009-01-01

Dette workpaper introducerer et forskningsprojekt baseret på case studier af Lean principper anvendt på et sygehus. Operationelle udfordringer i sygehusets arbejdsgange illustreres gennem et observeret patientforløb. Disse udfordringer, et oprids af sygehusenes vilkår, og gennemgang af tidligere...... tiltag omkring forbedringer på sygehusene leder frem til projektets problemstilling og tilgang i form af afprøvning af Lean principper....

Chemical structures and theoretical models of lean premixed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

To better understand the chemistry involved in the lean-fuel combustion, the chemical structure of lean premixed propene-oxygen-nitrogen flames stabilized on a flat-flame burner at atmospheric pressure was determined experimentally. The species mole fraction profiles were also computed by the Premix code and three ...

Effect of Lewis number on ball-like lean limit flames

KAUST Repository

Zhou, Zhen

2017-10-13

The lean limit flames for three different fuel compositions premixed with air, representing three different mixture Lewis numbers, stabilized inside a tube in a downward flow are examined by experiments and numerical simulations. The CH* chemiluminescence distribution in CH4–air and CH4–H2–air flames and the OH* chemiluminescence distribution in H2–air flames are recorded in the experiments. Cell-like flames are observed for the CH4–air mixture for all tested equivalence ratios. However, for CH4–H2–air and H2–air flames, ball-like lean limit flames are observed. Flame temperature fields are measured using Rayleigh scattering. The experimentally observed lean limit flames are predicted qualitatively by numerical simulation with the mixture-averaged transport model and skeletal mechanism of CH4. The results of the simulations show that the entire lean limit flames of CH4–H2–air and H2–air mixtures are located inside a recirculation zone. However, for the lean limit CH4–air flame, only the leading edge is located inside the recirculation zone. A flame structure with negative flame displacement speed is observed for the leading edges of the predicted lean limit flames with all three different fuel compositions. As compared with 1D planar flames, the fuel transport caused by convection is less significant in the present 2D lean limit flames for the three different fuel compositions. For the trailing edges of the three predicted lean limit flames, a diffusion dominated flame structure is observed.

The Role of The Executive in Lean: A Qualitative Thesis Based

OpenAIRE

P. Marksberry; S. Hughes

2011-01-01

Lean manufacturing (Lean), as evolved from the Toyota Production System (TPS), has gained traction in many businesses as a tool for efficiency and improvement. However, the role of an executive or general manager within a Lean organization has not been clearly articulated in any official or proven way. This research looks at common approaches, theories, and problems concerning the role of the executive and how it can affect companies in their efforts to adopt Lean tools and principles. This r...

Lean Manufacturing, Mass Customization and their relationships - empirical findings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Thomas Bøhm

2004-01-01

manufacturing companies in 2001-02. This study fills a void in existing research by exploring relationships between bundles of lean manufacturing practices and bundles of mass customization practices. This study is based on a questionnaire that is developed from two existing questionnaires each investigating...... bundles of lean manufacturing practices and bundles of mass customization practices separately. Here, these bundles of practices are related. The results indicate that there are no direct relationships between the lean manufacturing and the mass customization practices, but that the combination of some...... sets of practices can explain differences in performance on important dimensions. The general conclusion, however, is that there are only weak relationships between the two concepts, hence this study suggests that the concepts of lean manufacturing and mass customization at present are more mutually...

Establishing a Lean Six Sigma Program in Higher Education

KAUST Repository

Svensson, Carsten; Baessa, Mohamed A.; Bakhsh, Majed M.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The objective of this paper is a contribution to the body of Lean Six Sigma knowledge within the vertical of higher education institutions. The paper will review the initial phase of an implementation and highlight future challenges. Approach: The observations presented in this paper, originates from rolling out a large lean six sigma implementation at a newly established university. The paper is supported with secondary data from literature. Findings: The paper will discuss the challenges of applying the lean six sigma method in a complex transactional environment. Research limitations: This paper is based on an empirical study of a single instance and authors’ experiences as practitioners. Originality: This paper is the first description of what is believed to be one of the largest implementations of Lean Six Sigma in higher education.

Establishing a Lean Six Sigma Program in Higher Education

KAUST Repository

Svensson, Carsten

2013-09-12

Purpose: The objective of this paper is a contribution to the body of Lean Six Sigma knowledge within the vertical of higher education institutions. The paper will review the initial phase of an implementation and highlight future challenges. Approach: The observations presented in this paper, originates from rolling out a large lean six sigma implementation at a newly established university. The paper is supported with secondary data from literature. Findings: The paper will discuss the challenges of applying the lean six sigma method in a complex transactional environment. Research limitations: This paper is based on an empirical study of a single instance and authors’ experiences as practitioners. Originality: This paper is the first description of what is believed to be one of the largest implementations of Lean Six Sigma in higher education.

Dynamics of Nampt/visfatin and high molecular weight adiponectin in response to oral glucose load in obese and lean women.

Science.gov (United States)

Unlütürk, Uğur; Harmanci, Ayla; Yildiz, Bülent Okan; Bayraktar, Miyase

2010-04-01

High molecular weight adiponectin (HMWA) is the active circulating form of adiponectin. Nampt/visfatin is the enzyme secreted from adipocytes in an active form and is one of the putative regulators of insulin secretion. To investigate the dynamics of total adiponectin (TA), HMWA and Nampt/visfatin in obese and lean women during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). We studied normal glucose-tolerant (NGT), age-matched, 30 obese and 30 lean women. All subjects underwent a standard 75 g, 2-h OGTT, and area under the curve (AUC) during OGTT for glucose, insulin, Nampt/visfatin, TA and HMWA was calculated. Body fat mass was assessed by bioimpedance analysis. Results Obese women had significantly higher basal and AUC values for insulin and Nampt/visfatin, whereas basal and AUC-HMWA were significantly lower in this group. Alternatively, obese and lean groups had similar basal and AUC values for glucose and TA. Basal insulin levels were negatively correlated with HMWA levels, but not with basal Nampt/visfatin. AUC-insulin was correlated positively with AUC-visfatin, and negatively with AUC-HMWA. Total and truncal body fat mass showed positive correlation with basal and AUC-visfatin, and negative correlation with basal and AUC-HMWA. In the NGT state, obese women have higher Nampt/visfatin and lower HMWA levels, both basally and in response to oral glucose challenge. The dynamics of Nampt/visfatin and HMWA during OGTT appear to be linked with insulin and adiposity. Counter-regulatory adaptations in HMWA and Nampt/visfatin might have an impact on suggested adipoinsular axis, contributing to maintenance of normal glucose tolerance.

Interrelation of Lean and Green Management in Croatian Manufacturing Companies

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Miro Hegedić

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The goal of this article is to explore the link between lean and green management, reasons for their implementation, their effect throughout the whole life cycle, as well as the current state of use of lean tools, economic and environmental indicators in the context of Croatian manufacturing companies. A semi-structured interview was used in this research. As a result, the frequency of economic and environmental performance indicators and lean tools in Croatian companies has been defined, as well as the reasons for the implementation of lean management. Additionally, the understanding of the use of Life Cycle Assessment methods, environmental standards has been obtained and the integration of lean and green management in Croatian companies has been explored. Further on, results were compared to the similar study done in the UK. Finally, it can be concluded that the integration of lean and green management is not yet sufficiently present in manufacturing companies, although there are cases in which these two approaches are integrated, primarily in the process and food industry. It is for these reasons that in the integration of these two approaches lies great potential.

Case study of lean manufacturing application in a die casting manufacturing company

Science.gov (United States)

Ching, Ng Tan; Hoe, Clarence Chan Kok; Hong, Tang Sai; Ghobakhloo, Morteza; Pin, Chen Kah

2015-05-01

The case study of lean manufacturing aims to study the application of lean manufacturing in a die casting manufacturing company located in Pulau Penang, Malaysia. This case study describes mainly about the important concepts and applications of lean manufacturing which could gradually help the company in increasing the profit by studying and analyzing their current manufacturing process and company culture. Many approaches of lean manufacturing are studied in this project which includes: 5S housekeeping, Kaizen, and Takt Time. Besides, the lean tools mentioned, quality tool such as the House of Quality is being used as an analysis tool to continuously improve the product quality. In short, the existing lean culture in the company is studied and analyzed, with recommendations written at the end of this paper.

Lean for Government: Eliminating the Seven Wastes

Science.gov (United States)

Shepherd, Christena C.

2012-01-01

With shrinking budgets and a slow economy, it is becoming increasingly important for all government agencies to become more efficient. Citizens expect and deserve efficient and effective services from federal, state and local government agencies. One of the best methods to improve efficiency and eliminate waste is to institute the business process improvement methodologies known collectively as Lean; however, with reduced budgets, it may not be possible to train everyone in Lean or to engage the services of a trained consultant. It is possible, however, to raise awareness of the "Seven Wastes" of Lean in each employee, and encourage them to identify areas for improvement. Management commitment is vital to the success of these initiatives, and it is also important to develop the right metrics that will track the success of these changes.

Loss of lean body mass affects low bone mineral density in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - results from the TOMORROW study.

Science.gov (United States)

Okano, Tadashi; Inui, Kentaro; Tada, Masahiro; Sugioka, Yuko; Mamoto, Kenji; Wakitani, Shigeyuki; Koike, Tatsuya; Nakamura, Hiroaki

2017-11-01

Osteoporosis is one of the complications for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Rheumatoid cachexia, the loss of lean body mass, is another. However, the relationship between decreased lean body mass and reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with RA has not been well studied. This study included 413 participants, comprising 208 patients with RA and 205 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Clinical data, BMD, bone metabolic markers (BMM) and body composition, such as lean body mass and percent fat, were collected. Risk factors for osteoporosis in patients with RA including the relationship BMD and body composition were analyzed. Patients with RA showed low BMD and high BMM compared with controls. Moreover, lean body mass was lower and percent fat was higher in patients with RA. Lean body mass correlated positively and percent fat negatively with BMD. Lean body mass was a positive and disease duration was a negative independent factor for BMD in multivariate statistical analysis. BMD and lean body mass were significantly lower in patients with RA compared to healthy controls. Lean body mass correlated positively with BMD and decreased lean body mass and disease duration affected low BMD in patients with RA. [UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ , UMIN000003876].

Lean production teams and health in garment manufacture.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, P R; Mullarkey, S

2000-04-01

The impact of lean production on psychological health was assessed by comparing lean production teams in garment manufacture with a traditional system for making similar garments. Work design characteristics were examined as mediators of the impact of work organization on health. Findings indicate both positive and negative direct effects of teamworking on aspects of autonomy, work demands, and social climate. In turn, both positive and negative direct effects of work design on psychological health were found, which combine to give no overall difference between the groups. This study suggests that the balance between positive and negative effects of lean production teamworking depends on management choices in the form of work design.

Fractal Image Compression Based on High Entropy Values Technique

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Douaa Younis Abbaas

2018-04-01

Full Text Available There are many attempts tried to improve the encoding stage of FIC because it consumed time. These attempts worked by reducing size of the search pool for pair range-domain matching but most of them led to get a bad quality, or a lower compression ratio of reconstructed image. This paper aims to present a method to improve performance of the full search algorithm by combining FIC (lossy compression and another lossless technique (in this case entropy coding is used. The entropy technique will reduce size of the domain pool (i. e., number of domain blocks based on the entropy value of each range block and domain block and then comparing the results of full search algorithm and proposed algorithm based on entropy technique to see each of which give best results (such as reduced the encoding time with acceptable values in both compression quali-ty parameters which are C. R (Compression Ratio and PSNR (Image Quality. The experimental results of the proposed algorithm proven that using the proposed entropy technique reduces the encoding time while keeping compression rates and reconstruction image quality good as soon as possible.

Introduction to compressible fluid flow

CERN Document Server

Oosthuizen, Patrick H

2013-01-01

IntroductionThe Equations of Steady One-Dimensional Compressible FlowSome Fundamental Aspects of Compressible FlowOne-Dimensional Isentropic FlowNormal Shock WavesOblique Shock WavesExpansion Waves - Prandtl-Meyer FlowVariable Area FlowsAdiabatic Flow with FrictionFlow with Heat TransferLinearized Analysis of Two-Dimensional Compressible FlowsHypersonic and High-Temperature FlowsHigh-Temperature Gas EffectsLow-Density FlowsBibliographyAppendices

Managing paradoxical tensions during the implementation of Lean capabilities for improvement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maalouf, Malek Miguel; Gammelgaard, Britta

2016-01-01

Purpose: – Through the identification and investigation of the organisational paradoxes in lean, the purpose of this paper is to deepen the understanding of lean implementation intricacies, and contribute to sustaining lean in companies. Design/methodology/approach: – Case study based on semi...... also points to a range managerial responses used for dealing with the three paradoxes and facilitating lean transformation. Research limitations/implications: – This is a theory development paper which increases the understanding regarding the role of the organisational paradoxes in facilitating...

The lean approach for improvement of the sustainability of a remanufacturing process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulina Golińska

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: The lean production is a well-established managerial concept, which helps companies to provide the customer value and to reduce cost. Recently it gains a lot of attention among the remanufacturers. In this paper the assumption is made that remanufacturing process is more sustainable, if there will be efficient utilization of the resources. The resource utilization is efficient when there is no waste of resources. The implementation of lean principles and tools into a remanufacturing process can benefit to improved sustainability but also it suffers some constrains, which are identified in this paper. Methods: The research methodology consists of a literature review, where research papers from the Scopus, Science Direct and Business Source Premier databases were used. The search criterion was the phrase "lean remanufacturing". On the basis of literature review the lean remanufacturing problems are identified. The framework for lean remanufacturing analysis was established. Author presents also case studies on assessment of the leanness of remanufacturing process and discusses the potential for waste elimination in order to improve sustainability of remanufacturing process. Results: Problem identification and analysis framework of lean remanufacturing process is discussed. The case studies results are analysed in the context of the finding of the literature review. The advantages and constrains of lean remanufacturing are discussed. Conclusions: A remanufacturing process is more complex than the respective production process. The implementation of lean production principles and tools into remanufacturing process is at a very early stage comparing to the traditional manufacturing. There are evidences from the industrial studies and the academic research on lean remanufacturing benefits. There is a need to distinguish between lean remanufacturing on an operational and a strategic level. From the perspective of sustainability of

Lean tool used in the automotive industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuela Ingaldi

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In the paper basic concepts of Lean Manufacturing were presented. A company specializing in the development of vehicle dynamics, driver assistance systems, brake systems, seat belt sand electronics technology was characterized. The company is engaged in designing and manufacturing world-class products for the automotive market. The Lean tools used in the production hall, such as Yamazumi chart, machine motion analysis, MTM method and timing, were presented.

The productive operating theatre and lean thinking systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasivisvanathan, R; Chekairi, A

2014-11-01

The concept of 'lean thinking' first originated in the manufacturing industry as a means of improving productivity whilst maintaining quality through eliminating wasteful processes. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the principles of 'lean thinking' are relevant to healthcare and the operating theatre, with reference to our own institutional experience.

Scaling Lean in primary care: impacts on system performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Dorothy Y; Harrison, Michael I; Martinez, Meghan C; Luft, Harold S

2017-03-01

We examined a wide range of performance outcomes after Lean methodology-a leading strategy to enhance efficiency and patient value-was implemented and scaled across all primary care clinics in a nonprofit, ambulatory care delivery system. Using a stepped wedge approach, we assessed changes associated with the phased introduction of Lean-based redesigns across 46 primary care departments in 17 different clinic locations. Longitudinal analysis of operational metrics included: workflow efficiency, physician productivity, operating expenses, clinical quality, and satisfaction among patients, physicians, and staff. We used interrupted time series analysis with generalized linear mixed models to estimate Lean impacts over time. Projected outcomes in the absence of changes (ie, counterfactuals) were compared with observed outcomes after Lean redesigns were implemented, and mean differences were assessed using 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals (CIs). We observed systemwide improvements in workflow efficiencies (eg, 95% CI, 5.8-10.4) and physician productivity (95% CI, 3.9-27.2), with no adverse effects on clinical quality. Patient satisfaction increased with respect to access to care (95% CI, 15.2-20.7), handling of personal issues (95% CI, 2.1-6.9), and overall experience of care (95% CI, 11.0-17.0), but decreased with respect to interactions with care providers (95% CI, -13.4 to -5.7). Departmental operating costs decreased, and annual staff and physician satisfaction scores increased particularly among early adopters, with key improvements in employee engagement, connection to purpose, relationships with staff, and physician time spent working. Lean redesigns can benefit primary care patients, physicians, and staff without negatively impacting the quality of clinical care. Study results may lead other delivery system leaders to innovate using Lean techniques and may further enhance support for Lean learning among public and private payers.

Waste Measurement Techniques For Lean Companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maciej Pieńkowski

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The paper is dedicated to answer the problem of measuring waste in companies, which are implementing Lean Manufacturing concept. Lack of complex identification, quantification an visualization of waste significantly impedes Lean transformation efforts. This problem can be solved by a careful investigation of Muda, Muri and Mura, which represent the essence of waste in the Toyota Production System. Measuring them facilitates complete and permanent elimination of waste in processes. The paper introduces a suggestion of methodology, which should enable company to quantify and visualize waste at a shop floor level.

Improving the medical records department processes by lean management.

Science.gov (United States)

Ajami, Sima; Ketabi, Saeedeh; Sadeghian, Akram; Saghaeinnejad-Isfahani, Sakine

2015-01-01

Lean management is a process improvement technique to identify waste actions and processes to eliminate them. The benefits of Lean for healthcare organizations are that first, the quality of the outcomes in terms of mistakes and errors improves. The second is that the amount of time taken through the whole process significantly improves. The purpose of this paper is to improve the Medical Records Department (MRD) processes at Ayatolah-Kashani Hospital in Isfahan, Iran by utilizing Lean management. This research was applied and an interventional study. The data have been collected by brainstorming, observation, interview, and workflow review. The study population included MRD staff and other expert staff within the hospital who were stakeholders and users of the MRD. The MRD were initially taught the concepts of Lean management and then formed into the MRD Lean team. The team then identified and reviewed the current processes subsequently; they identified wastes and values, and proposed solutions. The findings showed that the MRD units (Archive, Coding, Statistics, and Admission) had 17 current processes, 28 wastes, and 11 values were identified. In addition, they offered 27 comments for eliminating the wastes. The MRD is the critical department for the hospital information system and, therefore, the continuous improvement of its services and processes, through scientific methods such as Lean management, are essential. The study represents one of the few attempts trying to eliminate wastes in the MRD.

Glucose metabolism in obese and lean adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Poomthavorn, Preamrudee; Chaya, Weerapong; Mahachoklertwattana, Pat; Sukprasert, Matchuporn; Weerakiet, Sawaek

2013-01-01

Data on glucose metabolism in Asian adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are limited. Glucose metabolism assessment using an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in obese and lean Thai adolescents with PCOS, and a comparison between the two groups were done. Thirty-one patients (19 obese, 12 lean) were enrolled. Their median (range) age was 14.9 (11.0-21.0) years. Eighteen patients had abnormal glucose metabolism (13 hyperinsulinemia, 4 impaired glucose tolerance, and 1 diabetes). Compared between obese [median (range) BMI Z-score, 1.6 (1.2-2.6)] and lean [median (range) BMI Z-score, 0.1 (-1.4 to 0.6)] patients, the frequencies of each abnormal OGTT category, areas under the curves of glucose and insulin levels, and insulinogenic index were not different; however, insulin resistance was greater in the obese group. In conclusion, a high proportion of our adolescents with PCOS had abnormal glucose metabolism. Therefore, OGTT should be performed in adolescents with PCOS for the early detection of abnormal glucose metabolism.

Individualisation of Lean Concept in Companies Dealing with Mass Production

Science.gov (United States)

Bednár, Roman

2012-12-01

The methods of lean manufacturing primarily designed for businesses dealing with serial production, are also used in other types of production. However the concept of lean production was not designed for these types of businesses, they are utilized only partially. Paper focuses on applying methods of lean concept in companies which are dealing with mass production and their options of exchange for other methods in the event of disagreement. Basis of the article is a list of lean methods with its description and its utilization in practice. The questionnaire was utilized to identify information from the practice. Based on this survey were identified the critical methods that are no longer appropriate for companies dealing with mass production. However, there are alternative methods of describing the problem. It is possible to say that companies are trying to get closer to their goal by modification of the basic concepts. And the concept of Lean Enterprise serves as a standard.

Behavior of quenched and tempered steels under high strain rate compression loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, L.W.; Seifert, K.; Abdel-Malek, S.

1997-01-01

Two quenched and tempered steels were tested under compression loading at strain rates of ε = 2.10 2 s -1 and ε = 2.10 3 s -1 . By applying the thermal activation theory, the flow stress at very high strain rates of 10 5 to 10 6 s -1 is derived from low temperature and high strain rate tests. Dynamic true stress - true strain behaviour presents, that stress increases with increasing strain until a maximum, then it decreases. Because of the adiabatic process under dynamic loading the maximum flow stress will occur at a lower strain if the strain rate is increased. Considering strain rate, strain hardening, strain rate hardening and strain softening, a constitutive equation with different additive terms is successfully used to describe the behaviour of material under dynamic compression loading. Results are compared with other models of constitutive equations. (orig.)

Lean and leadership practices: development of an initial realist program theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodridge, Donna; Westhorp, Gill; Rotter, Thomas; Dobson, Roy; Bath, Brenna

2015-09-07

Lean as a management system has been increasingly adopted in health care settings in an effort to enhance quality, capacity and safety, while simultaneously containing or reducing costs. The Ministry of Health in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada has made a multi-million dollar investment in Lean initiatives to create "better health, better value, better care, and better teams", affording a unique opportunity to advance our understanding of the way in which Lean philosophy, principles and tools work in health care. In order to address the questions, "What changes in leadership practices are associated with the implementation of Lean?" and "When leadership practices change, how do the changed practices contribute to subsequent outcomes?", we used a qualitative, multi-stage approach to work towards developing an initial realist program theory. We describe the implications of realist assumptions for evaluation of this Lean initiative. Formal theories including Normalization Process Theory, Theories of Double Loop and Organization Leaning and the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance help understand this initial rough program theory. Data collection included: key informant consultation; a stakeholder workshop; documentary review; 26 audiotaped and transcribed interviews with health region personnel; and team discussions. A set of seven initial hypotheses regarding the manner in which Lean changes leadership practices were developed from our data. We hypothesized that Lean, as implemented in this particular setting, changes leadership practices in the following ways. Lean: a) aligns the aims and objectives of health regions; b) authorizes attention and resources to quality improvement and change management c) provides an integrated set of tools for particular tasks; d) changes leaders' attitudes or beliefs about appropriate leadership and management styles and behaviors; e) demands increased levels of expertise, accountability and commitment from leaders; f) measures and