Applicability of the Lean methodology in a hospital laundry

DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.20113311318

Abstract

Abstract: The Lean methodology has been largely studied and used by companies worldwide. It seeks to eliminate the process waste
by rendering speed and reducing the total time of the service provided, while improving the result quality. This paper aims at evaluating
the applicability of using the Lean methodology in a hospital laundry. A case study was employed with a quantitative research by developing
the implementation project of the Lean methodology in the work process of a hospital laundry. The result was the creation of
a continuous flow by standardizing the processes that allowed the inventories to be reduced, improved the productivity and decreased
the lead time. All the resulting improvements directly impacted on reducing the costs involved in the processing of hospital clothes.
Although the quantification of the results justifies the methodology application to develop improvement projects, the main and higher
gain is changing behaviors and attitudes of the employees in a favorable environment that allows everybody to express their competencies
totally by means of a continuous improvement view.