This 7 1/2 minute video from Pittsburgh’s St. Clair Hospital is a great tool to use when you are teaching inventory management in Chapter 12. St. Clare started with a “par level” system that often led to stock outs for nursing supplies. With the help of an industrial engineer, the hospital converted 28 supply areas over a 10 month period to a much more efficient two-bin kanban system. With the system in place, St. Clare went to zero stock outs and zero manual requisitions sent to its materials management department.
The video discusses Toyota’s kanban pull model and illustrates a realistic, interesting way that a hospital controls its inventory. It also makes the point that analysis of data is a critical first step of the process of changing any floor plan or stock area. The video closes with interviews of nurses who are happy that “everything is under budget since the new system” is in place.
Just click below to view the video.