Mark Graban

From the Author
Hi, I'm Mark Graban. I help people improve their activities and processes. With methods grounded in Lean, math and science -- backed by data. Better to make choices based on facts -- instead of opinions, hunches, or feelings. Learn how to convert data, metrics, and charts into knowledge and wisdom -- to drive more improvement. That's what I do and why I wrote Measures of Success.

"Helping business convert data into insights"

If we keep practicing, we might get good at it eventually. We all have a starting point in our personal "Lean journeys."​ Looking back at our first year of work in Lean or continuous improvement methodologies, we probably weren't very good at it. What are our reflections and lessons learned? What can we share with those who are just starting today? This book will be a compilation of those stories.

Short description of Value Stream Mapping and 5S visual management.

Lean leiderschap

In a Kaizen endeavor at Allina Health—a nonprofit health system in the Midwestern United States with more than 26,000 employees—nurses, doctors, dietitians, engineers, housekeepers, and all other staff in four units were encouraged to contribute ideas to solve the problems they encountered on the job. Managers at all levels used effective communication, constructive feedback, and supportive delegation to coach their efforts rather than dictate solutions from above. The results led to a wide… Show more

In a Kaizen endeavor at Allina Health—a nonprofit health system in the Midwestern United States with more than 26,000 employees—nurses, doctors, dietitians, engineers, housekeepers, and all other staff in four units were encouraged to contribute ideas to solve the problems they encountered on the job. Managers at all levels used effective communication, constructive feedback, and supportive delegation to coach their efforts rather than dictate solutions from above. The results led to a wide range of process improvements that cut costs and enhanced safety, efficiency, patient satisfaction, quality, and morale. Over time, the initiative will be rolled out system-wide toward the formation of an organizational culture that empowers every staff member to improve the flow and outcome of their daily responsibilities. Show less

Blogging keeps growing, remaining a relevant way to share, learn and network
Back in the late 1990s—well before 140-character Tweets, Facebook posts and LinkedIn discussions—there was the blog.
Register at any number of blogging sites and you could set up your own personal or professional website to report and record information, showcase your talent and expertise, share opinions and theory, and relay across the world anything from photos to links to video—all in one place.
But are… Show more

Blogging keeps growing, remaining a relevant way to share, learn and network
Back in the late 1990s—well before 140-character Tweets, Facebook posts and LinkedIn discussions—there was the blog.
Register at any number of blogging sites and you could set up your own personal or professional website to report and record information, showcase your talent and expertise, share opinions and theory, and relay across the world anything from photos to links to video—all in one place.
But are blogs still relevant? Have they been surpassed by other social networking sites? Show less

This e-Book is a collection of posts from Mark Graban's LeanBlog.org that focus on Lean concepts found in professional and college sports, as well as Lean lessons from players, coaches, and other leaders that can be applied in our own workplaces. Mike Thelen and Chad Walters contributed to the collection of posts.

The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen is an introduction to kaizen principles and an overview of the leadership behaviors and mindsets required to create a kaizen culture or a culture of continuous improvement. The book is specifically written for busy C-level executives, vice presidents, directors, and managers who need to understand the power of this methodology.

The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen shares real and practical examples and stories from leading healthcare… Show more

The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen is an introduction to kaizen principles and an overview of the leadership behaviors and mindsets required to create a kaizen culture or a culture of continuous improvement. The book is specifically written for busy C-level executives, vice presidents, directors, and managers who need to understand the power of this methodology.

The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen shares real and practical examples and stories from leading healthcare organizations, including Franciscan St. Francis Health System, located in Indiana. Franciscan St. Francis'​ employees and physicians have implemented and documented 4,000 Kaizen improvements each of the last three years, resulting in millions of dollars in hard savings and softer benefits for patients and staff.

Chapters cover topics such as the need for Kaizen, different types of Kaizen (including Rapid Improvement Events and daily Kaizen), creating a Kaizen culture, practical methods for facilitating Kaizen improvements, the role of senior leaders and other leaders in Kaizen, and creating an organization-wide Kaizen program.

The book contains a new introduction by Gary Kaplan, MD, CEO of Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, which was named "Hospital of the Decade" in 2012.

The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen is a companion book to the larger book Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Impro Show less

The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen is an introduction to kaizen principles and an overview of the leadership behaviors and mindsets required to create a kaizen culture or a culture of continuous improvement. The book is specifically written for busy C-level executives, vice presidents, directors, and managers who need to understand the power of this methodology.

The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen shares real and practical examples and stories from leading healthcare… Show more

The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen is an introduction to kaizen principles and an overview of the leadership behaviors and mindsets required to create a kaizen culture or a culture of continuous improvement. The book is specifically written for busy C-level executives, vice presidents, directors, and managers who need to understand the power of this methodology.

The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen shares real and practical examples and stories from leading healthcare organizations, including Franciscan St. Francis Health System, located in Indiana. Franciscan St. Francis' employees and physicians have implemented and documented 4,000 Kaizen improvements each of the last three years, resulting in millions of dollars in hard savings and softer benefits for patients and staff.

Chapters cover topics such as the need for Kaizen, different types of Kaizen (including Rapid Improvement Events and daily Kaizen), creating a Kaizen culture, practical methods for facilitating Kaizen improvements, the role of senior leaders and other leaders in Kaizen, and creating an organization-wide Kaizen program.

The book contains a new introduction by Gary Kaplan, MD, CEO of Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, which was named "Hospital of the Decade" in 2012.

The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen is a companion book to the larger book Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements (published in 2012). Healthcare Kaizen is a longer, more complete "how to" guide that includes over 200 full color images, including over 100 real kaizen examples from various health systems around the world. Healthcare Kaizen was named a recipient of the prestigious Shingo Professional Publication and Research Award. Show less

For more publications: http://www.markgraban.com/publications/

With the increase in automation in healthcare settings in recent years, medical technologists and other healthcare personnel often feel that they are merely performing menial tasks. Lean management and kaizen are exactly the methods needed to reinvigorate people working in healthcare for the benefit of patients, staff, and entire healthcare organizations.

Kaizen is best represented by small, low-cost, low-risk… Show more

For more publications: http://www.markgraban.com/publications/

With the increase in automation in healthcare settings in recent years, medical technologists and other healthcare personnel often feel that they are merely performing menial tasks. Lean management and kaizen are exactly the methods needed to reinvigorate people working in healthcare for the benefit of patients, staff, and entire healthcare organizations.

Kaizen is best represented by small, low-cost, low-risk improvements that can be initiated and implemented by those who do the actual work. Kaizen-style improvement emphasizes creativity over capital. This article discusses how, using this approach, Franciscan St. Francis Health System in Indianapolis implemented more than 4,200 kaizen-style improvements (an average of about two improvements per employee) in 2011 alone. In some instances, a hospital may need to spend a little money to improve a process, but more often, it can find simple, effective changes that don’t cost much at all. There may be a need for large projects, such as implementing a new electronic medical records (EMR) system, but there’s also a great need and a great capacity for small daily improvements, such as how to make more effective use of the EMR after implementation. Show less

Winner of a 2013 Shingo Professional Publication and Research Award.

This is a book that focuses on daily continuous improvement, or “Kaizen,” for healthcare professionals and organizations. The book shares some mechanics for facilitating Kaizen, but more importantly covers the management mindsets and philosophies required to make Kaizen work effectively in a department or as an organization-wide program. All of the examples in the book are real healthcare examples that were shared by… Show more

Winner of a 2013 Shingo Professional Publication and Research Award.

This is a book that focuses on daily continuous improvement, or “Kaizen,” for healthcare professionals and organizations. The book shares some mechanics for facilitating Kaizen, but more importantly covers the management mindsets and philosophies required to make Kaizen work effectively in a department or as an organization-wide program. All of the examples in the book are real healthcare examples that were shared by Franciscan Alliance Health System and other leading organizations, with many full-color pictures and visual illustrations of Kaizens. We think this book will be helpful to healthcare organizations that have embraced weeklong improvement events, but now want to follow the lead of ThedaCare, Virginia Mason Medical Center, and others who have moved beyond just doing events into a more complete lean management system. Show less

Building on the success of the Shingo Prize-Winning first edition, Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Engagement, Second Edition explains how to use the Lean management system to improve safety, quality, access, and morale while reducing costs. Lean healthcare expert Mark Graban examines the challenges facing today’s health systems, including rising costs, falling reimbursement rates, employee retention, and patient safety.

The new edition of this… Show more

Building on the success of the Shingo Prize-Winning first edition, Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Engagement, Second Edition explains how to use the Lean management system to improve safety, quality, access, and morale while reducing costs. Lean healthcare expert Mark Graban examines the challenges facing today’s health systems, including rising costs, falling reimbursement rates, employee retention, and patient safety.

The new edition of this international bestseller begins with an overview of Lean methods. It explains how Lean practices such as value stream mapping and process observation can help reduce wasted motion for caregivers, prevent delays for patients, and improve the long-term health of your organization. In addition to a new introduction from John Toussaint, this updated edition includes:

New and updated material on identifying waste, A3 problem solving, employee suggestion management, and strategy deployment
New case studies—including a new Kanban case study (Northampton General Hospital) and another that ties together the themes of standardized work, Kanban, 5S, visual management, and Lean leadership for the prevention of patient harm
New examples and updated data throughout, including revised chapters on patient safety and preventing medical errors
Detailing the steps needed for a successful transition to a Lean culture, the book provides the understanding of Lean practices—including standardized work, error proofing, root cause problem solving, and daily improvement processes—needed to reduce common hospital errors. The balanced approach outlined in this book will guide you through the process of improving quality of service while reducing costs in your hospital.

*The Lean Certification and Oversight Appeals committee has approved Lean Hospitals as recommended reading for those in pursuit of Lean Bronze Certification from SME, AME, Shingo Prize, and ASQ. Show less

Winner of a 2009 Shingo Professional Publication and Research Award.

Drawing on his years of working with hospitals, Mark Graban explains why and how Lean can be used to improve safety, quality, and efficiency in a healthcare setting. After highlighting the benefits of Lean methods for patients, employees, physicians, and the hospital itself, he explains how Lean manufacturing staples such as Value Stream Mapping and process observation can help hospital personnel identify and eliminate… Show more

Winner of a 2009 Shingo Professional Publication and Research Award.

Drawing on his years of working with hospitals, Mark Graban explains why and how Lean can be used to improve safety, quality, and efficiency in a healthcare setting. After highlighting the benefits of Lean methods for patients, employees, physicians, and the hospital itself, he explains how Lean manufacturing staples such as Value Stream Mapping and process observation can help hospital personnel identify and eliminate waste in their own processes — effectively preventing delays for patients, reducing wasted motion for caregivers, and improving the quality of care.

Additionally, Graban describes how Standardized Work and error-proofing can prevent common hospital errors and details root cause problem-solving and daily improvement processes that can engage all personnel in systemic improvement. A unique guide for healthcare professionals, Lean Hospitals clearly elaborates the steps they can take to begin the proactive process of Lean implementation. Show less