Objectives

• identify elements of Just-In-Time (JIT) and lean operations
• apply the seven wastes and 5Ss of “housekeeping” to a hospital
• assess JIT operations in a hospital’s context

Materials Required

Chapter 16 – JIT at Arnold Palmer Hospital, page 602. A 9-minute video, filmed specifically for this text, is available and designed to supplement the written case. Case video is available at MYOMLAB.

Optional

Ellet, W. (2007). The case study handbook: How to read, discuss, and write persuasively about cases. Harvard Business Publishing.

Instructions

Analyze the “JIT at Arnold Palmer Hospital” case study in Chapter 16 – JIT at Arnold Palmer Hospital, page 602 of the heizer textbook (including the video available for it in the MyOMLab for this text). Prepare a MS Word document of 2 to 3 pages answering the questions provided by the instructor (4 questions from the textbook + a fifth question added). Be certain to discuss the items included in the rubric, and include a formal introduction and conclusion for your essay.

Case Questions

1. What do you recommend be done when an error is found in a pack as it is opened for an operation?
2. How might the procedure for custom surgical packs described here be improved?
3. When discussing JIT in services, the text notes that suppliers, layout, inventory, and scheduling are all used. Provide an example of each of these at Arnold Palmer Hospital.
4. When a doctor proposes a new surgical procedure, how do you recommend the SKU for a new custom pack be entered into the hospital’s supply chain system?
5. How can the hospital reach a lean operation by addressing the 7 wastes and 5S’s?