Application of lean techniques and simulation to improve efficiency of the oncology department Online publication date: Thu, 16-Feb-2023
by Sergio Fichera; Antonio Costa; Roberto Rosario Corsini; Vincenzo Parrinello
International Journal of Services and Operations Management (IJSOM), Vol. 44, No. 2, 2023
Abstract: In this paper a novel perspective of lean application on the specific case of the oncology units was studied. The oncology department of a hospital located in the Southern Italy was investigated to find lean improvement solutions. In according with the well-known lean philosophy, we have followed the DMAIC cycle (define - measure - analyse - improve - control). A discrete event simulator properly integrated with the value stream map tool, (hereinafter denoted as DVSM) was devised to improve the service level of the oncology department, under the objective of increasing the patients' satisfaction. To this end, a design of experiments (DOE) involving several management factors has been developed and 72 future dynamic value stream maps (FDVSMs) have been evaluated accordingly. The ANOVA analysis allowed to statistically infer about the impact of all factors on the system and to identify the best FDVSM.
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