Latest news with #Lean
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Nothing will improve at UHL without a problem-solving culture
The latest news from an 'out of control' University Hospital Limerick, as reported by Niamh Griffin in Wednesday's Irish Examiner, will have caused anxiety for thousands of patients and their families throughout the Mid-West. The circumstances described are familiar to anyone who has ever attended the hospital's A&E. My first impression of University Hospital Limerick, as someone who worked for years as a Lean strategist in the corporate sector, was that it didn't have a problem-solving culture. File picture: Brendan Gleeson Over the past few years I have been through University Hospital Limerick's patient journey many times with loved ones. My first impression of the hospital, as someone who worked for years as a Lean strategist in the corporate sector, was that it didn't have a problem-solving culture. The contrast between being a professional in a solution-orientated workplace where everyone is focused on the same goal, and being the helpless helper to a vulnerable patient where the system seems designed to frustrate people trying to do their jobs, couldn't be greater. Over the course of many, many admissions and discharges with different family members, I learned my first impression was right. Raising concerns In the summer of 2023, my family and I encountered many problems in UHL. Accident and emergency was a nightmare on every visit and we had numerous issues on the wards, both with prescriptions and with obtaining critical medical information on discharge. I complained and information was logged on UHL's 'electronic incident system' which is probably similar to what Dr Suzanne Crowe wrote about in her excellent article in the Irish Examiner, . I knew I'd never hear about these complaints again and I was right. Meeting with the hospital PALS (Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service) filled me with hope. However, this was short lived as they explained that no action would be taken. I was advised to email the HSE at 'Your Service, Your Say'. That didn't make sense, because what I needed was immediate help from a healthcare professional in UHL. I was told "that's the complaints process". What's the point of raising concerns if no action is taken? The more time we spent in UHL, the more mistakes we experienced - serious mistakes on prescriptions, little to no communication on discharge, inaccurate information on discharge documents, blood results and changes to medications not followed up on – potentially life-threatening mistakes became the norm. I submitted three written complaints to the hospital on its unsafe prescription process, unsafe discharge process and unsafe practices in accident & emergency. Naively I thought UHL would implement immediate improvements, yet I was wrong. In response to one of my complaints, UHL outlined a list of actions they were going to take yet not one action they had actually done. A response to a complaint with no action taken is archaic and only serves to further frustrate patients and their families. What's the point of having a complaints process if no action is taken? In January 2025 we ended up back in UHL's A&E department, which was the start of a new low in terms of my perception of UHL's problem-solving culture. The A&E department was still overcrowded and a frightening place to be for patients. It was difficult to get information, slow to get tests done, slow to get results back and test results weren't evaluated properly. Keeping patients on trolleys for days and the consequent lack of privacy, comfort, dignity and safety of patients has over time become normalised. Inside UHL's Emergency Department on March 16, 2024. Picture: Mike Daly Because no improvements had been made after my previous complaints, during our time in UHL, almost two years later, we experienced exactly the same problems as before yet the impact had become more life-threatening. We experienced mistake after mistake, many missed medical evaluations - poor processes delivering unsafe healthcare. All of the above isn't surprising, because without a problem-solving culture, problems aren't solved. When problems aren't solved, they grow bigger, the impact to the patient becomes more serious and more patients are impacted. This is referred to as the snowball effect - what starts as a snowflake, if not stopped, will one day become an avalanche. I yet again submitted three written complaints to UHL on exactly the same processes in my previous complaints - their unsafe prescription process, unsafe discharge process and unsafe practices in accident & emergency. I hope UHL take my complaints seriously and solve their problems so other patients don't experience what we did - yet I don't have much faith that they will. Without a problem-solving culture, organisations will go around in circles trying to solve their problems only to find that these problems grow bigger, become more widespread and affect more people, in this case UHL's staff and patients. A problem-solving culture Problem-solving is a key element of Lean, which is a way of thinking and working that focuses on creating value for customers (in this case care for patients) while minimising waste which is everything that gets in the way of delivering value (care). Lean is a culture of deep respect for people, respect for their time, skills and their unlimited potential. One way a hospital can show this level of respect for both their staff and patients is by implementing a robust problem-solving culture. I have immense respect for UHL's outstanding staff, they always went above and beyond delivering the best care to my loved ones. In stark contrast, the hospital management's inability to solve their problems caused my family and I much stress and resulted in unsafe healthcare on numerous occasions. In a problem-solving culture, staff and patients are encouraged to highlight problems, problems are made visible and not hidden in electronic systems, problems are discussed with leadership, staff are trained on and involved in problem-solving which is recognised and rewarded. This culture creates an environment of trust and engagement which leads to safer healthcare. Siobhain Danaher: 'A problem-solving culture creates a more skilled workforce, builds immense trust, increases engagement and solves problems, all delivering safer healthcare.' Without a problem-solving culture, staff and patients are afraid to speak up and nothing changes even if they do. This is dangerous as problems just grow bigger and become more widespread affecting more staff and more patients. This culture creates an environment of mistrust and disengagement which leads to a reduction in safe healthcare – something that has been seen over and over in UHL. I want what everyone who attends UHL wants - safe healthcare that we can trust. A robust problem-solving culture delivers just that. Here are the first steps to embedding a problem solving culture: Commitment from leadership: If you don't have commitment from leadership, stop right there, culture change only occurs from the top. Consistent leadership presence at the frontline, supporting those who deliver care to patients is essential to a problem-solving culture. Upskill your team: Problem-solving is a continuous learning curve and there is no end to the depths of understanding you can reach through problem-solving. The more staff that are upskilled in problem-solving, the more problems will be solved, the safer the healthcare. Highlight problems in real time: When you notice a problem, the problem is at its smallest, but the longer you leave a problem, the bigger it will become. This is why highlighting problems in real time and solving problems as soon as possible is so important. Make problems visible: The most dangerous problems are those hidden away in electronic systems, collecting digital dust, never again to see the light of day. Making problems visible ensures they receive the spotlight and attention they deserve. Create an escalation process: An escalation process ensures problems are escalated to leadership as soon as possible, and that leadership's progress in solving these problems is monitored visually - no more hiding behind electronic systems. Recognise and reward: 'Problems are treasures, reward the messenger' is a wonderful quote from Pascal Dennis. This sums up a problem-solving culture where those who bring problems to light are rewarded for finding such treasures – the very opposite of what we hear about in most whistleblower accounts that make the news. A problem-solving culture creates a more skilled workforce, builds immense trust, increases engagement and solves problems, all delivering safer healthcare. Isn't that what every healthcare environment should be aiming for? Siobhain Danaher is a freelance Lean strategist with years of experience in corporate environments and the pharmaceutical sector. Read More Why is Beaumont getting a new emergency department and not UHL? asks campaigner
Fintech News ME
12-06-2025
- Business
- Fintech News ME
AED 2 Billion in Open Finance Payments Tracked in UAE
Lean Technologies, a financial infrastructure provider in MENA has published a comprehensive whitepaper detailing how Open Finance is redefining payments in the UAE. Titled The Dawn of Open Finance – Payments, the report serves as a reference for fintech companies, digital platforms, financial institutions and policymakers seeking to understand how regulatory frameworks and new technologies are coming together to reshape payment systems in the country. The whitepaper outlines the foundational components of Open Finance in the UAE, with a particular focus on payments. It explains how account-to-account payments are becoming a viable alternative to traditional card-based transactions, supported by regulatory infrastructure developed by the Central Bank of the UAE. These payments are initiated and authorised through licensed third party providers using regulated APIs, enabling users to make real-time transfers directly from their bank accounts. Key elements of the UAE's Open Finance model include AlTareq, a centralised user interface standard that ensures a consistent payment experience, and Aani, the country's national real-time payments rail. Together, these initiatives enable faster, more secure, and more transparent transactions for both consumers and businesses. The whitepaper also breaks down various payment types enabled through Open Finance, such as single instant payments, future-dated payments, fixed and variable recurring payments, and bulk or batch disbursements. Each type is accompanied by a consent model that specifies transaction limits, authorisation timeframes, and access controls, providing users with full visibility and control. A comparison with other payment methods highlights the practical benefits of Open Finance, including lower transaction fees for merchants, reduced fraud risks, and near-instant settlement through domestic rails. In contrast to cards or manual bank transfers, Open Finance offers embedded experiences within apps or platforms, eliminating the need for manual data entry or external redirection. The paper also outlines the governance framework behind Open Finance in the UAE, including the role of consent as a mandatory, standardised element across all services. It provides a detailed view of how users authenticate, authorise, and manage their payment permissions, with features such as multi-factor authentication, real-time notifications, and revocation controls. Lean, which is licensed as a third party provider in the UAE, developed the paper based on its operational experience supporting Open Finance across the region. The company states that while systems like Aani provide the payment infrastructure, businesses often require additional layers of integration and support. Lean's role, the paper notes, is to bridge that gap by offering developer-friendly APIs, unified bank connectivity, and real-time payment orchestration. With integrations across more than 16 banks, covering 99 per cent of the UAE's banked population, Lean reports that its technology is currently in use by platforms such as Careem, e&, DAMAC and Lulu Money. The company says the whitepaper reflects both the current state of Open Finance and the opportunities that lie ahead as adoption increases.
Winnipeg Free Press
11-06-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
The importance of looking inward
James Simon has spent his career studying and implementing continuous improvement but it wasn't until he was working on a book that he realized leaders need to look inward before implementing change in the workplace. Simon was writing Headwaters to Change: Navigating Growth, Cultivating Presence when he realized that just as the word 'improvement' starts with the letter I, true improvement starts with the self. 'This word has been telling all of us this from the very inception,' Simon said. 'It starts within ourselves as a leader, either formally or informally. If we are not willing to put the work in up front… we're not going to sustain the changes that we want. We won't be able to fully show up for those that need us.' MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS James Simon delivers a keynote speech Tuesday at the RBC Convention Centre suggesting that people practise mindfulness — or being fully present — by paying attention to their breath and then focusing on the task at hand. The coach, speaker and program manager at Edmonton's University of Alberta Hospital shared that message Tuesday during a keynote speech at the Embracing Excellence Lean Conference in Winnipeg's RBC Convention Centre. Organized by Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME), the four-day conference started Monday. Around 900 people are expected to attend the event, which aims to demonstrate how embracing excellence and engaging people in continuous improvement drives growth and benefits employees, customers and stakeholders alike. During his 40-minute address, Simon pointed to a study conducted by psychologists at Harvard University that found that, on average, people spend approximately 47 per cent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they are actually doing. This wandering of the mind makes them unhappy. To combat this, Simon suggested that people practise mindfulness — or being fully present — by paying attention to their breath and then focusing on the task at hand. Staying steady through life's ups and downs, approaching conversations with kindness and compassion and expressing gratitude are other practices individuals and teams can use to achieve sustainable improvements and unlock inner mastery. Embracing a 'beginner's mind' — having an attitude of openness, eagerness and lack of preconceptions — is also fundamental to continuous improvement, Simon said. 'I think if we don't take the opportunity to start with (ourselves) and understand what it really, truly means to move forward with lean and continuous improvement, we can't truly establish the culture that we're looking for,' he told the Free Press after his speech. Started in 2012 and held every three years, the Lean conference is especially important today because of Canada's productivity crisis, said John Chaput, conference chair. Reports show Canada's productivity level is lagging behind countries like the U.S., the U.K. and France. 'A lot of our Canadian companies haven't been able to invest in their culture, in their people, in their technology and sustainability just because they don't know what's possible and they don't know how,' Chaput said on Monday. 'This (conference) helps to show them the how.' Throughout the conference, participants are attending presentations grouped under different 'value streams': technology, improvement, sustainability and culture. They also have the option of attending tours of more than 20 Manitoba businesses to gain insight into how others approach continuous improvement. Chaput hopes the conference helps attendees find new ways to do business. 'It's all about performance-enhancing thinking and strategy, which will help them compete nationally, internationally and globally so they can nail down and secure new supply chains,' he said. About 20 per cent of attendees are from outside Manitoba, according to Chaput. Just about every Canadian province is represented and there are about a dozen delegates from the U.S., he said. The majority of attendees are from the manufacturing sector, with 'just under 20 per cent' from the service and public sectors. During remarks he made to the audience prior to Simon's keynote address, MLA Jamie Moses, minister of business, mining, trade and job creation, noted the supply chain instability and global trade uncertainty that businesses are faced with today. 'That's why I think it's even more meaningful that we learn to work together; that we find ways to connect and support each other as industry so that we can all be stronger through turbulence,' he said. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Those words were echoed by Dennis Darby, CME's president and CEO, who called the conference 'a call to action' and encouraged attendees to talk with each other about what's working for them. 'We need to find those opportunities to continue to work together and get those productivity gains that we know are there,' he said. The manufacturing industry employs more than 1.7 million Canadians and contributes over $700 billion in annual sales, Darby said. The conference ends on Thursday. Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. 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Cision Canada
09-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
/R E P E A T -- National Lean Conference Comes to Winnipeg June 9-12 to Address Canada's Productivity Crisis and Supply Chain Resilience/
WINNIPEG, MB, May 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) is proud to announce that its flagship Embracing Excellence Lean Conference will take place June 9–12, 2025, at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg, bringing together, over the course of four days, nearly 1,000 industry leaders from across the country to confront Canada's most pressing manufacturing challenges: lagging productivity, supply chain instability, and global trade uncertainty. "Canada's productivity crisis is directly impacting our competitiveness," said Otto Kemerle, CME Manitoba Advisory Board Chair and President of the International Truck Body. "Through Lean, manufacturers can take control of what they can improve. Operations, processes, and people. It's a strategic response to volatility that doesn't rely on subsidies or major capital injections." This year's program will explore how Lean methodologies can be applied to increase productivity without major capital investment, build resilient and responsive supply chains, and help Canadian manufacturers remain agile in the face of global economic shifts. It will also emphasize the importance of people and culture in sustaining long-term performance focusing on leadership, team engagement, and frontline empowerment. "Manufacturers are being squeezed by rising costs and increasing trade uncertainty," said Todd Leroy, Vice President of Manufacturing at Loewen Windows. "To stay competitive, we need to do more with what we already have. Improving productivity through Lean isn't optional; it's essential. It allows us to adapt quickly without relying on external support or massive infrastructure overhauls." This national event will offer immersive learning, practical case studies, and in-depth conversations on Lean manufacturing as a strategy to enhance competitiveness, agility, and workforce engagement. By gathering national voices in Winnipeg, the conference highlights Manitoba's strategic manufacturing and logistics role and supports regional efforts to build stronger, smarter operations that can weather uncertainty. ABOUT CME Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters is Canada's oldest and largest national trade and industry association. In Manitoba, CME works with manufacturers to help them grow with support and resources in the areas of Leadership & Executive Support, Lean & Productivity, Advanced Manufacturing & Innovation, Trade & Business Development, Workforce Development, Advocacy & Intelligence, Future Workforce, Safety and Networking.
Edinburgh Reporter
05-06-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
How Reducing Waste in Manufacturing Starts with Accurate Counting and Sorting
Imagine this. You're running a mid-sized manufacturing facility. Orders are up, machines are running, and your team is pushing to meet deadlines. Yet, by month's end, inventory discrepancies spike, material waste piles up, and your bottom line takes a hit. Sound familiar? What if the root of this waste isn't poor planning or employee error—but something deceptively simple: inaccurate counting and inefficient sorting? Image from / Annie Spratt In today's hyper-competitive manufacturing landscape, reducing waste isn't just about sustainability; it's about survival. Every piece of misplaced inventory, every batch of miscounted components, and every poorly sorted item translates into lost time, wasted resources, and lower profitability. And in many cases, the solution starts not with expensive machinery upgrades or sweeping process overhauls—but with sharper precision at the very first step of production: precision counting and sorting. In this article, we'll uncover why these basic operations are more powerful than they appear, how companies are leveraging modern solutions to reduce manufacturing waste dramatically, and what practical steps you can take—starting today—to tighten control, cut costs, and boost operational efficiency. Because in manufacturing, the smallest miscounts can lead to the biggest losses. Why Counting and Sorting Are the Hidden Gatekeepers of Waste Reduction When we talk about waste in manufacturing, conversations often leap to buzzwords like automation, lean systems, or just-in-time inventory. But before any of those advanced strategies can work, there's a quieter force at play: how accurately your materials are counted and how efficiently they're sorted at the start of your production line. The Domino Effect of Inaccuracy Let's break it down. Suppose a batch of screws is miscounted at the inventory intake stage—off by just 5%. That may seem trivial, but here's what can happen: Production delays : Assemblies halt when you're short, even if just a few pieces are missing. : Assemblies halt when you're short, even if just a few pieces are missing. Overordering : Teams may compensate by ordering more than necessary 'just in case,' leading to excess inventory. : Teams may compensate by ordering more than necessary 'just in case,' leading to excess inventory. Scrap and rework: Inaccurately sorted components may end up in the wrong product runs, increasing defective outputs. Each small error compounds through the system, creating what Lean manufacturing experts call 'invisible waste.' And once it infiltrates the workflow, it's incredibly costly to undo. Real-World Example: Automotive Supplier Cuts Waste by 27% A Tier 2 automotive parts supplier in Michigan faced rising material costs and quality complaints. Their root cause analysis didn't reveal machine issues—it uncovered a flawed manual counting system during inbound part verification. By integrating automated vision-based counters and RFID sorting, the company: Reduced manual counting errors by 92% Decreased material waste by 27% in 6 months Improved on-time delivery by 18% The fix wasn't flashy. It was foundational. And it worked. Why Traditional Methods Fail Relying on manual labor or basic checklists might seem cost-effective in the short term. But human error is inevitable—especially in high-volume, repetitive environments. Fatigue, distraction, and assumptions lead to inconsistent data, and that flawed data becomes the backbone of every subsequent decision. Here's what often goes wrong: Employees count by weight or volume, assuming uniformity in parts. Components are mislabeled or placed in the wrong bins. Sorting is rushed to meet quotas, leading to misclassification. The result? Misalignments that ripple across departments—from procurement to quality assurance. The Psychology of Precision: Why Small Errors Multiply in Manufacturing Systems At first glance, the idea that a few miscounted parts or poorly sorted items could cripple an entire production process might seem like an exaggeration. But manufacturing, by its nature, is a tightly interwoven system. Each step relies entirely on the accuracy of the previous one. There's no margin for small errors—because they don't stay small for long. Let's look at this through a systems-thinking lens. In a typical production line, especially in sectors like electronics, automotive, or packaging, the number of components required can easily run into the thousands per day. If just 1% of those are incorrectly counted or sorted, you're dealing with dozens—if not hundreds—of inconsistencies every single shift. Over the course of a month, that's enough to derail schedules, inflate costs, and erode client trust. What makes the issue more dangerous is that these small discrepancies often remain undetected until much later in the process. A miscounted input might not trigger an alarm until it results in a missing part during assembly—or worse, a product recall after delivery. By then, the cost of rectifying the problem has already multiplied exponentially. Consider the hidden emotional toll within the workforce, too. Line workers and operators, already under pressure to meet deadlines, face increased scrutiny and blame for failures that originate upstream. Morale suffers, blame loops form, and what was once a technical glitch becomes a human issue—affecting teamwork, communication, and trust. What's often overlooked is that counting and sorting aren't just administrative or logistical tasks—they're trust points. When those numbers are off, confidence in the entire process begins to erode. Image from / Mika Baumeister Modern solutions like vision recognition systems, machine learning–driven counters, and automated sorters don't just offer speed. They offer consistency. They become impartial arbiters of truth on the shop floor—removing ambiguity and giving managers reliable data to act on. But the shift is not just technical; it's cultural. Moving from manual to automated accuracy requires buy-in, retraining, and a mindset shift about what precision truly means in today's manufacturing environment. And that shift, while difficult, is essential—because in high-stakes production, precision isn't a luxury. It's the standard. Technology as the Enabler — But Not the Full Solution It's tempting to believe that once you integrate automation, the waste problem is solved. Barcode scanners, AI-driven sorters, smart bins—there's a growing market of tools promising zero-defect production through better tracking and counting. And yes, these tools are powerful. But without a strategy, without process alignment, and without human accountability, they can quickly become expensive band-aids rather than real solutions. Technology amplifies precision—but it doesn't create it on its own. Let's return to our earlier example of the automotive supplier. Their mistake wasn't that they lacked tech. They had scanners, spreadsheets, and tracking systems in place. Their mistake was depending on inconsistent human inputs feeding into automated systems. What they learned—and what many manufacturers eventually come to realize—is that automation without standardization is chaos at scale. Smart factories are not just about machines talking to each other. They're about people and processes integrating with technology in a way that preserves clarity and reduces interpretation. That requires leadership. Before a single machine is upgraded, manufacturers must evaluate: Are our counting protocols standardized across shifts and teams? Is our sorting logic intuitive and consistent with our BOMs and SKUs? Are we training staff not just in equipment usage, but in why accuracy matters? What's fascinating is that some of the most effective changes begin with something as simple as redefining roles. In facilities where warehouse teams feel accountable for count accuracy—not just data entry—the rate of downstream errors drops significantly. When quality control teams are empowered to audit not just final products, but early-stage sorting bins, they often detect flaws days before they become defects. In this sense, reducing waste becomes less about investing in high-end robotics and more about building a culture of precision, supported by the right tools. So yes, counting and automated sorting can—and should—be enhanced by technology. But those tools must sit within a framework of human responsibility, smart process design, and constant iteration. Otherwise, you're simply accelerating the rate at which errors travel through your system. Final Thought? Waste Reduction Begins Where You Least Expect It In manufacturing, we're trained to chase the big fixes—automating production lines, streamlining logistics, cutting supplier costs. But the truth is, many of the biggest gains come from areas we often overlook. Counting. Sorting. Precision at the source. These aren't glamorous parts of your operation. They don't make headlines in trade journals. But they are the foundation of everything that follows. And when they're done right, they silently drive quality, efficiency, and profit. If you're serious about reducing waste—not just environmentally, but operationally and financially—you need to start where the process starts. Audit how your materials are counted. Walk your sorting lines. Ask your teams what tools they need to do it better. Then commit to the upgrades—whether in systems, training, or precision counting equipment—that turn accuracy into a competitive advantage. The best time to fix your precision problems was yesterday. The second-best time is now. Don't wait until waste eats into your margin. Act today—recalibrate your frontline processes and build a manufacturing line that counts what matters. Like this: Like Related
