Overview
Discussion - Post-Mortem: What Went Wrong? A Lean Perspective
Sometimes the best way to understand waste is to study a process that clearly failed. As a leader in continuous improvement, it’s your job not only to spot inefficiencies—but to dig into why they happen and how to prevent them.
This week, conduct a Lean “post-mortem” of a flawed or inefficient process. You have two options:
- Option A: Reflect on a real process you’ve experienced—at work, as a customer, or even in school—that had frustrating inefficiencies, delays, or rework.
- Option B: If no clear example comes to mind, create a fictional process scenario based on common business challenges (e.g., a slow onboarding system, supply chain delays, or miscommunication during a product launch). Be realistic and specific.
Then respond to the following:
- Briefly describe the process: What were the goals of the process, and what went wrong?
- Analyze the waste: Identify at least two types of Lean waste present in the process. Use the 7 forms (or more) to explain how they appeared and what impact they had.
- Reimagine the process: What Lean tools or strategies (e.g., 5 Whys, 5S, Kaizen, standardization) would you apply to reduce or eliminate the waste? What would be the measurable benefit to the business or the customer?
🧠 Don’t just name tools—explain why they fit the situation. Whether your example is real or fictional, treat it like a real-world consulting scenario.
Team Assignment - Guelph General Hospital
Harvard Business Publishing Case Study: Guelph General Hospital
Let’s put our Lean Thinking concepts and principles to work in this week’s case study. Use the materials we studied this week to promote the Lean initiative at the General Hospital. In 800-1000 words (no more than 4 pages), answer the case study questions below to ensure success in the organization: How should Williams move forward?
- How should she address those who were not supportive of GGHPIP?
- What can she do to address potential turnover?
- How can she voice an opinion in support of the new program?
- Should she rearrange teams to become more effective and efficient? Why or why not?
- Given the struggles of a newly implemented concept, should she just wait and see if the program improves? Why or why not?
The concepts studied this week should and are incorporated into both service and manufacturing organizations. While wastes may differ depending upon the industry, it's important to understand the tools that can be used in order to identify and eliminate them. In support of this week's assignment, look at the various concepts presented to you in this week's "Today's Lean" reading.