Managing a laboratory with a high demand for testing outcomes and experimental work, all while balancing employee development, can come with many challenges. Managers are constantly being asked to do more with less, juggling demands for quicker turnaround time while focusing on increasing cost savings and customer satisfaction. To tackle these pressures, lab leaders may benefit from structured improvement strategies, such as 6s Lean for short-term workflow optimization or a Lean continuous improvement cycle (CIC) for addressing deeper, long-term challenges.

Collecting feedback and achieving buy-in

Before managers can start to boost productivity within the laboratory and set measurable goals, it is important to determine which changes fit best for their environment. A good approach for a laboratory manager to increase productivity and buy-in from the lab staff is to ask for feedback on major pain points. Often, recurring frustrations within a team can point to inefficiencies in daily work and identify areas that require intervention. Once a list of potential improvements has been created, managers must determine what kind of project can be applied to areas needing improvement: 6s Lean or Lean continuous improvement.

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What is Lean?

Lean is a structured approach to improving operational efficiency by identifying and eliminating waste—that is, factors that hinder productivity and do not benefit the customer. In laboratory environments, this could mean reducing idle time between tests, cutting down on excess inventory, streamlining data entry, or minimizing unnecessary motion between workstations.

Lean is built on five principles¹:

1. Value: Define what truly matters to the customer. In the lab, this often means accurate, timely, and reliable results.
2. Value stream: Map all the steps in your workflows, from sample intake to final report, to identify waste.
3. Flow: Organize the lab so that work moves smoothly between steps, avoiding bottlenecks.
4. Pull: Align workload with actual demand. For example, only process samples as needed to avoid overproduction or backlog.
5. Perfection: Continuously improve processes through regular feedback, root cause analysis, and refinement of SOPs.

These principles are often implemented through tools like 6S and continuous improvement cycles, such as Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA), for long-term process enhancements.

Using the 6s Lean principles for short-term projects 

The 6s Lean principles can be utilized within the lab to achieve quick, meaningful, and measurable results. A typical 6s Lean project can have a timeline anywhere from three months to a year and a half to complete, depending on complexity. This workplace management methodology consists of six principles:

• Sort: Remove unnecessary items from the workplace.
• Set in order: Organize and arrange items for easy access and use.
• Shine: Keep the workplace clean and tidy.
• Standardize: Establish clear procedures and guidelines for maintaining the 6s standard.
• Sustain: Maintain the 6s practices and ensure they become a regular part of the workplace culture.
• Safety: Prioritize workplace safety and ensure all processes and procedures are safe for the employees.

Example: Streamlining a sample prep workflow in a microbiology lab

Consider a short-term 6S project launched in a microbiology lab struggling with delays in sample preparation and inconsistent turnaround times.

Problem: The team found that prep stations were cluttered with unused supplies, tools were often missing, and staff were frequently walking across the lab to access key materials, resulting in wasted motion, time, and frustration.

The 6S project approach:

• Sort: The team removed outdated or rarely used tools and reagents, freeing up space and reducing visual clutter.
• Set in order: Frequently used pipettes, reagents, and lab notebooks were organized in workstation-specific “prep kits,” reducing travel time and motion.
• Shine: A weekly cleaning checklist was developed to maintain station cleanliness and detect wear or malfunction in tools.
• Standardize: SOPs were updated to reflect the new layout and supply replenishment protocols.
• Sustain: Each team member was assigned responsibility for a workstation.
• Safety: Reagent storage was adjusted to improve ergonomics and reduce exposure risks, and floor markings were added to prevent collisions during busy hours.

Outcome: Within four months, the team documented a 35 percent reduction in sample prep time and a measurable drop in cross-contamination incidents. Feedback from lab techs also indicated greater job satisfaction due to reduced chaos and clearer workflows.

Before implementing a 6s principle, it’s wise to document the current process using photos, time studies, and recording metrics or KPIs. Measurable outcomes are needed before and after implementation to determine if the improvement was beneficial or needs to be revisited. Some changes may need to be revisited several times. For instance, you may need to iterate on changes to the layout of the lab to achieve the smoothest workflow.

Not all improvements can be executed in a brief time period. If a pain point warrants a long-term improvement project requiring more resources, then implementing a CIC may be the route to go.

Using the PDCA cycle to drive continuous improvement

The PDCA (Plan–Do–Check–Act) cycle is a proven framework for executing continuous improvement cycles (CICs) in laboratories. It enables lab managers to test changes on a small scale, evaluate their impact, and implement successful improvements in a structured way.

Preparation before the cycle begins

Before initiating the PDCA cycle, the lab manager should review work instructions with team members to ensure current procedures are accurate and up to date. Involved stakeholders should then schedule regular meetings to align on goals and expectations. At the first meeting, the project leader should outline the project’s objective, define its scope, identify success metrics, and clarify each team member’s role.

Plan: Define the problem and design the solution

The team begins by identifying areas for improvement. One helpful approach is to view it through a Lean lens by identifying sources of waste. Here’s a list of potential waste sources tailored for labs:

1. Unorganized processes: Any process that disrupts the daily workflow.
2. Unstructured Information: Undefined format or structure of data, making data difficult to analyze using traditional database tools. 
3. Rework: Making changes to the original version of the work.
4. Waiting: Unable to move forward with the task to full completion. 
5. Inventory: Stock items used to fulfill the customer testing. 
6. Motion: An action or process of moving people or equipment.
7. Transportation: The action of transporting goods or materials to other places. 
8. Missing continuous improvement: Opportunities missed to improve pain points within an organization. 

The team should use root cause analysis techniques (such as the 5 Whys or fishbone diagrams) to analyze why these wastes occur. Then, they design a solution by mapping the current process (“As-Is Design”) and envisioning a new, improved version (“To-Be Design”). Key performance indicators (KPIs) are selected at this stage to track progress, including time studies, setup photos, or error rates.

Do: Test the proposed changes

In this phase, the team conducts a small-scale pilot of the To-Be process. The goal is to implement the proposed changes in a controlled environment to test their feasibility. Data collection begins here—photographs, KPI tracking, and observational notes should be documented to support evaluation in the next phase.

Check: Evaluate the results

After completing the pilot, the team analyzes whether the changes met the expected outcomes. They compare KPI data from the As-Is and To-Be processes to quantify improvements. Were errors reduced? Did processing time improve? The team also reviews any unexpected consequences or resistance encountered during implementation.

Act: Standardize and sustain

If the pilot was successful, the changes are standardized and rolled out more broadly. The lab manager ensures new workflows are documented and communicated to all relevant personnel. Ongoing monitoring through KPIs, periodic audits, and process reviews helps sustain the gains. If the pilot didn’t achieve the desired results, the team revisits the Plan stage and adjusts the approach.

Over time, this cycle repeats, encouraging a culture of continuous, incremental improvement within the lab.

By leveraging Lean principles through tools like 6S and Continuous Improvement Cycles, lab managers can systematically reduce waste, enhance efficiency, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Whether addressing short-term workflow issues or tackling long-term process challenges, Lean offers a structured, scalable approach to drive measurable results without compromising quality or compliance.

References:

1. Project Management Institute. “The Five Principles of Lean.” https://www.pmi.org/disciplined-agile/lean/principles.