Use of a discrete-event simulation in a Kaizen event: A case study in healthcare

To improve service delivery, healthcare facilities look toward operations research techniques, discrete event simulation and continuous improvement approaches such as Lean manufacturing. Lean management often includes a Kaizen event to facilitate the acceptance of the project by the employees. Business game is also used as a tool to increase understanding of Lean management concepts. In this paper, we study how a business game can be used jointly with discrete event simulation to test scenarios defined by team members during a Kaizen event. The aim is to allow a rapid and successful implementation of the solutions developed during the Kaizen. Our approach has been used to improve patients' trajectory in an outpatient hematology-oncology clinic. Patient delays before receiving their treatment were reduced by 74 percent after 19 weeks. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. and Association of European Operational Research Societies (EURO) within the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS). All rights reserved.