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Implementing an Order Pull System into a Medical Device Company Using Define for Lean Six Sigma Methodology

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Challenging the Future with Lean (ELEC 2023)

Part of the book series: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology ((IFIPAICT,volume 681))

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Abstract

This project aims to show how implementing continuous flow pull production with just-in-time Kanban processes in a Medical Device company can improve customer supply and thus mitigate device shortages in the Medtech supply chain. A case study in a medical device manufacturer utilised Define for Lean Six Sigma methodology for the design of a pull process and identification of waste in the process by using Value Stream Mapping and Kaizen events. A Pull model utilising Kanban and Hejunka was designed and implemented to produce products based only on customer demand signals. The device aged work orders in the process and waste reduced and overall service to the customer was improved while ensuring products were produced based on customer demand signals resulting in lead time and inventory reduction of over 60%, increased inventory turns, elimination of waste due to overproduction, holding inventory, and increased collaboration and communication between stakeholders. This is one of the few studies on implementing a Lean pull model in a medical device manufacturer and can be leveraged to improve supply chain accuracy and reliability. This study can demonstrate how supply chain shortages in devices that may affect patient treatments can be mitigated by embracing Lean methods.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Daniel O’Donoghue & Anna Trubetskaya

  2. College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland

    Olivia McDermott & Kathryn Cormican

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, CVR College of Engineering, Hyderabad, India

    Angelo Rosa

  4. Department of Management Studies, Università LUM Jean Monnet, Bari, Italy

    Manjeet Kharub

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  1. Daniel O’Donoghue
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  2. Olivia McDermott
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  3. Anna Trubetskaya
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  4. Angelo Rosa
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  6. Kathryn Cormican
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Correspondence to Olivia McDermott .

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  1. Avans University of Applied Science, Breda, The Netherlands

    Ton van Kollenburg

  2. Avans University of Applied Science, Breda, The Netherlands

    Alinda Kokkinou

  3. University of Galway, Galway, Ireland

    Olivia McDermott

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O’Donoghue, D., McDermott, O., Trubetskaya, A., Rosa, A., Kharub, M., Cormican, K. (2024). Implementing an Order Pull System into a Medical Device Company Using Define for Lean Six Sigma Methodology. In: van Kollenburg, T., Kokkinou, A., McDermott, O. (eds) Challenging the Future with Lean. ELEC 2023. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 681. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-63265-5_23

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