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LEANLab Insights:
Quick Guide to Streamline Operations

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Greetings,

Welcome to this week's edition of our newsletter, where we delve into the world of efficiency and excellence in your dental lab operations – yes, you guessed it – it's all about LEAN principles and your Dental Lab Mean Machine.

In this issue:

- While many of you are already familiar with LEAN principles, we'll provide a concise overview before diving into the meat of our content.

- Get ready for an 8-step Strategy Guide designed to streamline and optimize your lab processes through the power of LEAN.

- Lastly, we'll wrap up with practical insights on how to uphold and sustain the high standards of LEAN in your operations.

Let's embark on this journey towards greater efficiency and success together!

Lean & Green 🥬 

Lean is a management philosophy and set of principles aimed at maximising customer value while minimising waste.

Originally developed by Toyota in the 1940s, Lean has since been applied across various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and service sectors.

In essence, Lean is about doing more with less, focusing on efficiency, and continuously improving processes. The term "Lean" refers to trimming excess fat or waste from operations to create a streamlined and efficient workflow.

Here’s a quick 8-Step Action Plan to help you get leaner.

1. Maximising Customer Value 💲 

In a dental lab, maximising customer value means delivering high-quality dental prosthetics and appliances that meet the specifications and expectations of dentists and patients.

This involves understanding the specific requirements of each client, such as material preferences, colour matching, and turnaround times.

Lab technicians should communicate effectively with dentists to clarify any uncertainties and ensure that the final products meet or exceed customer expectations.

2. Mapping Workflows ↗️ 

Mapping workflows in a dental lab involves creating a visual representation of how orders move through the production process, from the moment a case is received to the delivery of the final dental prosthetic or appliance.

This process allows lab managers and technicians to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and areas of waste, enabling them to streamline operations and improve overall efficiency.

Here's how this applies to the dental lab world:

Receiving Orders: The workflow mapping process starts with the reception of orders from dentists or dental clinics.

Lab technicians should document how orders are received, whether through digital platforms, email, or physical forms.

Understanding the various channels through which orders come in helps identify opportunities to streamline the order intake process and reduce delays.

Case Assessment and Planning: Once orders are received, technicians assess each case's requirements and plan the necessary steps for fabrication.

Mapping this stage of the workflow helps identify any inefficiencies in communication or decision-making, such as unclear instructions or delays in case assessment.

Material and Equipment Preparation: After planning, technicians gather the materials and equipment needed to fabricate the dental prosthetic or appliance.

Workflow mapping helps identify any delays or inefficiencies in accessing materials or equipment, allowing for optimization of inventory management and equipment utilization.

Fabrication Process: This stage involves the actual fabrication of the dental prosthetic or appliance, including tasks such as model preparation, wax-up, casting, shaping, and polishing.

Mapping this stage helps identify opportunities for standardization, automation, or process improvement to reduce cycle times and improve quality.

Quality Control and Assurance: Once fabrication is complete, the dental prosthetic or appliance undergoes quality control checks to ensure it meets the required standards of accuracy, fit, and aesthetics.

Workflow mapping helps identify where quality control checkpoints should be placed and how they can be integrated seamlessly into the production process.

Packaging and Delivery: The final stage of the workflow involves packaging the completed dental prosthetic or appliance and delivering it to the customer.

Mapping this stage helps identify opportunities to optimize packaging processes, reduce handling errors, and improve delivery timelines.

By mapping out these workflows and visualising the flow of materials, information, and tasks, dental labs can identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and areas of waste.

3. Minimising Waste 🗑️ 

Waste in a dental lab can take various forms, including overproduction, excess inventory, defects, and unnecessary motion.

Unnecessary Motion: This occurs when technicians have to move excessively or search for tools, materials, or information.

To minimise this waste, the lab can organise workstations in a way that optimises the layout, ensuring that tools and materials are easily accessible.

Additionally, standardising workflows and implementing visual cues can help reduce unnecessary motion.

Over-processing: Over-processing happens when more work is done on a product than is required to meet customer requirements.

For example, if a dental restoration requires excessive refinement or polishing beyond what is necessary for functional and aesthetic purposes, it represents wasted effort and resources.

Lean principles would encourage technicians to focus on delivering the required quality without unnecessary embellishments.

Defects: Defects in dental prosthetics can lead to rework, scrap, and additional costs.

To minimise defects, the lab can implement quality control measures at each stage of the production process, including thorough inspections, standardised procedures, and employee training.

By identifying and addressing issues early on, the lab can prevent defects from reaching the customer and ensure high-quality outcomes.

Excess Inventory: While overproduction contributes to excess inventory, other factors can lead to unnecessary stockpiling of materials and components in a dental lab.

For instance, ordering excessive quantities of materials, maintaining large buffer stocks, or hoarding obsolete inventory can tie up valuable resources and increase storage costs.

Lean principles advocate for implementing just-in-time inventory management systems to replenish supplies only as needed, thereby reducing excess inventory and associated waste.

Waiting Time: Waiting time occurs when work sits idle due to delays in the production process, such as waiting for materials, equipment, or information.

To minimise waiting time, the lab can implement strategies to improve workflow efficiency, such as synchronising production schedules with material deliveries, reducing setup times, and eliminating bottlenecks.

By keeping work flowing smoothly, the lab can reduce idle time and maximise productivity.

By addressing these additional forms of waste, a bespoke manufacturing dental lab can further optimise its operations, improve efficiency, and enhance customer satisfaction.

4. Implementing 5S ♻️ 

The 5S methodology applied to dental labs involves a systematic approach to workplace organisation and standardisation to improve efficiency, safety, and quality.

Sort: The first step is to sort through all items and materials in the lab, removing anything unnecessary, expired, or unused.

This helps declutter workspaces, reduce inventory, and create a more organised environment. For example, outdated materials, broken equipment, or unused tools should be identified and properly disposed of or relocated.

Set in Order: Once unnecessary items are removed, the next step is to organise the remaining items logically and efficiently.

This involves assigning specific locations for tools, materials, and equipment, and clearly labelling storage areas.

For instance, dental instruments should be stored in designated trays or cabinets, with labels indicating their contents for easy identification.

Shine: This step focuses on cleanliness and hygiene in the dental lab.

Technicians should regularly clean and maintain workstations, equipment, and tools to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment.

This includes tasks such as sweeping floors, wiping down surfaces, disinfecting equipment, and sterilising instruments.

Standardise: Standardisation involves establishing standardised procedures and protocols for tasks and processes in the dental lab.

This helps ensure consistency, efficiency, and quality in operations.

For example, standardising procedures for sterilisation, equipment maintenance, and material handling helps reduce errors and variability in outcomes.

Sustain: The final step is to sustain the improvements achieved through the 5S process by establishing a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.

This involves regular audits, training sessions, and employee engagement initiatives to reinforce 5S principles and maintain a high level of organization and cleanliness in the dental lab over time.

5. Continuous Improvement (Kaizen) 🧑‍🎓 

Implementing Kaizen in a dental lab involves regularly seeking feedback from technicians and dentists, identifying areas for improvement, and making incremental changes to processes.

For instance, technicians could hold regular meetings to discuss challenges they face during fabrication and brainstorm solutions to streamline workflows or enhance product quality.

Over time, these small improvements can lead to significant efficiency gains and quality enhancements.

6. Pull System 📨 

A pull system in a dental lab could involve establishing a demand-driven workflow that responds directly to customer orders.

This can be implemented by:

Customised Order Management: Implement a robust order management system that captures detailed specifications and preferences from dentists for each patient case.

This system should prioritise orders based on urgency, ensuring that high-priority cases are processed promptly while allowing flexibility for standard cases to follow a regular workflow.

Visual Workflow Management: Create a visual management system, such as a Kanban board or digital dashboard, to track the progress of each order through the production process.

This visual system should provide real-time visibility into the status of each case, highlighting any bottlenecks or delays that need attention.

Standardised Workstations: Standardise workstations and equipment setups to facilitate rapid setup and changeovers between different types of dental prosthetics.

This standardization ensures that technicians can quickly transition from one order to the next without unnecessary delays or disruptions.

7. Respect for People 🫂 

In a Lean dental lab, technicians are respected as skilled professionals whose expertise is essential for delivering high-quality products.

Lab managers should provide training and development opportunities to empower technicians to continually improve their skills and knowledge.

Additionally, creating a supportive work environment where employees feel valued and encouraged to contribute ideas for process improvement fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

By applying Lean principles in a dental lab, such as maximising customer value, minimising waste, continuously improving processes, implementing pull systems, and respecting people, the lab can optimise efficiency, enhance quality, and ultimately deliver greater value to dentists and patients.

8. Quality Control ✔️ 

Implement quality assurance checks at key points in the production process to verify that products meet specified standards.

This may involve visual inspections, measurements, fit tests, and functional assessments to ensure that each dental prosthetic or appliance meets the required specifications.

Quality assurance checks help identify any defects or deviations from the desired quality standards early on, allowing for corrective actions to be taken promptly.

Training Programs: Invest in training programs for lab technicians to ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their tasks effectively and consistently.

Training programs should cover topics such as proper material handling, fabrication techniques, quality control procedures, and adherence to safety protocols.

Ongoing training and professional development help maintain a high level of competency among lab staff and contribute to consistent product quality.

Lean and Mean Dental Lab Machine 🎛️ 

Becoming a Lean Dental Lab is a significant achievement, but maintaining those standards requires ongoing commitment and effort. Here are some steps you can take to ensure that the Lean principles are upheld in the future:

Establish Clear Expectations: Clearly communicate your expectations regarding Lean practices to all employees.

Make sure they understand the importance of maintaining Lean standards and how it contribute to the success of the lab.

Provide Ongoing Training: Continuously train and educate your team on Lean principles and practices.

Offer refresher courses, workshops, and seminars to reinforce their understanding and skills in Lean methodologies.

Implement Regular Audits: Conduct regular audits of your processes and workflows to identify any deviations from Lean standards.

Use tools like Gemba walks to observe operations firsthand and gather feedback from employees about areas for improvement.

Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Establish KPIs related to Lean principles, such as cycle time, inventory levels, defect rates, and customer satisfaction.

Monitor these metrics regularly and use them to track progress and identify areas that require attention.

Encourage Employee Engagement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging employees to contribute ideas and suggestions for optimizing processes.

Implement a system for capturing and evaluating employee suggestions, and recognize and reward contributions to Lean initiatives.

Provide Resources and Support: Ensure that your team has the resources and support they need to maintain Lean standards.

This may include providing access to tools, technology, and training materials, as well as offering guidance and mentorship from experienced Lean practitioners.

Celebrate Successes: Celebrate achievements and milestones in Lean implementation to reinforce positive behaviours and motivate employees to continue adhering to Lean principles.

Recognize individuals and teams for their contributions to Lean initiatives and share success stories with the entire organization.

Stay Informed and Adapt: Stay informed about developments in Lean methodologies and adapt your practices accordingly.

Attend conferences, workshops, and networking events to learn from other Lean practitioners and stay current with industry best practices.

By taking these steps, you can ensure that your dental lab maintains its Lean standards and continues to reap the benefits of improved efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction over the long term.

Extra Resources Roundup

• Crash course in Kaizen (DE)

• Lean Manufacturing Benefits (DPR)

• Lab Software to manage and grow ( HERE )

• Where all of it started (ToyotaVision)

• Even the dentists are doing it (SPEAR)

Thank you for staying connected with Dental Lab Tips.  We look forward to bringing you more exciting updates from the world of dental technology.