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Chairman and CEO of Ingersoll Rand Michael Lamach to Speak at Shingo Prize Conference
Simpler client Ingersoll Rand Chairman and CEO Michael Lamach will present a keynote address at the 25thInternational Shingo Prize Conference, being held Monday, May 6 through Friday, May 10 at the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo, Utah. The Shingo Prize Conference features keynote addresses from CEOs of leading worldwide organizations as well as comprehensive learning sessions from a variety of industry leaders, authors and Shingo Prize recipients.


Taking place on Thursday, May 9 at 10:30 a.m., Lamach's session “Transforming an Enterprise - Our Path to Premier Performance” will give an overview of Ingersoll Rand’s journey to increase the company’s operating capability in the areas of innovation and operational excellence. Using Lamach’s leadership and a value stream approach – one of the main principles of Lean –  Ingersoll Rand is transforming into an integrated operating company and is well on its way to achieving premier performance. Lamach will provide first-hand account of the challenges he faces while coaching and building an engaged organization committed to customer satisfaction, achieving financial and productivity goals and growing profitably.


Simpler Account Manager for Ingersoll Rand Gregg Miner is personally proud of Lamach and the company’s accomplishments.


“With Mike's diligent focus on employee engagement and improving the customer experience, the transformation sites continue to achieve year over year improvements,” said Miner. “With a total of 19 sites now in their third year of formal transformation, there is significant evidence of a sustainable, cultural transformation.”

 
For more information on Michael Lamach and his Shingo Prize Conference session, please visit: http://shingoprize.org/2013Conference/2013speakers.html#Lamach

Join Anne Arundel Medical Center for its 2013 Fundraising Gala on April 27

This Saturday, April 27, 2013, Simpler Consulting client Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) Foundation will be holding its 2013 Annual Fundraising Gala from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. (Midnight) at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, Maryland. “Sparkle” is the theme for this year’s Spring Gala, and festivities include dinner, live music, dancing and a live, silent auction. The Gala will celebrate AAMC’s cancer programs, including the Geaton and JoAnn DeCesaris Cancer Institute, which treats over 1,500 patients a day. As part of AAMC’s commitment to delivering the best medical care possible, funds raised will touch the lives of cancer patients from across the greater Maryland region. The Hyatt Regency Baltimore is located at:

                300 Light Street
                Baltimore, Maryland
                212021

For more information on the Gala, please call AAMC Special Events Officer Kendra Smith Houghton at (443) 481-4739, or email her at khoughton@aahs.org.

We hope to see you there for this great cause!

Simpler Consulting To Host Annual Practitioners Conference Feb. 28 – Mar. 1, 2013

Simpler Consulting is hosting its annual Practitioners Conference Thursday, Feb. 28 through Friday, Mar. 1 at the Embassy Suites Dallas - DFW Outdoor World in Dallas, Texas.

At the conference, Simpler client practitioners will share lessons learned, collaborate on new ideas and enhance their own improvement and leadership capabilities. The Practitioners Conference is geared towards Lean core team members, value stream owners, department managers and directors and operations managers.

The conference will feature exciting talks and presentations from Lean practitioners at New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation, Denver Water, University of Colorado Health and Anne Arundel Health System.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Management and Organization Practices Survey - A U.S. Census Bureau Survey
This month, the U.S. Census Bureau released findings from its first ever survey on management practices in America, tiled “Management and Organization Practices Survey.”  Conducted by  researchers from Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the London School of Economics and the National Science Foundation, the survey polled 30,000 of the 50,000 manufacturing plants surveyed in the 2010 Annual Survey of Manufacturers with 16 multiple choice questions on their management practices.

The 16 questions pertaining to management covered three main areas: performance monitoring, target setting and incentives based in part on the Lean management principles of continuous observation, assessment and improvement. Companies polled were then given a “structured management” score based on these questions. The results of the survey conclude that:

1) Every 10% increase in the survey’s management score (i.e., higher score = greater structure) correlates with a 13.6% increase in productivity.

2) Organizations with higher management scores are more profitable. Additionally, organizations that saw an improvement in management scores between 2005 and 2010 experienced faster rises in profitability.


3)  18.3% of establishments adopt at least 75% of structured management practices, while 27.3% adopt less than 50% of structured management practices.  
Overall, the survey concludes that structured management is closely related to better performance. Organizations that adopt rigid practices for performance monitoring, target setting and incentives experience higher productivity and profitability rates as well as higher rates of innovation and more rapid employment growth.

 “What this survey illustrates is both the need for and prominence of structured management in the U.S. manufacturing industry,” said Marc Hafer, CEO, Simpler Consulting. “As part of an organization rooted in structure and supporting an environment that fosters continuous improvement to existing structure, this survey further authenticates Simpler’s opportunity to  help these organization put in place a management system that improves performance, productivity, profitability and innovation at all levels.”

For more on the survey, please visit: http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/economic_surveys/cb13-03.html or http://www2.census.gov/ces/wp/2013/CES-WP-13-01.pdf

Warner Robins Air Logistic Complex Recognized with Highest Air Force Award for Excellence
Simpler Consulting would like to congratulate our client Warner Robins Air Logistic Complex and its C-130 Programmed Depot Maintenance team for earning the Robert T. Mason Excellence Award for its work on the C-130 aircraft. Named for Robert T. Mason, former assistant deputy undersecretary of defense for maintenance policy, programs and resources, the award is presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements in weapon system and military equipment maintenance.  

Using Lean practices, the team returned 64 aircraft to operating units to increase C-130 aircraft availability, reduced in-progress work from 41 to 36 aircraft, cut flow days from 102 to 69 days and achieved 100% on-time delivery. Despite increased operational and repair demands on the aging C-130 fleet, the team also reduced customer-reported deficiencies by 60 percent by the end of the fiscal year.

  Additionally, the Programmed Depot Maintenance team expanded the use of dedicated crews, incorporated high-velocity maintenance concepts into the main production line and consolidated scattered production facilities, freeing up valuable space for additional workloads.   The award was presented by the Pentagon's Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Maintenance Policy and Programs, John Johns.  
For more information, please visit: http://www.robins.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123332092

Simpler to Attend the IHI Annual Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare Dec. 9-12
Are you fleeing the winter weather for sunny Florida next week? Simpler is heading to Orlando December 9-12 for the 24th Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare. Organized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the event will bring healthcare leaders from all over the country to discuss and form innovative change for the healthcare industry.

Make sure to join us for our "Lean Leadership Immersion for Healthcare" on Wednesday from 10:45-11:15am in the presentation room at the entrance to the exhibit hall.  Lean tools are only part of the solution to transformation, this program will highlight the top 10 essential things leaders should know and answer questions such as: What do you know about the pivotal role leaders play in getting beyond use of the tools and changing the behavior of the entire organization? What is the essential short list of things leaders do to make the difference in capturing the hearts and minds of all employees?"

Come to the session or stop by booth #413 to chat! Look forward to seeing you in Florida.

Lean Healthcare takes Center Stage at Associate for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) Chicago 2012

Lean guru and former Denver Health CEO Dr. Patricia Gabow was the keynote speaker at AME Chicago 2012 this week in Chicago. Under her leadership, Dr. Gabow helped Denver Health achieve more than $150 million in financial benefit through Lean management. To learn more about Denver Health’s lean transformation, check out this video segment, featured on PBS: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june11/denverhealth_06-30.html

The conference also featured 40 workshops and 60 practitioner-to-practitioner presentations designed for attendees to learn directly from their peers who have lived through real world, industry-related experiences. AME is dedicated to improving the competitiveness of organizations by sharing and learning, while understanding the ultimate goal is to achieve the highest return possible on investment of time and effort.   For more information about Dr. Gabow’s participation, check out this video: http://www.ameconference.org/2012-chicago/videos/promo/gabow-keynote-speaker.html    To learn more about AME Chicago 2012, please visit: http://www.ameconference.org/

Why Healthcare Reform is a Misnomer

It's high political season, and once again healthcare reform is front and center. While most of the discussion is centered around enacting or rescinding the Affordable Care Act, neither outcome alone will solve the problems facing healthcare in this country. True healthcare reform necessitates a more comprehensive approach.

Healthcare reform in the political context is about payment reform, or the notion that changing the criteria for reimbursement by insurers will alter provider behaviors and therefore improve patient outcomes: a dangerous and superficial assumption. Lean management concepts teach us that the insurer role in the healthcare value stream is tangential and largely non-value adding. As Lean thinkers examine flows within healthcare value streams, insurers and their reimbursements are more often disruptive, costly and wasteful. The list of wastes imposed by payers is lengthy and includes adding time to processes, slowing care delivery, incentivizing over-production, increasing the risk for defects of process and outcomes and interrupting the flow of critical information.

A Lean examination of the entire healthcare delivery value stream would lead in the right direction for root cause solutions to the healthcare crisis facing this country. A Lean healthcare approach focuses on evaluating patient needs to define value, and considers all stakeholders’ concerns in the multitude of care pathways. Such a thoughtful examination would uncover opportunities for innovation and transformation, not reform on the margins (like payment reform) that will not solve the difficult challenges of improving outcomes while producing significant reductions in the actual cost of care delivery.

According to a report from the Institute of Medicine, there is more than $750 billion in healthcare waste each year, but opportunity to save more than $463 billion dollars in the next 10 years. From our experience hospitals using Lean practices can save millions of dollars annually. Simpler client Denver Health, for example, documented cost savings and revenue gains from Leanefforts totaling $150 million in a seven-year period (2005 – 2012) and boasts the lowest mortality rate of any academic medical center in the country. If more of the 5,700 U.S. healthcare systems adopted Lean, certainly we would move closer to, if not surpass, IOM’s projected potential for cost savings, not to mention achieve significant improvements to patient care.

What the U.S. needs is true healthcare innovation, and fortunately there are a growing number of Lean-thinking healthcare leaders who are leading the way by transforming their entire healthcare delivery value stream for the betterment of patients, families and providers and achieving significantly lower costs with measurably better outcomes for all. We at Simpler Consulting have had the privilege to work with more than 80 brave and determined healthcare organizations willing to do the hard work of rethinking their approaches to better serve patient communities. Results include achieving 95% patient satisfaction with the care received, hundreds of millions of dollars saved, and most importantly, creating cultures that seek improvement continuously.

To learn more, check out the stories of our clients and their Lean transformations at http://www.simpler.com/success-stories/.

To read more about what others are saying about the need to eliminate waste to cut costs and improve outcomes, check out IOM’s interactive infographics and report from their three-part workshop series to explore opportunities to reduce health care costs without compromising health status, quality of care, or innovation: http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/The-Healthcare-Imperative.


- Marc Hafer, CEO, Simpler Consulting



CEOS GATHER FOR SIMPLER CONSULTING’S SEVENTH ANNUAL CEO SYMPOSIUM

Leaders from Manufacturing, Healthcare and Public Sector Discuss BusinessStrategies to Improve Quality and Drive Bottom Line Results

CHICAGO—October 11, 2012—Simpler® Consulting L.P., a leading global management consulting firm, today announced it will be holding its seventh annual CEO Symposium on October 11-12, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The CEO Symposium will bring together C-level executives from the manufacturing, healthcare and public sectors to share successes and challenges in conducting business in today’s global economic environment. All participants are at various phases of Lean transformations, an enterprise-wide journey that trains organizations to rethink business strategies, operation models and build a culture that values quality and efficiency to identify and remove all waste from the organization to generate breakthrough business results.

 

“With the uncertainty of an election year and in the midst of an ever-changing economic environment, leaders must be equipped with tools that can generate business results despite external obstacles and challenges,” said Marc Hafer, CEO of Simpler Consulting. “The CEO Symposium is truly a unique forum that brings together executives across all industries to discover ways to mobilize their organizations to maximize all resources and processes, generating significant business results.”

 

Participants will hear from executives who are at various stages of a cultural transformation. This year’s featured speakers include:

 

  • Antonio Martin, executive vice president and corporate chief operating officer, New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation
  • Ray Pittard, president of Thermo King© North America, part of the family of brands of Ingersoll Rand
  • Orest (Orry) Fiume, author of the 2004 Shingo Prize winning book Real Numbers: Management Accounting in a Lean Organization
  • David Masterson, chief executive officer of Sampson Regional Medical Center
  • George Koenigsaecker, Lean expert and author of Leading the Lean Enterprise Transformation
 

The CEO Symposium is a closed forum for Simpler Consulting clients. To learn more, visit www.simpler.com.

  About Simpler Consulting, L.P. Simpler Consulting, L.P. is a leading global management consulting firm that helps companies improve processes to stimulate business-impacting results. Unlike traditional management consulting firms that specialize in developing strategy but fall short on execution, Simpler plays an active role helping clients create an organizational culture that continuously seeks out opportunities to make improvements. With its proprietary Simpler Business System®, Simpler Sensei have delivered the fastest and most enduring Lean transformations at more than 80 healthcare networks around the world. To learn more, visit http://www.simpler.com.

Simpler CEO Marc Hafer to Present at The Healthcare Roundtable for Chief Executive Officers
On Friday, October 5, 2012 in Scottsdale, Ariz., Simpler CEO Marc Hafer will join 30 industry leading not-for-profit hospitals, health centers and consultants for a semi-annual CEO roundtable event, hosted by The Healthcare Roundtable. Designed by the attendees, the agenda will include case studies, presentations and open discussion sessions to explore critical challenges and solutions facing the healthcare industry as well as today’s headlines as they pertain to the healthcare executives and their responsibilities. Members will also discuss visions of future trends and issues.   Hafer will present on how Lean management can help healthcare systems cut costs and improve patient care. Specifically, Hafer will discuss: Lean management transformation systems, the transformation continuum, the role of leaders in Lean transformation, the impact of culture and essential elements for a Lean transformation plan. He will also discuss  Mountain States Health Alliance and their Lean transformation.   To learn more about The Healthcare Roundtable, please visit: http://www.healthcareroundtable.com/

For more information about Mountain States Health Alliance, please visit: http://www.msha.com/

Simpler Consulting Recognizes Dr. Patricia Gabow for a Career of Leadership Excellence
Simpler Consulting, L.P., a leading global management consulting firm, would like to recognize Denver Health CEO Dr. Patricia Gabow for nearly 40 years of relentless dedication to improving the healthcare industry. Dr. Gabow, who is retiring from her position as CEO of Denver Health, leaves behind a legacy of true leadership and healthcare reform.   “Leadership is about more than creating a vision and setting strategic direction; it’s about unlocking the potential of a group of people and inspiring them to achieve incredible results,” said Marc Hafer, CEO of Simpler Consulting and author of the Simpler Healthcare book. “Dr. Gabow has not only inspired Denver Health to believe that change is possible, but her efforts to reform and innovate healthcare have motivated leaders across the globe to emulate the incredible transformation that Denver Health has embarked on to improve patient care.”   In 2005, Dr. Gabow challenged the clinicians, administration and staff at Denver Health that they could do better than industry standards and embarked on their Lean transformation journey to set new national standards for healthcare delivery. Lean organizations involve their members on the front lines to create a problem-solving culture, teaching them how to identify wasteful process steps, followed by problem solving tools to redefine care in the eyes of the patient. The results have been incredible. Denver Health has battled soaring healthcare costs, an uncertain future for reform, declining reimbursements and a growing uninsured population and has still managed to emerge as an innovative hub for transforming patient care and reducing costs.   Under Dr. Gabow’s direction, Denver Health has experienced a financial benefit of more than $135 million through Lean, and—more importantly—it has transformed the health system and delivery quality for the patients its serves. In fact, Dr. Gabow attributes its Lean healthcare initiative to saving at least 213 lives in 2011 alone.    Denver Health has also earned several awards for its efforts to improve patient care, including a 2012 Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Care Innovation Award and the 2011 Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence Shingo Bronze Medallion. Additionally, this year the National Committee for Quality Assurance awarded Dr. Gabow with the 2012 Health Quality Award for her pioneering use of Lean management in healthcare.   “Simpler Consulting would like to congratulate Dr. Gabow on her achievements to transform the delivery of care,” said Steve Matteson, Vice President, Healthcare at Simpler Consulting. “She will surely be missed, but has left a lasting impact that will remain well beyond her tenure at Denver Health.”   Click the download link below to watch a video from Marc Hafer thanking Dr. Gabow for her dedicated service.  
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Denver Health Systems Hosts "Implementing Lean in the Lab" Webinar on 8/15/12
Join Director of Lean Systems Improvement Phil Goodman and Laboratory Manager Linda Kaufman of Denver Health Systems as they discuss the processes, advantages and benefits of implementing Lean in their laboratory. You’ll learn how Denver Health implemented an enterprise-wide Lean program and "black belt" leadership initiative to save $100 million and avoid hundreds of hospital employee layoffs since its inception in 2004. The discussion will also include Six Sigma concepts, the use of 2P Lean tools for implementing new equipment, the A3 for reporting quality for bench mark improvements and an example of interdepartmental cooperation using Lean events.   The webinar will take place at 3:00 p.m. EST on August 15. To register, please visit Executive Insight/ ADVANCE for Administrators of the Laboratory’s website at: http://bit.ly/OMPMPD.

Simpler Consulting Announces Q2 2012 Results from Simpler Client Return on Investment Index 
Simpler Consulting today announced Simpler clients worldwide experienced a return on investment (ROI) of more than $87 million in the second quarter of 2012, totaling $213 million saved year-to-date. The Simpler Client ROI Index is a measurement tool to quantify the business-impacting results, including total savings and revenue growth that organizations achieve through applying The Simpler Business System.®  The System, based on the tenets of Lean management, is a powerful systematic approach that trains organizations to rethink business strategies, operation models and build a culture that values quality and efficiency.

“Lean management is not a quick fix, it is a cultural transformation. Our clients are often surprised not only how quickly they start seeing results, but how their early success helps to set the stage for even greater improvements,” said Marc Hafer, CEO of Simpler Consulting. “Through the use of the Simpler Business System, commercial, public and healthcare organizations worldwide are cutting costs and adding green dollars to the bottom line, without sacrificing quality.”

Launched in January 2012, the Simpler Client ROI Index is issued quarterly and is based on a culmination of returns reported by Simpler’s clients. Given the nature of client reporting structures as well where clients are along their Lean journey, the number of clients who report performance improvements, savings and revenue growth

NYC Health & Hospitals Corporation President Alan Aviles Receives Healthcare Leaders of NY Award of Distinction
We would like to congratulate Simpler client NYCHHC President Alan D. Aviles on receiving the Healthcare Leader of New York Award of Distinction. Since 1989, this award has been given annually to a healthcare executive who has demonstrated a sustained and outstanding contribution to the advancement of healthcare administration as a profession. Recipients of this award are often recognized for their roles as exceptional mentors to ensure that the next generation of executives is prepared to meet the challenges of the future, and Aviles is no exception.  Aviles proudly and graciously accepted this special recognition at the Health Leaders of New York’s Annual Gala on June 20, 2012 at the Bronx Botanical Gardens.  For more information about NYCHHC and Alan D. Aviles, please visit their website at:  http://on.nyc.gov/8aGX7k

New Simpler Healthcare Book Details The Use Of Lean Management To Transform Patient Care
Simpler is excited to announce the release of a new book, Simpler HealthcareSM, authored by CEO Marc S. Hafer. The book details how six hospitals across the globe — Alder Hey Children's Foundation Trust in Liverpool, England; Denver Health; New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation; Royal Bolton Hospital in England; St. Joseph's Health System in Orange, Calif.; and Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore — have applied Lean healthcare concepts to transform operations, improve patient outcomes, reduce costs and increase patient and staff satisfaction. For a sneak preview of the book, check out this video from Hafer: http://bit.ly/MprEyV To obtain your own copy of Simpler Healthcare, please visit: http://amzn.to/Mm15i0

Simpler Consulting CEO Marc Hafer Comments on U.S. Supreme Court Ruling to Uphold Healthcare Insurance Mandate
Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold the individual mandate for healthcare insurance. While this is certainly big news, it does not change the fact that the U.S. healthcare system is fraught with waste and hospitals and health systems need to look for solutions to improve patient care and control costs. The good news is that forward-thinking hospitals have already begun to make real change and nurses, clinicians and hospital leaders are on the front lines eliminating waste and achieving true reform. To learn more, check out the case examples in our Success Stories section of the website.

Simpler's Chris Cooper and Board Member George Koenigsaecker Speak at Lean Enterprise Research Centre Conference
Simpler is proud to attend the 2012 Lean Enterprise Research Centre  (LERC) Conference in Cardiff, Wales (June 25-26), sponsored by Welsh Government. Simpler Board Member George Koenigsaecker will keynote the U.K.’s leading Lean conference, focusing on leadership lessons learned and key success factors in Lean transformation. Simpler's Chris Cooper will also present the Simpler Design System on Day One of the conference — one of over a dozen presentations from the industry’s leading professionals. Be sure to follow the @Simpler Twitter handle for updates from the show.   For more information, please visit the event website: http://bit.ly/Lsh4uj

Simpler Heads to San Francisco for NAPH Conference
Simpler Health is proud to sponsor the 2012 National Association of Public Hospital’s Annual Conference (June 20-22) in San Francisco. The conference will highlight crucial issues facing patients and communities in today’s healthcare industry, with three days full of keynotes, interactive learning sessions, and meetings that cover an array of topics from patient engagement and safety to current health legislation. Simpler clients Denver Health and New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation will also be attending the conference. Make sure to follow the @SimplerConsult Twitter handle for updates from the show.   For more information, please visit NAPH’s event page at: http://bit.ly/NixYdg.

Simpler Attends the 2012 Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit
Simpler Consulting is proud to attend the 2012 Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit (June 6-7) in Minneapolis, MN, co-sponsored by Healthcare Value Network and Lean Enterprise Institute. From industry-leading keynote speakers and CEO panel discussions to learning sessions and workshops, the Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit promises two full days of lean learning and expertise. It is a great turn out this year. ThedaCare, New York City Health Hospital Corporation, Beth Israel Deaconess and Medical Center, Advocate Health Care, Harvard Vanguard Medical and 16 other Simpler clients are presenting or in attendance. Stop by our booth at the Summit, located just outside the main ballroom. For more information, please visit the event web page at: http://bit.ly/yB35tY

Warner Robins Air Logistics Center Wins DoD Financial Management Award
We would like to congratulate our client Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia for earning the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller Financial Management Award for 2011. The award recognizes the center’s financial management team for developing new processes, such as Lean management, that include cost in its decision making. At Simpler, we commend the men and women at the center for their tremendous dedication and hard work. To learn more, we invite you to read the press release announcing this achievement. Post by Tony Jonas

Simpler Attends the 2012 ASQ World Conference
Simpler Consulting is proud to attend the 2012 ASQ World Conference (May 21-23) in Anaheim, California. Simpler is supporting the AME booth, Booth 323. Several Simpler clients are presenting or in attendance including City of Hope, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Kaiser, St. Joseph Healthcare System and Harvard Vanguard. For more information please check out the ASQ web site at wcqi.asq.org.

Simpler Consulting Board Member George Koenigsaeker to Speak at Canadian Manufacturing Conference
Simpler Consulting is pleased to announce Board Member George Koenigsaeker will be among an elite group of keynote speakers at the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) 2012 National LEAN Conference, June 4 – 7, 2012, in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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Simpler Consulting Announces Q1 Results from Simpler ClientReturn on Investment Index
Simpler Consulting, L.P., today announced Simpler clients worldwide experienced a return on investment (ROI) of nearly $93 million in the first quarter of 2012. 

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Simpler Consulting Partners with National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems
Simpler Consulting is pleased to announce our partnership with the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH) as we continue to support the work of America's safety net hospitals.
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Harvard Vanguard Breaks Ground on New Medical Building
Simpler congratulates Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates on the groundbreaking of a new state-of-the-art facility for its Concord Hillside practice.
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Tinker Air Force Base Wins Dr. James G. Roche Sustainment Excellence Award
Simpler client Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma earned the 2011 Dr. James G. Roche Sustainment Excellence Award as it demonstrated the most improved performance in fleet sustainment for fiscal year 2011.
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Simpler Consulting Expands Lean Management Services in India to Support Healthcare and Commercial Industries
Simpler Consulting announces the formation of a new entity, Simpler Consulting India, to expand the company's geographic footprint to bring Lean management services to healthcare and manufacturing organizations in India. In addition, Simpler has signed an exclusive agreement with the Quality Council of India (QCI) to provide accredited Lean healthcare training and experience to the Health Division of QCI.
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Sharing the Success of Lean with Hospitals in South Carolina
Simpler's Jim Little discusses Lean at the South Carolina Hospital Association.
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Dr. John Toussaint and Dr. Roger Gerard recognized with the Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award

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Dr. Patricia Gabow of Denver Health Recognized with Health Quality Award
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recently announced the recipients of its Health Quality Award and among those being recognized is Dr. Patricia Gabow, CEO of Denver Health. The award is given to individuals and organizations that highlight the need for—and drive—health care improvement. Simpler has been working with Dr. Gabow since Denver Health began its Lean healthcare journey in 2008, and we are excited the NCQA is recognizing her commitment to cutting costs and improving patient care. We congratulate Dr. Gabow on being honored with the Health Quality Award for her continued dedication to ensuring the residents of Denver receive the highest quality care.

Simpler's Fifth Annual Practitioner's Conference
Last week we held our fifth annual Practitioner’s Conference in Dallas, Texas, where Lean transformation practitioners joined together to share lessons learned, collaborate on new ideas and enhance their own improvement and leadership capabilities.
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Lundbeck Receives Shingo Silver Medallion
Simpler congratulate's our client, Lundbeck, for being honored with a Shingo Silver Medallion.
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Atrius Health and ThedaCare named Pioneer ACOs
Simpler Consulting would like to congratulate Atrius Health and ThedaCare, who were chosen amongst the 32 healthcare organizations that will be participating in the Pioneer ACO program.
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Defining Leadership: Dr. Patricia Gabow, CEO of Denver Health
Modern Healthcare has reported that Dr. Patricia Gabow, CEO of Denver Health will retire September 1, 2012. The announcement of Dr. Gabow's retirement began a mental synthesis about the qualities of a leader and the impact an individual can have on an industry.
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Denver Health Recognized as Top Academic Medical Center in U.S.
Simpler client Denver Health has been recognized by the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) as one of the highest-performing academic medical centers in the United States for its excellence in supply chain management.
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Why I Wrote The Little Book of Lean
There are two reasons why I wrote The Little Book of Lean. The first comes directly through my client work at Simpler Consulting. I had become increasingly frustrated with the lack of good “back to basics” books to introduce people to the way of lean thinking. As my clients came to me for resources that taught the basics of lean management, they often found literature that focused too heavily on lean manufacturing. The second reason I wrote the book came out of a late night conversation a few years back with my friend, Steven J. Spear...
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Denver Health Honored by City and County of Denver
We would like to congratulate Simpler client Denver Health for being recognized with a proclamation for operational excellence by the City and County of Denver. Denver Health CEO Dr. Patricia Gabow received the proclamation this week from the mayor and city council, honoring the organization for its lean achievements as a model safety net hospital for the City and County of Denver, the Rocky Mountain region and the entire nation. The proclamation highlights that Denver Health is “hailed as one of the first health care organizations in the world to apply Lean in a patient care setting” and that it “recently realized a cost benefit of over $100 million in financial benefits as a direct result of its Lean efforts.” Kudos to everyone at Denver Health for sustaining a lean culture while also providing quality healthcare to Denver’s citizens.

Denver Health Video Highlights Shingo Recognition
Simpler recently congratulated our client Denver Health for being honored with a Shingo Bronze Medallion for its commitment to adopting healthcare lean management practices across the enterprise. Since Denver Health received the award this past March, the hospital has created an innovative video that highlights the great results from its lean transformation journey which involved more than 1,300 Denver Health employees who were dedicated to achieving operational excellence. We invite you to see how Denver Health realized nearly $88 million in financial benefit over the past five years while also saving money, jobs and most importantly, the lives of those they serve.

Lean Management Helps Nurses get back to Nursing
May is National Nurses Month. In honor of the dedicated individuals who have devoted their lives to others, Steve Matteson, Vice President and General Manager, Client Services of Simpler HealthcareSM shares two case examples of how lean management is helping nurses get back to what they love, caring for the patient.
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Simpler Point of View: A Lesson from the Royal Wedding
By Al Martyn, Public Sector, Business Development Leader at Simpler® Congratulations to the Royal couple who were married last week on Friday 29th April in London. After the excitement of Friday, I was listening to the news and a political commentator had highlighted that a member of the public had suggested that “we should get those who ran the wedding to run the public services in the UK” – why? – “because it all seemed to flow and run so well.”   To someone in Simpler, the natural use of the word "flow," to describe a process that runs well and without a "hitch," is always a delight. It reflects on a key Lean principle – to ensure each process flows.   One of the keys to make process “flow” is to have a great "standard work." What is standard work? It’s the best known way to do something, very importantly it's written down and it is continuously improved based on lessons learned by the people who do the work. The Royal wedding’s pageantry is so precise because it’s the product of decades of continuous improvement on the "standard work."   Just imagine if we had decades of standard work improvement for hospital A&Es, police custody suites, or collecting the bins, optimising to make the process flow!   One other thing about standard work is that it is not just the process but precise timing associated with process steps that should be considered – so when Ms. Middleton left the hotel at 9 minutes to 11 o'clock do you think someone had been developing some new standard work for that hotel? You bet!   Many congrats again to newlyweds!  

Modern Healthcare names St. Joseph Health System CEO to Top 25 Women in Healthcare List
Simpler congratulates Deborah Proctor, president and CEO of St. Joseph Health System in Orange, Calif., for being named one of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare.
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Simpler Consulting Brings Management Enterprise to Canada
Simpler Consulting, L.P., a leading global management consulting firm, today announced a new entity, Simpler Consulting Canada, ULC, to expand the Company's geographic footprint and continue its commitment of bringing lean management techniques to health systems and organizations in Canada.
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NATO's Route to Transformation-A Lesson for All
During a recent discussion I had with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) in Brussels, a familiar challenge was highlighted - how an organisation can reduce costs and at the same time maximise its efficiency to deliver a service, and in this case, one that was better fitted to the 21st century rather than what the Cold War had demanded. This remains an area of focus for NATO, one that it is still working on. The NATO representative spoke about “outdated processes” and “wasteful processes” in the workplace and the need to replace them with more efficient ones. He highlighted the challenges in delivering change to 28 nations with different cultures and politics. This transformation work perhaps presents the acute “breaking down the boundary waste” that was discussed in a recent blog post.
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Earth Month: Getting Lean and Green
In celebration of Earth Month, we'd like to highlight the synergy between green and lean initiatives. The two strategies often intersect as they share an overarching common goal - to eliminate as much waste as possible to help improve efficiency and reduce costs. Lean management helps organizations cut costs and improve customer satisfaction by reducing waste or anything that does not add value to the process. Although Lean doesn't focus soley on achieving environmental benefits, organizations can adopt the tools from a lean continuous improvement program to help reduce environmental waste. Take our client Denver Health, for example. To meet the needs of a growing patient population, its Park Hill clinic, originally a temporary modular space, was transformed into a state-of-the-art clinic. By getting Lean and going green, Denver Health kept building costs low while still providing the local community with high-quality healthcare services and an energy-efficient green building. Click here to read more about how Denver Health used lean management and green efforts to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Lean Transformation from the Voice of a Customer
I recently participated in a leadership session where Paul Boissier, CEO of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), briefed the Metropolitan Police executive team who are responsible for their Information Services Directorate on lean transformation.  RNLI and the Metropolitan Police are both Simpler clients and the purpose of the session was to offer Paul’s perspective and insights on leading a successful lean transformation. Simpler has worked with Paul on two successful transformations; previously with the Royal Navy and more recently with the RNLI. (Download the whitepaper to learn more)
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Denver Health Leads the Way in Eliminating Medical Mistakes
Last week, a new study published in the Health Affairs journal revealed medical errors may be 10 times higher than previously estimated—meaning one in three Americans will fall victim to a medical mistake during a hospital stay. Yesterday, our client Dr. Patricia Gabow, chief executive officer of Denver Health was featured in a story on PBS News Hour, which highlighted the hospital as a leader in reducing medical mistakes and information. As noted in the article, “Denver Health has one of the lowest complication rates for blood clots in the leg of any hospital in the country and saves $15,000 a month by using a highly standardized process to identify people at risk for the condition.” We commend Dr. Gabow and Denver Health for their dedication to improve patient care. This March, Denver Health was recently recognized as the first health care facility to be awarded with a Shingo Bronze Medallion by the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence.

The ACO Model of the Future?
Simpler client Atrius Health is featured in this article as an example of an accountable-care organization. Accountable Care Organizations are promoted in the health reform law as a way to improve care and reduce costs. Some of their results with Lean and quality improvement are described.
Wall Street Journal, Avery Johnson, 03/28/2011

Client Denver Health Receives Shingo Bronze Medallion
We would like to congratulate our client Denver Health for being honored with a Shingo Bronze Medallion for its commitment to adopting lean management practices across the enterprise. This marks the first time a healthcare facility has been recognized by the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence. Denver Health has achieved great results from its lean transformation journey – realizing nearly $89 million in financial benefit in the past five years. For more information, click here to read the press release.

Simpler's Fourth Annual Practitioners Conference
Last week we held our fourth annual Practitioners Conference in Dallas, Texas, where 23 Lean transformation practitioners of our clients gathered to share lessons learned, collaborate on new ideas and enhance their own improvement and leadership capabilities. Click on link below to learn more.
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Scottish Policing
I recently attended the Policing Scotland Summit, which took place in February. The event was created to debate the future of policing in Scotland as it faces some of the most radical changes in its history. Tasked with reducing spending by 10 percent in real terms over the next four years following the Comprehensive Spending Review, the Scottish Government launched a consultation to reduce the number of Scotland’s police forces. Among the options of reform is a regional structure or a single nationwide force. Click on the link below to learn more.
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What is the 'Big Society' Project and What will it Mean to the Public Sector?
Many of you may have heard by now of David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’  project. Cameron’s initiative is to create a ‘stronger, bigger society’ to build a more responsible Britain by opening government contracts. From a lean perspective Cameron seems to be trying to get the ‘customer or citizen’ involved in the process of change, but to me it is no different from JFK’s statement: “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” Rather than a plea to citizens to get involved and help make a difference, which is leaving him open to the criticism that he actually wants to citizens to do the work post cuts, why not have a structured programme of improvement? For example, the Simpler Business System, where a natural part of the system is to get people (in this case the public sector workers and the public) involved, enables change that is actually created by the people for themselves. Cameron’s approach needs to change; he would gain a lot of volunteers if only there was an advertisement that said: “We want to improve refuse removal / police in your area / hospital in your area by up to 50% - do you want to help?” Success and real-life examples breed success – I think that’s what Cameron really wants. So my advice to achieve the change in society that Cameron wants is to use a proven change method to get people involved.  Method is crucial to a successful plan and whilst the vision is right, all we need is a proven method that involves both public sector staff and the public. Al Martyn is Public Sector, Business Development Leader at Simpler®. For more information, email him at martyna@simpler.com.

IndustryWeek Hall of Fame Winner George Koenigsaecker's New Book Gets a Thumbs Up from the Publication
In the February 9 edition of IndustryWeek, Writer Adrienne Selko reviews the second edition of Simpler Consulting Board Member and Senior Vice President George Koenigsaecker’s book “Leading the Lean Enterprise Transformation.” The review highlights Koenigsaecker’s emphasis on the culture of Lean and the four metrics that need to be consistently tracked – quality improvement, delivery and lead time, cost and productivity improvement, and human development. To read the full review, click here.

Simpler Design SystemSM - Bringing More Profitable Products to Market Faster
Introducing a new, systematic approach to new product development that will reduce your time to by 50%. Learn how Elekta applies the Simpler Design System to pharma.
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Simpler Design System

Lean Design in Healthcare at the IHI National Forum
Simpler HealthcareSM is proud to sponsor the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) National Forum. Join Simpler’s Steve Matteson for the "Lean Design" session on Sunday, December 5th at the Forum to learn how a community hospital used Lean to create the ideal practice clinic facility, bringing it from an idea on paper to reality. The creative use of space, people, equipment, and supplies is groundbreaking. See you at the Forum.
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Simpler® Celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week
According to a recent report released from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, despite the recession U.S. Entrepreneurship in 2009 rose to a 14 year high. As new entrepreneurs grow their business, they often get overwhelmed with the number of email correspondences, meetings and calls. As we celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week, Tim Whitmore, vice president and general manager of Commercial Sector at Simpler North America, shares insight into how entrepreneurs can prioritize and keep their business running smoothly. 
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Simpler Consulting®, L.P. George Koenigsaecker Inducted into IndustryWeek 2010 Manufacturing Hall of Fame
Simpler Consulting today announced Simpler Consulting Board Member and lean industry veteran George Koenigsaecker was inducted into IndustryWeek’s 2010 Manufacturing Hall of Fame for his years of experience leading successful lean management transformations across a multitude of organizations. Drawing from his many years of experience leading lean transformations, Koenigsaecker wrote Leading the Lean Enterprise Transformation which was published in 2009 by Productivity Press and provides real-world examples of the powerful results lean transformation enables including faster productivity, improved quality, cost savings and increased employee satisfaction. George Koenigsaecker will also be delivering the keynote “Leading the Lean Enterprise Transformation” at the Association for Manufacturing’s (AME) 2010 annual meeting taking place this week at the Baltimore Convention Center. Additionally, Steve Matteson, vice president and general manager of client services at Simpler HealthcareSM, will host the first-ever healthcare specific workshop, “Lean Design in Healthcare” at AME.
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High Velocity Maintenance - The New Solution for MRO
Lee Alves and Brian Keeling of Simpler® explain the applications of Lean in support of MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) and Fleet Management in the new white paper "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Synchronizing the maintenance cycle for a faster fix." Learn about the savings generated from a completely new MRO approach at United States Air Force’s Warner Robins Air Logistics Center.

Institute of Medicine Looks to Simpler's® Marc Hafer for Ideas for Cost Savings in Healthcare
Dr. Pierre Young uses Simpler’s Marc Hafer as an expert in discussing inefficiency and waste in delivered services.
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Lean Thinking in Lean Times for the NHS
Simpler’s Chris Lloyd encourages the NHS Trusts to review ways to cut waste, not people. Read more about this in the Clinical Services Journal.
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