Implementing a Lean productivity system at you camp.

When Toyota wanted to find ways to save time and money in their manufacturing process they began to create a system that has come to be known as Lean. In the Lean system you examine all areas of your business to make sure you are “creating more value for customers with fewer resources” (Lean.org).

It was our pleasure to have Jack Schott with us for this discussion. Jack was the program director at Camp Stella Maris last summer and he and Laura Kriegel are spending their time touring and volunteering at camps this fall and winter.

We were inspired to start this discussion because of a cool YouTube video that I had seen on inventory management at a Hospital.

Jack was invaluable in the discussion because his education has focussed on industrial systems. He was able to give us some background and talk through ways of implementing the system at camps.

Check out this inspirational video:

St Clair is a large community hospital just outside Pittsburgh, PA, that has committed to using Toyota/Lean principles and methods for continuous improvement. We just spent 10 months in 2011-12 converting from a par system for replenishing nursing supplies to a two-bin system.

In what ways have you changed systems at your camp to save time and money?