SUCCESS FACTORS FOR LEAN HEALTHCARE IMPLEMENTATION: AN EXPLORATORY CASE STUDY IN A BRAZILIAN HOSPITAL

Abstract

This article analyzes the factors required for a successful lean implementation within the context of healthcare operations. For this purpose, a literature review was conducted to identify the success factors of lean implementation in healthcare settings. The paper adopts a case study methodology to investigate how a Brazilian hospital, which intends to be lean, has been prepared to achieve this goal. The studied hospital is in the process of lean implementation and has faced many challenges in this journey. This research analyzed seven success factors: (a) commitment from top management; (b) lean team; (c) strategy alignment; (d) understanding value; (e) training and engagement; (f) assess and control. Despite being in an initial stage of implementation, the hospital demonstrated a partial level of lean readiness. However, it still faces hard challenges in the implementation, especially regarding employees’ engagement. This paper contributes to the literature on lean healthcare implementation and offers recommendations for managers striving to implement lean in their organizations.