Evolving Workforces
How Lean Laboratory Design Eliminates Waste
July 16, 2024 2 Minute Read
Lean laboratory design is a systematic approach to optimizing lab operations. Its key function is to eliminate waste by improving processes and productivity. It’s based on lean manufacturing principles, which prioritize continuous efficiency improvements.
Lean lab design eliminates eight types of waste:
- Transportation waste: moving people or products unnecessary distances in the lab space
- Motion waste: ergonomics issues due to poor desk/cell layout
- Inventory waste: excessive raw materials or warehouse space usage
- Intellect waste: overreliance on highly trained staff for simple tasks
- Time waste: inefficient time use during processes
- Overproduction: producing more than the next process step can use
- Overprocessing: adding unnecessary, non-value-adding steps into procedures
- Defects: errors causing product rejection or reworking
A common lean lab design practice is optimizing lab space layout by grouping the locations of related tasks together. Placing equipment and supplies near their usage points creates logical workstation organization, decreasing transportation and motion waste.
Another example of executing lean lab design is establishing clear protocols and standard operating procedures. This enables experiments to be conducted with more control, consistency and reproducibility, reducing defects.
Overall, this systematic approach enables researchers to focus more on their true goals: scientific achievements.
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