Course Description

Welcome to the exciting world of Lean Operations in Healthcare! Get ready to embark on a six-week-long transformative journey where you'll discover the power of Lean Philosophy and Methodologies to revolutionize healthcare organizations. This course is designed to be engaging, insightful, and above all, fun!

In the first three weeks, we will dive headfirst into Lean Philosophy. You will explore the fundamental principles that underpin Lean Operations and gain a deep understanding of its application in healthcare. We will explore topics such as the holistic concept of Lean Operations, the fascinating System of Systems framework, and the inspiring world of High Reliability Organizations. Prepare to be inspired as industry experts share their experiences, challenges, and success stories related to Lean Operations. We will address common drawbacks and misconceptions, ensuring you have a well-rounded perspective on Lean Philosophy.

The next three weeks will take you on a hands-on journey through Lean Methodologies and Tools. You will learn practical techniques that empower you to make a tangible difference in healthcare organizations. Lean metrics will guide your decision-making process, value stream mapping will help you identify and eliminate waste, and process control charts will enable you to monitor and improve quality. You will also explore the power of Design Structure Matrices (DSM) in optimizing complex systems.

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• Course Name: SCM 526X
• Department: Supply Chain Management
• Current Semester and Year: Summer 2023
  
• Credit Hours: 3
• Course Prerequisites: SCM 503
• Course Format: Online; Asynchronous

Instructor Information

Instructor: Dr. Sukrit Pal

Email: sukritp@iastate.edu

Office location: Gerdin 3453

Student hours: On-Demand; please email me at sukritp@iastate.edu to schedule a meeting time

You can contact your instructor in the following ways:

• General announcements will be posted via Canvas announcements. Properly configure your Notification Settings in Canvas to receive notifications.
• I am available over email. I am generally quick to respond to messages. However, allow me about 24 hrs to return if I take longer.

Course Objectives (COs)

Upon completing this course, students will be able to apply themselves to the following:

• Lean Philosophy, Methodologies and Tools
  • Understand the fundamental principles of Lean Operations.
  • Gain a deep understanding of how Lean Operations can be applied to healthcare organizations.
  • Identify common drawbacks and misconceptions about Lean Operations.
  • Learn practical techniques that can be used to improve healthcare organizations.
• Hands-on Learning
  • Work collaboratively in teams to solve real-world challenges.
  • Apply Lean tools and methodologies to real-world problems.
  • Experience from industry leaders how Lean Operations can create remarkable transformations.

Course Materials

Required materials

• Textbooks:
  • Lean Thinking for Healthcare by Nilmini Wickramasinghe, Latif Al-Hakim, Chris Gonzalez and Joseph Tan and published by Springer Press. The e-book is already uploaded in the "Start Here" sub-Module.
  • The Lean Healthcare Handbook 2E by Thomas Pyzdek and published by Springer Press. The e-book is already uploaded in the "Start Here" sub-Module.
• Articles: Textbook material will be supplemented with additional content available to you in each week's sub-Module
• Students are required to engage in conversations all along the course. We have an external media (Packback) to encourage meaningful and insightful communication in the group. Please follow the sub-section dedicated to the Packback discussion.

Learning Activities and Assessments

Graded items are broken into three categories: Readiness Assessment Tests, Homework, and Discussions.

• Readiness Assessment Tests (RAT) (6 RATS; total contribution 30%): This course will use individual RAT to ensure that the students have completed the assigned reading assignments, viewed the videos, and indulged themselves in class discussions every week. You can expect 5 multiple-choice and/or short essays in each test. The test will be based on the reading and the thread discussion that week; no exam review will be given. Hence, a strong foundation on the concepts and technical details is required. Historically, we have observed a strong positive association between class engagement/discussion threads and exam grades. Each RAT will contribute 5% toward the final grade.  The tests are a closed book and have no notes. RATs will be available in each week's sub-Module from 12:00 PM every Friday until 11:59 PM every Sunday. All the tests are administered online. You must write each test in one sitting; you will have 30 minutes to complete a RAT once started. Regardless of the situation, missing a deadline will result in a zero on that item. Please do not ask for make-up work opportunities or deadline extensions – such requests will not be granted. Failure to submit an assignment does not preclude you from knowing and understanding the material covered in the assignment.

• Thread-based Discussion powered by Packback (12 discussion instances; total contribution 40%): To aid students in mastering the concepts learned in this course, it is important to synthesize information from different media (e.g., class lectures, professional experience, etc.) and, more importantly, share thoughts with others, listen to what others think, and, in the process, excite critical thinking among the group. To this end, we will use the Packback discussion forum to facilitate out-of-class discussions of course topics and current healthcare management events. My goal is for students to develop thought-provoking discussion questions and respond to questions in a professional manner. You have nine discussion assignments to participate in the first three weeks (three every week) when we discuss the lean philosophy. However, for the remaining three weeks, you will have three discussion assignments (one every week) to participate in. Each discussion assignment may have multiple discussion threads. Students are expected to post at least one question about their reading and participate in the peer questions/discussions. I also encourage students to participate in the conceptual discussion question I post.  Hence, students are encouraged to post at least one question related to their reading and to participate (post answers) in four discussion threads per discussion assignment.

  Each contribution will be evaluated based on their thoughtfulness, relevance to course content and practice, collegiality, and engagement. Packback has proprietary AI to evaluate the quality of the question and the response, and I would depend on the grade that the AI generates. For more information, please check the following Packback section. Students will receive 0.33% credit for a high-quality question and 0.75% credit for each of the four high-quality discussion responses.

  I have provided a general schedule of discussion assignments in the table below. You can also see the calendar or Canvas to determine the due dates.

  

Homework Assignments (3; total contribution 30%): Over the last three weeks, we will be delving into the practical implementation of Lean tools and methodologies you will learn. Now is the time to put your knowledge into action, and what better way to do so than through engaging in homework?

These homework assignments may be any of the two types. The first type of homework will be problem-based assignments where you have a definite way of applying tools and methodologies to solve problems/sums. The second type of homework will encourage you to be creative and to draw upon your professional experience or analyze real-world case studies using the tools available. Rest assured, these assignments are designed to be manageable within a week's time.

To foster collaboration and encourage diverse perspectives, you will work in teams of 2-3 individuals for each of the three homework assignments. Take the first three weeks to form your teams, and kindly provide me with the names of your team members.

Here's the timeline for these exciting homework challenges: a new assignment will be made available every Tuesday at noon. You have until Sunday at 11:58 PM to complete and submit your work. Each individual assignment carries a weightage of 10% towards your final grade, meaning that collectively, these assignments contribute 30% to your overall course grade. I have provided the entire homework schedule in Table 2.

Get ready to embark on a thrilling journey where theory meets practice, and remember, while the tasks may be challenging, they also provide an opportunity for growth and learning. So gather your teammates, sharpen your Lean tools, and prepare to excel in these hands-on assignments.

Table 2: Homework Assignment Schedule

About Packback

Participation is a requirement for this course, and the Packback Questions platform will be used for online discussion about class topics. Packback Questions is an online community where you can be fearlessly curious and ask open-ended questions to build on what we cover in class and relate topics to real-world applications. Your participation in Packback will count toward 40% of your overall course grade. Packback AI generates a curiosity score (which is based on the quality, engaging, and insightful questions and responses recorded in Packback) that will be counted toward the final grade of each assignment. A minimum curiosity score of 60 is required for both the question and the response. Packback requires a paid subscription of $39 (plus tax). Refer to www.packback.co/product/pricing for more information.

• • How to register on Packback: Only access Packback through Canvas to ensure your grades sync properly
    1. Click the Packback assignment link within each week's module on Canvas to access the community.
    2. Follow the instructions on your screen to finish your registration.
    3. For your Packback discussion grades to be visible in Canvas, click each Packback assignment link as you post your Packback submissions.
  • How to Get Help from the Packback Team: If you have questions or concerns about Packback throughout the semester, please read their FAQ at help.packback.co. If you need more help, contact their customer support team directly at help@packback.co. For a brief introduction to Packback Questions and why we are using it in class, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV7QmikrD68

Course Schedule

Detailed course schedule has been uploaded in the "Start Here" module. The link below will route you to the schedule.

Course Schedule

Course Policies

Feedback

All graded assessments will be returned with feedback within 7 days of the due date. Personalized feedback will be provided for each assignment and reflection. In addition, responses to common questions and unclear content will be posted at the conclusion of each module.  Comments will be posted at the conclusion of each discussion.

Missed and late coursework

It is important to keep up with the pace of this course. Therefore no missed coursework/assignments will be accepted. If you miss the deadline on a weekly assignment, you will receive zero points. Make sure to keep careful track of submission deadlines for all of your work in this class.

Attendance & Participation in an Online Course

You are enrolled in an online asynchronous course, but that does not mean this course is independent and self-paced. Weekly modules with lecture videos and assignments will be released in Canvas at the beginning of every week (Monday 12 A). Online courses like this one offer a lot of flexibility to students, which comes at the cost of meaningful real-time interactions. Please plan on checking in on Canvas several times a week in addition to interactions with me and your teammate.

Please make every effort to stay in timely communication with me and your classmates. Make your discussion posts and responses thoughtful and constructive. Engage proactively with your teammate. Do not fall behind—contact me immediately if you feel you are falling behind.

Grade Appeal Process

If you become concerned about my class management, please communicate your concerns with me. For example, concerns sometimes relate to grading methods, paper turnaround time, and course policies. 

Before you decide to appeal, check out ISU's academic appeal process.

Expectations 

Remember, this course is about more than just grades. My focus is on your personal growth and understanding of Lean Operations in healthcare. By applying yourself to the learning objectives and immersing yourself in the course material, you will naturally excel. I encourage you to embrace the process, have fun, and inspire each other to reach new heights. Consequently, I expect you to complete your entire assigned reading before you ask meaningful questions and post though-provoking responses.