What are Harvard University's and MIT methods that dramatically improved 'overload' conditions within an organization and increased productivity?
Improving productivity at work is an important issue, but the idea that 'keeping employees busy to increase productivity' before 1980 is already obsolete in the modern age. In fact, research
Breaking Logjams in Knowledge Work
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/breaking-logjams-in-knowledge-work/
Broad Research Laboratories is broadly divided into 'a program that studies genetic information that is the key to revealing the origin of cancer and diabetes' and 'technology that supports research by analyzing blood and tissue samples and identifying DNA sequences. It has two organizational structures, called platforms.
Among these, the latter technology platform, the number of samples judged per day increased to more than 120 in 2012 due to the development of DNA sequencing technology. Labs have become unable to perform sample analysis in response to industry demands, and researchers at other institutions working collaboratively have to rely on other laboratories to perform sample analysis. died.
Broad Labs' solution to solve this problem was to employ a 'pull' system rather than a 'push' system for scheduling DNA sequencing work.
In the task management and management, push-type 'way to do something without permission from here without people to use is nothing', the pull-type and 'if there is action from the people who use, manner for the first time start moving even here' explained Will be done . The push type is prone to overload because it means 'pressing and handing over work' regardless of whether the 'person in the next step' is ready in progress management. On the other hand, the pull type can improve productivity because the work amount in the system is carefully controlled and transparency is improved.
Prior to the introduction of the pull type, at Broad Laboratories, when a sample arrived, it was first placed in a 'wait' state until someone could work on it. The sample will then move on to the next step, which again requires 'waiting' for the machine for DNA sequencing and analysis.
In this step, the sample was built up as a work in process inventory (WIP). In theory, each step should go smoothly, but in reality the inventory is overrun and it takes 2 days to identify the sample, which deteriorates the overall performance. The people who give instructions to manage the confusion needed a lot of time.
In the case of the push type, the person who works at each step decides the highest priority task from the tasks accumulated every day and starts working. However, if the 'highest priority task' in each step is not shared as a whole, what was processed as the highest priority task in one step is treated as a 'low priority task' in another step, and the next The problem was that it took weeks to months to get to the step, and the overall circulation deteriorated.
Also, if you do not want to treat what was processed as the most important task in one step as a 'low priority task' in the next step, you can pass the task as 'special treatment' next. However, as a result of treating other samples as “low-priority ones”, the postponed inventory runs out of time and becomes the next “most important task”. Was produced.
Therefore, in order to improve the problem that 'the push type has variations in the progress speed and productivity of each step, and the administrator cannot grasp the information that should be known for efficiency improvement', Broad Laboratories decided that the 'pull type' It will be adopted.
In the push type, the operator at each step concentrates on his/her own task without worrying about the surroundings, but in the pull type, the stock status at other steps needs to be taken into consideration. After receiving the report from the operator of each step, the manager balances the 'short-term productivity' and the 'long-term gains' and adjusts the maximum amount of inventory.
The implementation of the pull type at Broad Laboratories began by visualizing the 'relationship between the overall production work and the progress of their work' at each step. All operators have a 'work-in-process inventory box' that is color-coded in green, yellow, and red, and clearly indicated 'whether or not to accept samples' and 'whether or not to accept samples' in the box state. After the day's work, each operator can evaluate the status of the entire system by checking the progress of other people's work and identifying whether there is a person in need of help. ..
An 'overload' in such a system means that there are 'work too fast/slow' problems upstream or downstream of the process. One of the advantages of the pull type is that the visualization at each step makes it easier for the person who manages the whole to solve the problem.
With the introduction of the pull type, the usage rate of the machine for performing DNA sequencing was immediately doubled. As of 2018, machine utilization is rarely below 90%, with more than 95% on many days. Faster, more predictable, and more transparent processes have created stability as well as a competitive advantage.
Speaking of the above example at MIT, Dodge will always be asked 'You did it this way, but will it work for my organization?' “What we teach works in organizations with people,” he says.
Toyota and other Asian companies use the lean manufacturing method developed by MIT, but most of them aim to maximize the operational capabilities of their manufacturing and supply chains. Lean manufacturing methods and other quality control methods work not because they are “good ways to organize manufacturing activities” but because they are “good ways to organize human activities,” but many people miss this message. Said Dodge.
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