Developing a unified definition of digital transformation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain how value stream mapping (VSM) is helpful in lean implementation and to develop the road map to tackle improvement areas to bridge the gap between the existing state and the proposed state of a manufacturing firm.Design/methodology/approach – Through this case study, the existing stage of manufacturing is mapped with the help of VSM process symbols and the biggest improvement areas like excessive WIP, lead time, cycle time, are identified. Some modifications in current state map are suggested and with these modifications future state map is prepared. Further TAKT time is calculated to set the pace of production processes.Findings – Current state and future state of manufacturing of a firm are compared and witnessed: 92.58 percent reduction in lead time, 2.17 percent reduction in processing time, 97.1 percent reduction in WIP and 26.08 percent reduction in manpower requirement.Research limitations/implications – The findings are limited due to the focused n...

Value stream mapping as a versatile tool for lean implementation: an Indian case study of a manufacturing firm

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to survey and analyze current process improvement (PI) approaches, their empirical results reported in the literature, and develop accordingly a conceptual framework and implementation guidelines.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review of the popular business database to search for case studies and empirical research on PI methods was conducted. The empirical evidence on success and failure factors were inferred and tabulated. Based on synthesis of the lessons learned from this empirical evidence along with concepts drawn from economics, and operations management, a conceptual framework is developed.Findings – It was found that the framework would serve as a diagnostic tool for identification of, and recovering from root causes of problems and inefficiencies faced in business environments. The framework proposed synthesizes and extends earlier PI tools and basic approaches used for mitigating disruptions faced in operations practice. The framework design co...

Business Process Improvement: Empirical Assessment and Extensions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to defining the tasks necessary to process management, considering both conceptual and practical views.Design/methodology/approach – Bibliographic review for tasks mentioned as typically necessary to process management, plus a field survey involving professionals working in process management.Findings – The bibliographic review yielded a set of tasks that were grouped conceptually into “designing processes”, “managing processes from day to day” and “fostering process‐related learning”. These groups were then validated with practioners as valid constructs. The field survey produced two major findings: the first underlining the practical importance of the tasks identified as necessary to process management and the second demonstrating that most organizations where the study participants work are structured functionally, but have practices for managing cross‐functional processes or “end‐to‐end process”. The conceptual and practical comparison brings to lig...

Process management tasks: a conceptual and practical view

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) has become a popular method for lean thinking and implementation in recent years. Previous reviews related to VSM are limited to individual sectors due to varied research objectives. The lack of studies which focus on cross-sector review of VSM studies is impeding the implementation of VSM by both lean researchers and practitioners. The paper aims to determine the-state-of-the-art development of VSM in five sectors, including manufacturing, health care, construction, product development and service sectors. A total of 131 journal articles are reviewed and analysed from the period of 1999–12/2016. The analysis covers the complete implementation cycle of VSM, including metrics for current state map, improvement techniques for future state map, benefits and achievements of VSM application, and critical success factors for VSM implementation. Cross-sector comparisons and investigations are conducted to understand the differences of VSM implementations in various sectors to facilitat...

A cross-sector review on the use of value stream mapping

Purpose – This paper focuses on the process mapping of two medical clinics and the events presently under‐way to design, implement, and maintain an integrated information system with two other health‐care entities.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is part of a larger research project which will be a four‐year study documenting the development, implementation, and measurement of an unprecedented effort to launch a comprehensive, community‐based e‐health initiative in a small community with limited resources.Findings – The medical professionals will find, as they continue to grow with the system and supply the database with pertinent information about each individual patient, that they will truly benefit in unthinkable ways.Originality/value – This paper documents the events presently under way at two independent clinics.

Improving processes in a small health‐care network: A value‐mapping case study

The need to manage medical information in healthcare delivery requires that information technology be optimized in diagnosing diseases; in planning and administering treatment; and in monitoring patient outcomes, services, and costs. The goals of this article are twofold: (1) to identify healthcare-specific software that addresses specific parameters set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO) for healthcare information systems and (2) to identify issues that managers should keep in mind when choosing an integrated information systems software package. For our analysis, we gathered, through Internet research, information about more than 400 software products from more than 200 companies.

Healthcare information systems: analysis of healthcare software.

Healthcare decision makers need access to better-integrated patient information systems to facilitate organisational healthcare strategy, to improve patient satisfaction and to enhance patient outcomes. The impact of technology must be managed by healthcare organisations. This paper discusses strategies and explores operational issues needed to create a successful healthcare information system.

E-healthcare: strategies to consider

Prior practices such as waterfall software development, project management, and IT process frameworks are being questioned, and workforce requirements changing in response. IT education must keep current with these digital trends. Present programs and curricula do not adequately meet the rapidly emerging demand for digitally-skilled professionals. To address this urgent need, the lightening talk discusses needs for digital transformation, Agile and DevOps skills. This lightening talk presents the first version of an IT curriculum reference guide recently developed for use in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The audience will be able to use this guide to embed digital and DevOps skills into new IT curriculum, modify existing IT curriculum, or develop new courses/programs for IT.

Patrick Paulson

Papers

Improving processes in a small health‐care network: A value‐mapping case study

Healthcare information systems: analysis of healthcare software.

E-healthcare: strategies to consider

The Impacts of Digital Transformation, Agile, and DevOps on Future IT curricula