Purpose: Although there are general methodologies for lean implementation in manufacturing companies, a specific methodology for the implementation of lean healthcare in hospitals has not been addressed by the literature. Addressing this gap, the purpose of this paper is to develop a practice-driven methodology for implementing lean in hospital operations.Design/methodology/approach: Three case studies were conducted to collect evidence on the lean implementation process in Brazilian hospitals. From empirical evidence and literature, the implementation methodology was proposed and submitted to critical assessment by experts from the field.Findings: The process of lean implementation was very similar in all cases, triggered by strategic planning and operationalized by continuous improvement projects. On the other hand, in all cases, the lean implementation teams had to deal with employees’ resistance. These findings were valuable inputs to the development of the implementation methodology. After refinement, it was proposed a feasible, useful and user-friendly methodology.Research limitations/implications: The proposed methodology was raised from the practice through case study research. However, the proposed methodology was not fully applied, and the associated performance measures were not elaborated in this paper. Therefore, more case studies and applications will be necessary to generalize the findings.Practical implications: The methodology provides practical guidelines that support lean implementation in hospital operations. Although it demands adaptations for each specific hospital setting, this initial step may encourage hospital managers to start the lean journey.Originality/value: This study addressed the gap in the literature regarding the lack of methodologies for implementing lean healthcare in hospital operations. The methodology synthesizes the knowledge, principles and tools of lean thinking that can be applied in hospital operations.

Este artigo tem como principal objetivo analisar como ocorreu o processo de implementação do lean healthcare em três hospitais brasileiros que exerceram um papel pioneiro na aplicação desse sistema. Foi utilizada a abordagem metodológica do estudo de caso, adotando como técnicas de coleta de dados entrevistas, análise documental e observação. Os resultados evidenciaram que os processos de implementação da produção enxuta nos três hospitais tiveram muitas semelhanças, seja nos fluxos de pacientes, materiais ou informações. Por meio da pesquisa, foi possível extrair diretrizes quanto à aplicação das técnicas e dos princípios enxutos de modo a fornecer suporte às operações hospitalares na implementação da produção enxuta.

This paper presents an approach for evaluating collaboration attributes in companies operating in industrial clusters. From the literature review, we identified governance, geographic proximity, and trust as the main collaboration attributes in industrial clusters. For each of them, there is a set of related sub-attributes that composed the evaluation model. For developing the model, we used the graph theoretic approach (GTA), a methodology for multi-attribute assessment that considers interdependencies among elements of a system to provide an overall evaluation. We applied the model to five companies of a furniture cluster. The results showed the model allows for systematizing relationship management because it highlights the collaboration attributes that need to be improved. Furthermore, the application of the model may contribute to encouraging companies to develop collaborative practices.

Sustainability in interorganizational networks depends on developing collaborative capabilities for this purpose. However, to improve their collaborative capabilities for sustainability (CCS), companies in interorganizational networks need methods to assess them. The existing CCS assessment approaches in the literature do not indicate what capabilities should be improved in an individual company to support collaborative strategies. Addressing this gap, the main contribution of this paper is providing a framework to assess CCS in interorganizational networks, providing support for improving firm-level capabilities. To attain this aim, the framework was based on the graph-theoretic approach (GTA), a multi-attribute technique that captures the interrelationships between elements of a system, providing multi-level and overall assessment. We tested the framework in three hotels from a tourism cluster in Brazil, where sustainability has been an unsettling issue. By applying the assessment framework, it was possible to generate a CCS index for each company and, thereby, to compare the results. Findings from the field confirmed the benefits of using the framework and its utility in assessing CCS and setting priorities for improvement.

Purpose: The paper aims to present a hands‐on activity for operations management (OM) education that simulates assembly operations common in industrial settings using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) threadable fittings utilised in water pipes as interchangeable parts for easy manual assembly.Design/methodology/approach: The teaching method followed the philosophy of active learning and was applied in an action research approach; the proposed activity was tested and improved during applications in the classroom.Findings: The applicability of the method was proven during in‐class exercises. The results were confirmed with positive feedback from the students involved in the exercises, which was obtained through a survey conducted after a set of applications.Research limitations/implications: Although the proposed activity may have several possibilities for application, this paper focuses specifically on teaching the topics of work measurement and assembly line balancing, thus limiting the generalisability of these findings to other OM techniques. Therefore, it is important that the activity is further adapted to teach other OM topics.Practical implications: The activity performed with pipe fittings represents a practical exercise that contributes to reduction of the gap between theory and practice in OM education. Using simple and low cost materials, the students are involved in creating a real process from a fictional product.Originality/value: This paper presents an experiential learning exercise applied using an innovative approach, using pipe fittings as interchangeable parts assembled in a production line.