Why should an organization integrate lean methodology with the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence? And how should it go about doing that?

When I asked Pattie Skriba, vice president of Business Excellence at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, a 2010 Baldrige Award recipient, she said that it has to do with muda.

“Muda is a Japanese word that means ‘waste’ or nonvalue-added steps in a process that result in inefficiencies, customer dissatisfaction, and reduced profitability,” says Skriba. “As a patient, you’ve probably experienced ‘waste’—waiting to see your doctor, delays in treatment, unnecessary tests, or multiple forms requiring the same information. Waste is any activity that you, as a customer, wouldn’t pay for.”

 …