Date presented: November 17, 2020

Abstract: Gaining efficiency by doing less is one of the foundational principles of lean management. Identifying wastefulness in the areas of time, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, over-processing, and defects, is essential to process refinement. As you would expect, many lean tools can be used. This seminar will demonstrate some of the lean tools that have transformed the Animal Care Operations (ACO) and also present an efficiency project within the cage wash area. Although efficient sanitization is a high priority, the cage sanitation process for animals used in biomedical research can be labor-intensive. To increase the efficiency of cage sanitation, the current project used the Lean Six Sigma methodology to reduce the time to sanitize mouse cages by implementing countermeasures to reduce causes of waste within this process for the ACO group at a leading public research university. Through observation of the ACO’s existing mouse cage sanitation process and brainstorming sessions with the ACO staff, the existing process was mapped, a baseline measurement of the current process performance was established, the process was analyzed to identify potential causes of waste, and appropriate countermeasures were implemented to improve the process. These countermeasures involved actions specifically targeted at reducing process delays, which included implementing new procedures, clarified schedules, and visual controls. As a result of this project, ACO’s average mouse cage sanitation process cycle time was reduced by 35 min. The time saved was reinvested within the ACO to provide technicians additional time to complete other valuable tasks.

Presenter: Dr. Jamison Kovach
Jamison V. Kovach is the PMI Houston Endowed Professor in Project Management at the University of Houston. She received her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University. Her industrial experience includes more than five years as a product and process improvement engineer in the U.S. textile industry. Her current research investigates the use of methods for product and process innovation, expanding the use of these methods, and developing new improvement approaches. For her work, Dr. Kovach was recognized as the 2010 ASQ Feigenbaum Medalist, and she received the ASQ Six Sigma Forum Award for the Advancement of Six Sigma in 2019. In addition, Dr. Kovach is an Academician in the International Academy for Quality, an ASQ Fellow, and the Editor for Lean & Six Sigma Review.

Presenter: Dr. David W. Brammer
Dr. Brammer is board certified in laboratory animal medicine and currently serves as the Executive Director of Animal Care Operations at the University of Houston. With 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and 15 years of experience in academia, Dr. Brammer contributes best practices from both research environments. He is seasoned in identifying, implementing, and leading process improvements along with the adoption of new technology that have yielded proven results. Equipped with excellent interpersonal communications, and analytical skills, Dr. Brammer is known for his use of continuous improvement tools and the development of solutions based on the analysis of collected data. He commonly presents to groups at the local, state and national level. Dr. Brammer is also a highly sought-after consultant for academia, pharmaceutical, and architectural clients.

Hosted and sponsored by Animal Care Systems Inc.

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