Who Owns Your Vet (9)? Understanding Lean Philosophy (#432)

A visual interpretation of Lean Philosophy in Veterinary Medicine. The veterinarian, animals, and checklist represent purposeful, compassionate care; the central gear and circular arrows signify continuous improvement and efficient flow; the waste bin reminds us that true progress in practice comes from eliminating inefficiencies, not empathy.

In today’s fast-paced veterinary world, many organizations are chasing more: more output, more speed, more profit.

Yet true efficiency isn’t simply about doing more.

It’s about doing what matters, better.

That’s what the Lean Philosophy offers: a mindset and method to create maximum value with minimal waste.

Rooted originally in manufacturing, its principles have since been applied across industries, from healthcare and education to, increasingly, veterinary medicine.

Wherever people work to deliver care, service, or products, Lean thinking provides a framework for clarity, compassion, and continuous improvement.

The Roots: Where Lean Comes From

The story of the Lean begins with early efforts to make production efficient, but it was refined post-war in Japan.

• In the early 1900s, Henry Ford pioneered flow production by aligning parts and assembly in smooth sequence rather than batch-making large inventories.

• In Japan, Toyota engineers Taiichi Ōhno and Eiji Toyoda developed the Toyota Production System. Confronted by limited resources, they devised ways to deliver exactly what was needed, when it was needed.

• The term Lean was later popularized in The Machine That Changed the World (1990), describing this new paradigm of production that favored value and flow over mass production.

Although it began on factory floors, Lean evolved into something larger. A philosophy of respect, observation, and disciplined improvement that resonates far beyond manufacturing.

The Core Philosophy: What Lean Stands For

At its heart, Lean isn’t just a set of tools.

It’s a mindset.

Its five foundational principles are:

• Value is defined by the customer

  
  

  • Every process exists to deliver something that someone values, whether a car, a diagnosis, or peace of mind.

    
    

• Map the value stream

  
  

  • Trace every step from concept to completion, identifying what truly adds value and what is waste.

• Make value flow

• Remove interruptions, delays, and unnecessary motion so that value moves smoothly to the customer or patient.

• Let the customer pull value

• Produce or act only when there is demand (what Lean calls just-in-time).

• Pursue perfection

• Continuous improvement (kaizen) is not an event but a way of thinking. There is always more to refine.

  
  

In short: deliver more value with fewer resources, continuously.

The Seven (or Eight) Wastes

Lean identifies seven classic forms of waste, plus an eighth that’s particularly relevant in professional settings:

1. Overproduction

   
   

2. Waiting

   
   

3. Transport

   
   

4. Over-processing

   
   

5. Inventory

   
   

6. Motion

   
   

7. Defects

   
   

8. Non-utilized talent.

It’s that final form - failing to engage people’s creativity and skill - that most often limits improvement in professional environments like hospitals, laboratories, and veterinary practices.

Tools and Practices

Lean offers a collection of simple but profound tools:

• Value Stream Mapping

• Visualizing every step in a process.

• Five S's 

• Keeping workplaces safe, clean, and efficient (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain).

• Kaizen

• Small, continuous improvements.

• Kanban

• Visual systems that let workflow smoothly based on real demand.

• Root-Cause Analysis

• Understanding problems deeply rather than treating symptoms.

• Jidoka (Built-in Quality)

  
  

  • Empowering staff to stop a process when something isn’t right.

Each tool serves the same purpose:

To identify and remove waste while preserving quality, flow, and human dignity.

Lean Philosophy in Veterinary Medicine

Lean philosophy was first adapted to healthcare in hospitals seeking to reduce patient waiting times, surgical delays, and medical errors.

The parallels with veterinary medicine are striking, as both disciplines balance compassion, science, and operational pressure.

In modern veterinary settings, Lean thinking can guide not just workflow but ethics and culture.

Here’s how its principles apply:

• Value Defined by the Client - and the Patient

• Lean asks: What does the customer truly value?

• In veterinary medicine, the answer is twofold: the client’s trust and the patient’s welfare.

• Independent practices, deeply rooted in their communities, tend to define value through relationships - continuity of care, empathy, and clinical excellence.

• Corporate chains, by contrast, often define value through metrics such as revenue per visit or appointment throughput.

• Lean reminds us that value must always be defined by the recipient of care, not the shareholders.

• The animal’s well being and the owner’s trust are the ultimate measures of worth.

• Eliminating Waste Without Eliminating Soul

• Waste exists everywhere - in misplaced instruments, redundant paperwork, double-entry of medical notes, or time lost hunting for a missing catheter.

• A Lean approach can help a clinic redesign its flow, from check-in to discharge, reducing inefficiency without compromising care.

• The risk, however, is mistaking efficiency for empathy.

• A truly Lean veterinary practice doesn’t strip time from the consultation; it eliminates obstacles so that time can be reinvested in listening, diagnosing, and comforting.

• This is where AI powered veterinary scribes might add great value.

• Respect for People - The Forgotten Principle

• At Toyota, any worker could stop the production line if they saw a problem. That trust in human judgment lies at Lean’s core.

• In independent veterinary practices, respect for people is visible in the way nurses, receptionists, and veterinarians collaborate and problem-solve together.

• In some corporate environments, however, autonomy can be replaced by rigid policy and algorithmic oversight.

• Lean teaches that empowerment and respect are non-negotiable.

• A healthy practice culture allows anyone - from kennel assistant to surgeon - to raise concerns and suggest improvements.

• Continuous Improvement: Kaizen in the Clinic

• Kaizen (continuous improvement) thrives in the exam room.

• Independent clinics often improve naturally - a vet adjusts a protocol, a nurse suggests a better way to prep instruments, a receptionist finds a quicker way to schedule follow-ups.

• Corporate models tend to impose improvement from above, yet real innovation bubbles up from the floor.

• Lean’s challenge to all veterinary leaders is clear. Create systems that invite participation rather than compliance.

• Lean as an Ethical Compass

• Lean’s final lesson is moral as much as operational. It asks leaders to remove anything that doesn’t add value.

• In the veterinary world, that question can be profound:

• Does servicing private-equity debt add value to the animal’s welfare?

• Do sales targets improve patient outcomes?

• Does consolidation strengthen or weaken the local profession?

• Independent clinics, often operating on thinner margins but richer relationships, may find in Lean philosophy a framework for survival. A way to be financially efficient while remaining ethically grounded.

  
  

Rick’s Commentary

Whether on a production line or in a consulting room, Lean philosophy invites a mindset of reflection and respect.

It is about seeing clearly and identifying what adds value, what causes harm, and what can be improved.

For veterinarians, this means recognizing that the greatest efficiencies come not from cutting time or cost, but from eliminating frustration, empowering teams, and protecting purpose.

The goal of Lean, and of good medicine, is the same:

To deliver the right care, at the right time, in the right way, with humanity intact.

Learn More About Lean

What is Lean? https://theleanway.net/what-is-lean

Lean Philosophy: The Way Of Business That Gave Rise To Industry Giants. https://www.forbes.com/councils/theyec/2021/01/14/lean-philosophy-the-way-of-business-that-gave-rise-to-industry-giants/

Lean, Mean, Nonprofit Machine: An Intro To Lean Methodology. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2023/09/14/lean-mean-nonprofit-machine-an-intro-to-lean-methodology/

Transforming Team Performance: How Lean Methodology Help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muK6bmuvuN4&t=27s

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