Lean process improvement in scientific research can deliver results that seem impossible. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the Wellcome Sanger Institute faced an extraordinary challenge: scale genome sequencing from a few thousand samples per week to tens of thousands, with a turnaround time of 19.5 days. The government needed results in days, not weeks.
Walker Business Transformation was brought in to help.
The Covid-19 Genomics Surveillance Project (Heron) had grown from a small-scale operation into one of the most critical scientific programmes in the UK. The existing process was not designed for this scale. Every day of delay meant slower insight into how the virus was spreading and mutating.
We deployed a DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) methodology — working alongside the Sanger team to map the end-to-end pipeline, identify root causes of delay, and implement targeted improvements at every stage of the process.
Critically, we didn’t just fix the immediate problem. We embedded continuous improvement capability within the team itself — so they could sustain and scale improvement independently.
“WBT consultants were essential to the success of the Covid-19 Genomics Surveillance Project at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. By bringing continuous improvement into the culture of all teams involved in the project, we have been able to deliver unprecedented numbers of high-quality genome sequences of Covid-19 to the British Government and the scientific community. WBT drove considerable improvements on turnaround times from more than 19 days to less than 3 days and provided fundamental counsel at important decision-making instances.”
— Senior Scientific Manager, Wellcome Sanger Institute
The Sanger project demonstrates what’s possible when Lean methodology meets genuine operational urgency. The process improvements weren’t theoretical — they were designed collaboratively with the people doing the work, tested quickly, and scaled at pace.
Whether your organisation faces a scaling challenge, a quality problem, or simply too much time consumed by work that adds no value — the same principles apply.
Could your organisation benefit from a similar approach?
Book a free 30-minute diagnostic call with Lee Walker — 07736 379911 | info@wbt.org.uk | www.wbt.org.uk
