Continuous improvement in a scientific research team starts with helping people see their own work differently. The Spatial Genomics team at Wellcome Sanger Institute were a relatively new team using cutting-edge techniques. With a scale-up deadline approaching and all delivery under strict Covid restrictions, they needed to analyse and improve their processes quickly.
The Challenge
The team needed to operate at a significantly higher scale from early 2021 but their processes had never been systematically mapped or improved. Lab layout was complex. Sample tracking was consuming significant time. And all of this needed to be resolved through remote delivery.
What We Did
WBT designed and delivered a series of half-day collaborative workshops, blending Lean learning with live improvement activity. The team were helped to understand their processes in their entirety including the people, process, and technology.
Key outputs included a redesigned lab layout using optimal flow principles, a visual management board for real-time sample tracking, smaller batch size experiments, and Statistical Process Control (SPC) measures developed by the team themselves.
The Results
- New lab designed using optimal flow methods and implemented
- Visual management board introducedcontinuous improvement scientific research team with every sample tracked in real time
- Research scientist customers receiving data back faster with significantly fewer queries
- Team fully self-sufficient in continuous improvement, owning and driving their own change agenda
“By learning to see our process through a Lean lens we were able to identify the waste steps, which primarily revolved around wasting significant amounts of time tracking samples.”
Minal Patel, Senior Scientific Manager, Wellcome Sanger Institute
“Spatial is no longer something I stress about. I know they are doing the critical thinking and improvements for themselves and they are just on top of things now.”
Rachel Nelson, Senior Scientific Manager, Wellcome Sanger Institute
Could your organisation benefit from a similar approach?
Book a free 30-minute diagnostic call with Lee Walker. Call 07736 379911 or email info@wbt.orWalker Business Transformation helped the Wellcome Sanger Spatial Genomics team prepare to operate at scale, redesign their lab, and build the confidence and tools to drive continuous improvement themselves.g.uk