Daring to mention ‘Six Sigma’ and ‘laboratory’ in the same sentence can be the precursor to a lively discussion. For most scientists, the word quality is generally associated with laboratory output, not necessarily the process that generates the output. Nevertheless, we’ve been talking about workflow for years, but this is often in the context of automation, the interfacing of equipment and the movement of data. But there is a growing interest in adopting techniques used in lean manufacturing to improve laboratory efficiency. I’ve recently heard presentations from two major pharmaceutical companies that have adopted these techniques, and Lab Manager magazine currently carries an article ‘Journey to the Efficient Lab’, presenting a case study from Schering-Plough that gives a fascinating insight into the application of a number of Six Sigma concepts to the improvement of laboratory efficiency.
It reminded me of a paper written by Ray Dessy, published in 1993, entitled ‘The analytical laboratory as factory: A metaphor for our times’ (Anal. Chem., 1993, 65 (18), pp 802A–809A). The factory metaphor was based on ‘samples in’, ‘results and reports out’, and Ray Dessy’s argument was that automation alone would not drive efficiency; workflow, scheduling, capacity planning would all contribute towards improved performance. 15 years or so later, are we starting to catch on? I suspect that ‘lean science’ and the introduction of Six-Sigma in the laboratory may feel like a major culture change, and how many undergraduates embark on courses in science expecting to eventually be employed as a ‘factory’ worker? But there is another dimension to this, one that Mark Gibson, the author of the Schering-Plough article, emphasises in the last paragraph: ‘the feeling of success created when a group of hardworking individuals, each gifted and talented in his or her own scientific field, unites to accomplish a challenging goal together’.
The reality is that a lot of laboratory work has been heading for black box efficiency for some time. The introduction of Six-Sigma, where the drive is for process efficiency, teamwork and the elimination of waste will take Ray Dessy’s prophesy a significant step further. I don’t disagree with Mark Gibson’s point about the success of the project team’s achievement and the benefits being delivered, but there’s that nagging concern that, as the science gets increasingly absorbed into the process and the process becomes increasingly regimental, how many laboratory workers will continue to understand the science, and just how exciting will it be to be a lab worker?
