Lean Culture

At Boston Orthotics & Prosthetics, we are dedicated to supporting each of our patients' needs by pursuing the advancement of technology and the continuous improvement of the processes involved in what we call the "Patient Care Cycle," which encompasses each and every process undertaken throughout the care of any given patient.

Because we are involved in the complete O&P care process—manufacturing and distribution, insurance authorization and claims management, and quality assurance throughout—we are in the unique position of being able to truly evaluate the complete cycle. This allows us to streamline and improve every step of the process, from physician referral through the treatment process to follow-up. 

In 2006, we embarked on a mission to evaluate ourselves and how we operate at all levels. With the guidance and support of the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (GBMP), we began our journey into realizing where the true values lie in every step of the Patient Care Cycle.

As a result of introducing Lean concepts on its production floor, Boston Orthotics & Prosthetics reorganized 90% of the manufacturing facility, implemented a new software package, and made significant productivity gains throughout the organization.

Most of those initial improvements have become standard for Boston O&P’s manufacturing operations. However, Boston O&P soon realized that while the training had been extremely effective on its production floor, few if any employees from other departments received Lean training or were expected to incorporate Continuous Improvement into their daily work.

In 2014 Boston O&P set out to fix this oversight and was awarded a Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund grant, administered by the Commonwealth Corporation, to extend its Lean initiative beyond the shop floor. In early 2015, Boston O&P began working with GBMP to train its clinicians and customer service representatives on Lean principles and tools and to assist in its application across the entire organization.