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Improve Work Flow:
Adjust to Peak Demand

Sometimes it is not possible to balance the demands on a system. In these cases, rather than keep a fixed amount of resources (materials, workers, etc.), historical data can be used to predict periods of peak demand. Then methods to temporarily meet the demand can be implemented.




Examples of Tests of this Change

The hospital staff could not keep up with the demand for drawing blood samples from patients. Rather than just add staff, they studied the demand for taking blood samples. The data showed that there was a peak demand from 6:00 to 8:00 AM every day. This peak created a backlog that was not cleared up until the afternoon. They established part-time positions for people to draw blood each morning. This eliminated the backlog.


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