ABSTRACT
This chapter helps the reader to understand the distinction between process and demand variation. It shows how to apply product quantity analysis in health and social care and explores the approaches to load levelling. The fundamental principle driving levelled production is that the rate of flow and the mix of products being produced must mirror the rate of customer demand as closely as possible. There are two main causes of variation in workload: process variation and demand variation. Production Line Levelling is a technique that is widely used in industry, and that can be applicable in some health care situations. Set up time – the time to prepare for a process and to clean up after it – is important in thinking about Just in Time. Reducing set-up time can help improve flow, can reduce Lead time, and is essential in running Mixed Model Sequencing, where different activities occur on the same ‘production line.’
