TOP10 What Healthcare Organisations Could Learn from Manufacturing Companies in Operations, Management and People Leadership
Healthcare and manufacturing operate in very different contexts, yet many principles of operational management, process control and people leadership are transferable. In fact, several hospitals have already adopted approaches that originally emerged in manufacturing, such as lean thinking.
Below are key areas where healthcare organisations could benefit from practices commonly used in industrial environments.
1. Daily operational management
In manufacturing, production is often managed through daily operational management, where key metrics are reviewed continuously.
Typical elements include:
shift-start briefings
a shared visual overview of operations
immediate discussion of deviations
rapid decision-making
In a healthcare setting this could translate into:
daily unit or ward briefings
visibility of patient flow and capacity
staffing situation overview
identification of critical risks
Benefits include:
earlier identification of problems
better balancing of workload
faster operational decision-making
2. Process thinking and flow
Manufacturing organisations typically analyse operations as processes and flows, rather than isolated tasks.
Examples include:
material flow management
identifying bottlenecks
optimising throughput time
In healthcare, a similar perspective could be applied to:
patient flow
care pathways
the time required for diagnostics and treatment stages
A key question becomes:
where in the patient journey does the process slow down or become overloaded?
Systematic measurement helps to:
reduce waiting times
balance workloads
improve the patient experience
3. Visual management
Manufacturing frequently relies on visual management tools, such as:
production boards
deviation indicators
real-time operational dashboards
In healthcare this could include visualisation of:
ward workload
staffing availability
patient flow
operational risks
When the situation is visible to everyone, organisations can respond more quickly and effectively.
4. Standardised ways of working
Manufacturing commonly uses standard work to guide operational tasks.
The aim is not to restrict professional judgement, but to:
ensure consistent quality
reduce errors
simplify training and onboarding
In healthcare, this could involve:
standardised care pathways
shared practices across units
clearly defined decision processes
Benefits include:
less variation in outcomes
improved patient safety
easier staff training and onboarding
5. Systematic handling of deviations
In manufacturing, problems are not hidden but made visible and addressed systematically.
A typical approach includes:
identifying a deviation
documenting the issue
analysing the root cause
implementing corrective actions
This approach resembles practices such as:
root cause analysis
incident reporting
In healthcare, the same logic could also be applied to:
staff workload issues
absence patterns
operational process failures
6. The role of line managers in daily leadership
In industrial environments, line managers are heavily involved in daily operational leadership.
They typically:
monitor key metrics
identify emerging risks
support employees proactively
resolve operational issues quickly
In healthcare organisations, managers often spend significant time on administrative work.
Manufacturing offers lessons in:
strengthening the manager’s role as a team performance leader
enabling more time for operational leadership
supporting managers in handling difficult conversations
7. Involving employees in continuous improvement
Many manufacturing companies actively involve employees in improving operations.
Examples include:
continuous improvement programmes
structured improvement suggestions
team-based problem solving
Healthcare professionals are often highly motivated to improve their work, but the organisational structures for this are sometimes lacking.
Systematic employee involvement could:
increase the sense of purpose at work
improve staff wellbeing
generate practical improvements in daily operations
8. Using data to guide management
Manufacturing operations are typically measured continuously.
Common metrics include:
throughput time
utilisation rates
quality levels
operational disruptions
Healthcare also collects large amounts of data, but this information does not always guide daily operational management.
Manufacturing practices highlight the importance of:
integrating metrics into daily leadership
connecting data directly to operational actions
using analytics to support decision-making
9. Anticipating workload and demand
Manufacturing organisations frequently forecast demand and plan capacity accordingly.
Examples include:
demand forecasting
resource planning
balancing capacity across operations
Although healthcare demand can fluctuate, predictive approaches can still support:
patient flow analysis
workforce planning
anticipating peak workload periods
10. A systematic safety culture
Manufacturing companies often develop highly structured safety cultures.
Key elements include:
reporting near-miss incidents
continuous learning
integrating safety into daily operations
Healthcare places strong emphasis on patient safety, but similar systematic approaches could also support:
managing staff workload
occupational safety
psychological safety in teams
What manufacturing can learn from healthcare
It is important to recognise that learning goes both ways.
Manufacturing organisations can also learn from healthcare, for example in:
strong ethical decision-making
multidisciplinary collaboration
deeply patient- and customer-centred approaches
Summary
Healthcare organisations could benefit from several practices widely used in manufacturing, particularly in the areas of:
daily operational management
process and flow optimisation
visual management
standardised working methods
systematic handling of deviations
stronger operational leadership by line managers
employee involvement in improvement work
data-driven management
forecasting workload and capacity
structured safety culture
These practices often have a direct impact on:
staff wellbeing
workload management
absence rates
service quality