MAT 510 – Homework Assignment

Part 1

Answer the following questions in the space provided below:

Explain the importance of variation to health-care organizations and answer the following questions.

a. What might be the key processes for health-care organizations?

b. What are the potential common causes of variation that would have an impact on the key processes of health-care organizations?

c. What special causes might be more important than the others?

d. How might health-care organizations’ business environment be dynamic and change over time?

Part 2

Touring a Process. Select a place of your choice (e.g. supermarket, doctor’s office, library, Post Office, department store, etc.) and observe one or more key processes, the associated suppliers, inputs, process steps, outputs, customers, the measurement systems, and how the measurements are used to manage and improve the process. Report your findings as a document. Include these items:

1. Company visited

2. Process observed

3. SIPOC elements

4. Process measurements

5. Process management systems used