$4.$ As with many other lean concepts, an understanding of takt time helps you ask better and more pointed

questions to improve performance. Knowing and understanding takt time is part of the story for your

processes and value streams. It allows you to ask smart questions and to begin understanding the ebb and

flow of your work in a quantified, understandable, and communicable format based on data.

Patient discharge from a med$/$surgery floor is frequently a bumpy, seemingly unplanned, and vexing process.

It is complicated, involving a minimum of four and usually more than ten operators from multiple

departments. The number of discharges by day and by hour for the past three months broken down by shift

$($three $8-$hour shifts, $7$am$-3$pm$,3$pm$-11$pm$,$ and $11$pm$-7$am$)$ and recorded with the highest central tendency

$($mean$,$ median, or mode$)$ are given in table below.

Analyze this data starting with weekly takt time, focus on variation and how to resource this unit to smooth

demand, modify discharge process, eliminate non$-$value$-$added waste, and impact downstream departments

like patient transport or pharmacy causes. $(20$ points$)$

Shift Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Total

$7$am $-3$pm $222468529$

$3$pm $-11$pm $4622710435$

$11$pm $-7$am $01100204$

Total $69561320968$

Available time weekly $($minutes$)10080$