INTERVIEW – Instituto Lean Management in Barcelona is getting ready to host its first summit in a few years. We caught up with President Oriol Cuatrecasas to hear what attendees can expect.

Interviewee: Oriol Cuatrecasas

Planet Lean: This is the first lean summit the institute organizes in a few years, and you are coming back in style with a two-day event in Barcelona. What will the highlights be?

Oriol Cuatrecasas: This year we’re leveling up. We want people to be able to learn from and develop their lean capabilities thanks to different examples from a wide range of industries. At the same time, we want to showcase how widespread and impactful lean healthcare is becoming in Spain.

What makes this year’s event unique is the fact that we’ll have a lot of formats and a lot of sectors coming together. In other words, attendees will walk away with an understanding that everything can be broken down into purpose, processes, and people. With the formats we’ll offer—such as workshops, case studies, presentations, networking spaces—they’ll be able to learn from different perspectives. It will all be really immersive and experience-based, which is how we all learn after all.

PL: An entire day dedicated to healthcare! Catalonia is of course something of a “lean cluster” when it comes to hospitals… what is the current state of lean in Catalan healthcare?

OC: Lean Thinking is becoming mature in healthcare in our region. More and more hospitals are implementing it with all kinds of successful outcomes and learnings. New knowledge is being generated on a daily basis.

What we observe is that, once hospitals realize that Lean can help with their daily tasks and goals—rather than hinder them—something clicks and change ensues. We are very proud of these hospitals and medical centers. They’re making people’s lives better, and improving our healthcare system, one step at a time.

PL: Of, course there is a lot of work taking place in other sectors too. What kind of representation can we expect from non-healthcare industries?

OC: We think it’s vital that there are as many sectors represented as possible, both on stage and off stage. Every sector has its own knowledge to share, and at Instituto Lean Management we have been witnessing just how powerful learning across industries can be when it comes to continuous improvement. We all tend to have the same problems; they just look different. So you’ll see doctors sharing thoughts with a hotel CEO during lunch, or a chemical engineer exchanging ideas with a restaurant owner. We believe that is what will make this event so rich.

PL: Why should people attend this very special event?

OC: For starters, this is a face-to-face summit. The opportunities and input you receive from such events are invaluable. Nothing beats being able to talk directly to people you don’t know, who share your way of thinking and face similar challenges. Lean thinkers thrive from being surrounded by their peers, leading similar projects and sharing their same desire to make things better.

There is more. This event gives you a chance to clear your calendar for a couple of days and focus entirely on your own learning, development, and inspiration. And believe me… you’ll walk away with a lot of ideas (we lean thinkers love to talk).

Of course, the companies and speakers that will get on stage have been selected for their unique experiencies and lean journeys, to show you that our transformations are not all that different from one another. You’ll find these stories truly inspirational.

We can’t wait for this event. Registrations are still open! Oh, and you’ll receive a discount if you submit an A3. See you next week!

This two-day lean event will take place on October 6-7 in Barcelona (event in Spanish, with some sessions in English). Get information and register here.

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