LEGO® is serving as building blocks for General Motors Company and WellStar Health Systems to create a three-dimensional visualization system.

According to today’s press release, the automaker and the health system created the new system to be more organized and efficient, resulting in happier customers. Jamie Pickett, GM senior manager of current program quality, said a 3-D visualization can see the overall process easier.

“3-D Visualization allows us to look at issues more holistically,” said Pickett.

“By visually representing a problem it is easier to see the whole scope of it and where the opportunities lie. And, unlike a line of data in a spread sheet, seeing a problem as a block on a board is a strong motivator for finding a solution to get it off the board.”

GM uses the 3-D visualization for its Problem Resolution Tracking System. If a problem arises, a corresponding LEGO block will go on a board. The color of the block represents the area where the vehicle is facing a problem, and the size corresponds to severity.

The auto industry is also said to use this 3-D system to track vehicle program engineering changes and program budgets, in addition to warranty repair tracking.

Tim Herrick, GM global vehicle chief engineer for trucks, vans and crossovers, said this process is similar to healthcare industry.

“The automotive and healthcare industries may be different, but we face similar challenges,” Herrick said. “If a customer visits a dealership service department they expect their car to run better afterward, much like a sick or injured person expects to feel better after going to the hospital. 3-D Visualization helps manage both processes more efficiently.”

WellStar is using this system for improving on-time starts in doctor’s office, managing fund development program, improving Quality of Care Measures, and improving the process for credentialing its physicians with payers.

The collaboration between GM and WellStar started from a brainstorm between Herrick and Dennis Pastor, the executive director of performance excellence at WellStar and a former GM worker.

“Discovering 3-D Visualization’s usefulness has been transformational for WellStar, and a significant catalyst for pro-active improvement,” said Pastor. “GM’s global manufacturing operation is definitely the finest Lean system in the world. The success of this Lean process in both the automotive and healthcare industries is evidence of that credibility."

(More pictures are on following slides. Click on the image to see more pictures)