Effectiveness of digital information recording processes. “We desperately need it and we have needed it for ten years“

• Main Author: Viðja Jónasdóttir 1994-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Viðskiptafræði; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/38239

The main goal of the research is to improve the effectiveness of the current information recording processes in homes that provide support and assistance services for individuals with disabilities. The homes which are the subject of the research are managed by a public organization operating in a municipality in Iceland. Many theories are concerned with process improvement, Lean thinking, or otherwise Lean philosophy or approach, being one of them. Lean thinking is a methodology that is concerned with the continuous improvement of processes by removing faults in the processes, defined as waste. The Japanese ideology was developed in the middle of the 20th century and was originally concerned with production and manufacturing processes. It was evolved and today it can be applied to different sectors, including the service sector. Little to no research have been done into the use of Lean approaches in the support service sector which makes up the setting of this specific research. To fulfill the goal, research was conducted which can be defined as applied. Applied research is an appropriate methodology when research goals are pragmatic, meaning that the research is meant to answer a specific question that addresses a real-life problem. The study was conducted with a pragmatic worldview as it aimed to accomplish the research goal and answer the question:  How can the effectiveness of information recording processes in homes for disabled individuals be improved by digitization within the framework of the Lean approach? Ultimately the data was gathered using qualitative methods which were triangulated by the use of autoethnographic, secondary, observational, and interview data. A significant portion of the data was made up of data collected from interviews taken from eight managers. Findings were drawn from the managers views that as well their experiences with a test project which entailed testing a digitized program which was intended as a tool for a new information recording and communication process. Findings ...