Dr. Amy Traore Shumbusho
Dr. Amy Traore Shumbusho about Smile’s transformation through KAIZEN™
Transforming Smiles Through KAIZEN™: A conversation with Dr. Amy Traore Shumbusho, Founder & CEO of Smile360
After practicing as a dentist for over 20 years and founding Smile360, Dr. Amy, a well-recognized dentist in Nigeria, had already garnered numerous accolades, including being awarded the best dental service provider in the country five years in a row. Yet, her journey took a transformative turn when she embraced KAIZEN™ principles in her practice.
During a recent interview, Dr. Amy shared how KAIZEN™—with its people-focused approach—changed the dynamics of her dental practice, improving operational efficiency and patient satisfaction. As she recalls, “The part that appeals to me about KAIZEN™ is that it’s all about people. I’ve learned you can’t grow without taking care of your people.”
Driving Patient Satisfaction Through Standardization
For Dr. Amy, the implementation of KAIZEN™ wasn’t just about improving internal operations; it directly impacted patient experience. “Our biggest improvement was in turnaround time. We used to waste a lot of time during patient checkout. By analyzing and breaking down our processes, we reduced the time by half in just one week,” she explains.
The structured approach of KAIZEN™ allowed her team to standardize their processes, ensuring consistent and reliable service delivery. “We now know that when something goes wrong, it’s either a standard not being followed or a need to revise that standard,” Dr. Amy points out.
“Doctors often assume that they know best. But what KAIZEN™ teaches us is that we are like any organization—we need to measure key performance indicators and understand the drivers of our revenue to ensure sustainability”.
KAIZEN™ in Healthcare: Overcoming the Mindset Challenge
As a leader in healthcare, Dr. Amy acknowledged that getting healthcare practitioners to buy into KAIZEN™ principles was a challenge. “Doctors often assume that they know best. But what KAIZEN™ teaches us is that we are like any organization—we need to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) and understand the drivers of our revenue to ensure sustainability.”
The mindset shift toward operational metrics and process improvements has been crucial to Smile360’s continued success, especially in maintaining its high standards of patient care.
A Special Message to Women in KAIZEN™
Dr. Amy’s parting advice to women in the KAIZEN™ community was both inspiring and practical. Drawing parallels between KAIZEN™ and cooking, she remarked, “We know how to make a great pot of soup, but it’s important to understand the recipe that makes it so good. Standardize that recipe, and don’t get comfortable. Always strive to sustain that magic.”
Her words resonate deeply, reminding us all that continual improvement requires both passion and structure.
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