Implementing Lean in a laboratory is notoriously difficult. In theory, Lean focuses on the removal of waste to create value. In practice, it often translates into 40-page SOPs and 5S stickers on drawers. After ten years across Academia, Pharma, and MedTech, I’ve seen how easily well-intentioned processes can become bottlenecks that leave technicians and chemists feeling frustrated.

I’m a Laboratory Manager who actually enjoys digging deep into the fine details of a process to find the waste. Having worked my way up from the fumehood to management, I know that productivity isn’t about working harder. It’s about removing the friction that stops us from doing our jobs. This path also taught me a valuable lesson: you can’t simply copy-paste manufacturing logic into a laboratory. Many resources brand Lean as something mysterious, leaving a massive information gap for those of us navigating the constraints of GxP compliance, ISO standards like 13485 or 17025, and other rigorous quality management systems.

This gap in translation is exactly what motivated me to launch The Lean Chemist. While my Master’s in Chemistry got me into the lab, and my PMP and Lean Six Sigma certifications gave me the tools to understand what’s holding us back, I realized my most valuable contribution wasn’t just overseeing a budget. It was translation. I want to take those high-level management philosophies and turn them into something you can actually use.

What will you find here?

Every post is designed to be practical and tailored specifically to the laboratory environment. I’m not here to provide textbook jargon. I’m here to provide tools, backed by data or citations, that you can actually implement:

• Lean principles and continuous improvement strategies that work in a modern-day laboratory.

• Structured methods using Lean Six Sigma to identify and solve real-world lab bottlenecks.

• Project management best practices to keep your laboratory projects in scope, on budget, and on schedule while meeting regulatory requirements.

• Technical explorations into how AI and automation can help you work more effectively.

• Industry analysis of the latest trends across Pharma and MedTech.

I aim to share a new article roughly every 4 weeks, depending on the realities of daily life. This blog was born in March 2026 and, like good process, it is constantly evolving. Continuous Improvement is the goal. Lean is the method.

Signed, The Lean Chemist