Toyota Canada & Canadian Blood Services
What do Toyota Canada and Canadian Blood Services* have in common?
When it comes to quality, everything.
*DisclaimerToyota has partnered with Canadian Blood Services to help improve the Canadian blood supply chain**.
**Disclaimer
SHIPPING & DELIVERY
Canadian Blood Services is a biologics manufacturer that does more than blood collection.
The process starts when blood is donated. After the donation is collected, several samples are sent for testing. The rest of the donation is sent to a Canadian Blood Services production site.
SORTING & PROCESSING
Based on how they were collected, donations are sorted into different streams.
Some donations are put into centrifuges to separate the whole blood into three layers:
- PLASMA
- BUFFY COAT
- RED BLOOD CELLS
Some of these components are further processed to meet the needs of patients.
SORTING & PROCESSING
Improvements
Sorting benches were shortened and visual grids were laid out to simplify the sorting process. Resulting in an 88% reduction in steps.
Improvements have resulted in gaining one hour of production time per day.
88% Reduction in steps
One Hour Gained in production time
LABELLING & STORAGE
When the test results are received, the components processed from the donations that are suitable for transfusion, are labelled and put into finished-product storage.
Some plasma is shipped away for further manufacturing to be returned in a variety of plasma protein products.
All the components will remain in storage until they’re needed for a hospital order.
Each type of blood component is different, which means they each require a different storage method.
5 DAYS PLATELETS ROOM TEMP
42 DAYS RED BLOOD CELLS 1°C TO -6°C
1 YEAR PLASMA -20°C
LABELLING & STORAGE
Improvements
Storage areas and freezers were rearranged to improve workflow, resulting in less time spent in freezers for employees.
DISTRIBUTION
When a hospital needs a blood component, they’ll send an order to Canadian Blood Services. Hospitals will send two main types of orders to Canadian Blood Services: routine hospital orders and STAT orders.
DISTRIBUTION
Improvements
Workstations have been reorganized to create a better workflow for employees, resulting in 30% fewer steps.
An organizational system was introduced to cut order packing time by 40%.
Employees now only work on two boxes at a time to ensure someone is readily available to pick a stat order.
40% cut in order packing time
30% fewer steps
Routine hospital orders are regularly sent to keep a constant supply of blood in the hospitals.
STAT orders are only sent during emergency situations. When a hospital needs a certain blood component quickly, they’ll send a STAT order to Canadian Blood Services.
All orders are packaged in a box designed to keep the product at specified storage conditions by a Canadian Blood Services employee and sent to the hospital in need.
BECOME A DONOR
Toyota Canada and Canadian Blood Services are working together to build a better tomorrow. By working together, we’re turning donated blood into usable blood products, faster than ever before. But this partnership can’t happen without the generous Canadians who selflessly donate blood, monetary assistance and their time. If you are interested in donating, click to find out how.