scholarly journals A relationship between bias, lean tools, and waste

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahesh Babu Purushothaman ◽  
Jeff Seadon ◽  
Dave Moore

Purpose This study aims to highlight the system-wide potential relationships between forms of human bias, selected Lean tools and types of waste in a manufacturing process. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal single-site ethnographic case study using digital processing to make a material receiving process Lean was adopted. An inherent knowledge process with internal stakeholders in a stimulated situation alongside process requirements was performed to achieve quality data collection. The results of the narrative analysis and process observation, combined with a literature review identified widely used Lean tools, wastes and biases that produced a model for the relationships. Findings The study established the relationships between bias, Lean tools and wastes which enabled 97.6% error reduction, improved on-time accounting and eliminated three working hours per day. These savings resulted in seven employees being redeployed to new areas with delivery time for products reduced by seven days. Research limitations/implications The single site case study with a supporting literature survey underpinning the model would benefit from testing the model in application to different industries and locations. Practical implications Application of the model can identify potential relationships between a group of human biases, 25 Lean tools and 10 types of wastes in Lean manufacturing processes that support decision makers and line managers in productivity improvement. The model can be used to identify potential relationships between forms of human biases, Lean tools and types of wastes in Lean manufacturing processes and take suitable remedial actions. The influence of biases and the model could be used as a basis to counter implementation barriers and reduce system-wide wastes. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that connects the cognitive perspectives of Lean business processes with waste production and human biases. As part of the process, a relationship model is derived.

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song-Kyoo Kim

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate how Toyota deploys Lean Manufacturing and Toyota Production System (TPS) for their automotive parts’ suppliers in Philippines based on the case study and the literature review. Design/methodology/approach – The methods to better understand how Toyota donates Lean Manufacturing to develop their suppliers include to review the general Lean thinking process and tools and study in depth the selected Lean manufacturing tools that are directly related with Toyota supplier development and to show the actual implementations base in the case of the supplier of Toyota in Philippines. Findings – The result of the case study shows how Toyota donates their Lean manufacturing (TPS) methods to the suppliers. There are several procedures and various tools for the Lean process. But one procedure within the process and only some of the Lean tools are suitable for supplier development. The case shows that all improvements (Kaizen) during the Lean implementation should be directly intertwined onsite (Genba) and just a small amount of the Lean tools is needed in real-world situations. In other words, the consultation of the Lean implementation might not require the full package of the Lean implementations. More importantly, the consultations of the Lean implementation without deeply understanding the onsite are useless. Research limitations/implications – The project for the Lean deployment for supplier implementation is targeted to understand the full procedure from the start to the end, but the case in this paper is only covering the setup phase. As the suppliers of Toyota, there are additional parts to be implemented (i.e. shipping management), but it is not covered in this paper. Originality/value – There are some researches about Lean implementation framework, and only few cases deal with the actual Lean implementations. But the case about the Lean implementation of supplier development initiation which aligned with the Toyota Company is unique.


2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Anand ◽  
Rambabu Kodali

PurposeIn recent years, many manufacturing companies are attempting to implement lean manufacturing systems (LMS) as an effective manufacturing strategy to survive in a highly competitive market. Such a process of selecting a suitable manufacturing system is highly complex and strategic in nature. The paper aims to how companies make a strategic decision of selecting LMS as part of their manufacturing strategy, and on what basis such strategic decisions are made by the managers.Design/methodology/approachA case study of a small‐ and medium‐sized enterprise is presented, in which the managers are contemplating on implementing either computer integrated manufacturing systems (CIMS) or LMS. To supplement the decision‐making process, a multi‐criteria decision making (MCDM) model, namely, the preference ranking organisation method for enrichment evaluations (PROMETHEE) is used to analyse how it will impact the stakeholders of the organisation, and the benefits gained.FindingsAn extensive analysis of PROMETHEE model revealed that LMS was the best for the given circumstances of the case.Research limitations/implicationsThe same problem can be extended by incorporating the constraints (such as financial, technical, social) of the organisation by utilising an extended version of PROMETHEE called the PROMETHEE V. Since, a single case study approach has been utilised, the findings cannot be generalized for any other industry.Practical limitations/implicationsThe methodology of PROMETHEE and its algorithm has been demonstrated in a detailed way and it is believed that it will be useful for managers to apply such MCDM tools to supplement their decision‐making efforts.Originality/valueAccording to the authors’ knowledge there is no paper in the literature, which discusses the application of PROMETHEE in making a strategic decision of implementing LMS as a part of an organisation's manufacturing strategy.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samah Elrhanimi ◽  
Laila EL Abbadi

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the “Assessment Model of Lean Effect” (AMLE), a theoretical model that measures Lean manufacturing implementation effect over the global performance of a company.Design/methodology/approachAMLE model is divided in two criteria types: the “Facilitators criteria” and the “Results criteria”. “Results criteria” are inspired from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and ISO 26000. The “Facilitators criteria” are based on the main philosophy of the Lean manufacturing, which is the total elimination of all types of waste. The development of the scoring scale was based on the results, approach, deployment, assessment and review (RADAR) philosophy and the experience of nine consultants from the automotive field; the choice of the consultants was based on three conditions. Furthermore, each consultant has his\her own weight according to its expertise. Lastly, the AMLE was validated via a case study set in an automotive industry company called FEBA. The validation process is divided in two different steps: the first step is related to Facilitators assessment and scoring; via the evaluation of the different projects implemented by FEBA to eliminate the different types of waste. The second step concerns Results assessment and scoring, via the evaluation of the performance measurements used by FEBA to assess the effect of the Facilitators' implementation.FindingsThe developed model (AMLE) enabled the Lean manufacturing effect assessment on the global performance of a firm from the automotive field. The case study results reveal that the aforementioned firm does not give priority to social measurements. Consequently, the performance of the firm was negatively impacted.Research limitations/implicationsThe criteria of AMLE are inspired from the definition of the Lean manufacturing given by Taiichi Ohno, from ISO 26000 and from GRI; meaning that these criteria could be adjusted if other references existed or developed. In addition, the scoring rules are established according to the experience of a limited number of consultants from the automotive field. The scoring rules establishment would lead to meaningful outcomes, if the number of participants was increased. During the assessment of the global performance, the perception of the auditor plays an important role in terms of scoring because the scoring rules allow the possibility to the auditor to give from the minimum to the maximum of the score, according to his perception and experience. For the case study, the validation of the developed model requires starting with the “Facilitators” implementation process and then measure the generated global performance. However, due to time constraints and limited opportunities for new projects, the validation was based only on existing projects managed by the firm. To address the study limitations, it is envisaged to detail and explain the scoring rules while extending the number of consultants. Furthermore, the assessment of Lean manufacturing global performance through the AMLE model may be subjective and requires a mathematical modeling. In fact, the Lean manufacturing performance assessment via the developed model could have a degree of subjectivity; that is why the design of a mathematical model seems required.Practical implicationsThe research findings may direct practitioners and decision makers to the importance of assessing the global effect of the Lean manufacturing on the overall performance of the firm. The AMLE model is a tool allowing the assessment of Lean manufacturing effect over economic, environmental and social performances.Originality/valueThe developed model is the first one assessing the global performance generated by the elimination of waste via the application of the Lean manufacturing.


2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (8) ◽  
pp. 1394-1415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagdeep Singh ◽  
Harwinder Singh ◽  
Gurpreet Singh

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to uncover the significance of lean manufacturing technique in manufacturing environments. Design/methodology/approach Lean manufacturing is a management approach focused on incremental improvements in operations. Different lean strategies are being utilized by manufacturing industry to improve the performance of current manufacturing system processes. This study attempts to evaluate the performance of different lean manufacturing tools in the manufacturing industry of northern India. The importance level of different lean tools, important benefits achieved after successful implementation of lean manufacturing approach and benefits occurred after implementation of different lean tools have been identified. A questionnaire survey in the case company has been performed and the most important element of lean manufacturing has been implemented. Findings Results explicitly depict that just-in-time manufacturing is the most important element of lean manufacturing. Results indicate the net savings of rupees 242,208 annually after implementing lean manufacturing technique in a case company. Originality/value The paper demonstrates the practical application of lean technique showing how it can bring real breakthroughs in saving cost in the manufacturing industry.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 400-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chhabi Ram Matawale ◽  
Saurav Datta ◽  
Siba Sankar Mahapatra

Purpose – Lean manufacturing is a production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. In today's competitive global marketplace the concept of lean manufacturing has gained vital consciousness to all manufacturing sectors, their supply chains and hence a logical measurement index system is indeed required in implementing leanness in practice. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The present work exhibits an efficient grey-based leanness assessment system using concept of grey numbers theory. Findings – Such leanness estimation can help the enterprises to assess their existing leanness level; can compare different industries who are adapting this lean concept. The methodology described here has been found fruitful while applying for a particular industry, in India, as a case study. Originality/value – Lean extent evaluation module (lean index appraisement system) exploring grey numbers theory is quite new and not documented in literature before.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-35
Author(s):  
Azim Azuan Osman ◽  
Abdul Aziz Othman ◽  
Mohd Kamarul Irwan Abdul Rahim

The purpose of this paper is to perform a systematic literature review (SLR) on lean manufacturing (LM) adoption in Malaysia while highlighting research trends and gaps from this literature. The SLR involved analysing 163 scholarly articles from international journals and conference proceedings published between the year 2005 to 2019. The articles are classified as literature review, conceptual paper, case study, and survey research. These articles were also grouped into nine meaningful research themes, named: (1) lean definitions, (2) sustaining lean adoption, (3) motivations to adopt lean, (4) lean benefits, (5) results from lean adoption, (6) lean implementation barriers, (7) lean success factors, (8) lean implementation/ assessment models, and (9) lean integration with other management practices. The review findings shall help scholars and practitioners to identify research opportunities, design their future studies and/or implementation strategies, accordingly.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-77
Author(s):  
Hanane Rifqi ◽  
Abdellah Zamma ◽  
Souad Ben Souda ◽  
Mohamed Hansali

Purpose: The main objective of this paper is to validate the results of the Lean manufacturing application via the DMAIC concept. This study concerns a case study carried out in an automotive company which aims at improving its flows within the production workshop by pulling the physical flow and minimizing the different wastes.   Methodology/Approach: By conducting a literature review to examine the different frameworks for applying the lean method and to extract case studies related to the DMAIC approach which is missing on the selected articles, only one article that addresses this possibility. Findings: DMAIC has allowed a better structuring of the entire project, choosing the right improvement solutions with the right choice of Lean tools and several advantages that are not valid for other frameworks. This implementation shows a spectacular improvement in the production planning, the fluidity of the flow as well as an important financial gain for the company. Research Limitation/Implication: The project duration was not sufficient to apply other beneficial lean tools as the study was limited only to a single production line. Originality/Value of paper: This article demonstrates the added value of the structured DMAIC approach to lean manufacturing methodology and implementation.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcello Braglia ◽  
Leonardo Marrazzini ◽  
Luca Padellini ◽  
Rinaldo Rinaldi

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a structured framework whose objectives are to identify, analyse and eliminate fashion-luxury supply chains inefficiencies.Design/methodology/approachA Lean Manufacturing tool, the 5-Whys Analysis, has been used to find out the root causes associated with the problem identified from a data analysis of production orders of a fashion-luxury company. A case study, which explains the methodology and illustrates the capability of the tool, is provided.FindingsThis tool can be considered a suitable instrument to identify the causal factors of inefficiencies within luxury supply chains, suggesting potential countermeasures able to eliminate the problems previously highlighted. In addition, enabling technologies that deal with Industry 4.0 are associated with the root causes to enable further improvement of the supply chain.Practical implicationsThe effectiveness and practicality of the tool are illustrated using an industrial case study concerning an international Italian signature in the world of fashion-luxury footwear sector.Originality/valueThis framework provides practitioners with an operative tool useful to highlight where the major inefficiencies of fashion-luxury supply chains take place and, at the same time, individuates both the root causes of inefficiencies and the corresponding corrective actions, even considering Industry 4.0 enabling technologies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Lima Zanoni ◽  
Rafael Borim-de-Souza ◽  
Eric Ford Travis ◽  
Jacques Haruo Fukushigue Jan-Chiba

Purpose The aim of this study is to analyze the capitals moved in decisions about sustainability in narratives from and referring to Samarco Minerações, S.A. under a perspective guided by Bourdieusian sociology. Design/methodology/approach Oriented by historicist ontology and historical epistemology, this research is classified as qualitative, descriptive and documentary, with narrative analysis and case study. The selected organization-case was Samarco Minerações, S.A. The documentary sources considered were sustainability reports, social networks channels and news published in Brazilian newspapers of high circulation. The collected information was submitted to the narrative analysis method. Findings Samarco Minerações, S.A. maintained the sustainability posture before and after the ore tailings dam rupture. The decision models adopted (decentralized) and the moved capitals (economic and technological) after the ecocide revealed a change in the organizational practices in front of a new instability scenario, and the organization’s attempt to reach acknowledgment, legitimacy and power. Social implications The organization was selected because of its involvement in an ecocide. The crime generated economic (suspension of tax collection caused by the organizational inactivity), social (unemployment and deaths) and environmental (iron ore tailings contaminated the region’s ecosystem) impacts. Originality/value The greatest value and contribution this paper offers is an alternative intermediary methodological approach using Bourdieusian micro-sociology to analyze narratives based on capitals dynamics and doxa. This theoretical and methodological approach can prove fruitful for further research in sustainability studies on other topics, and even in other fields.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel C. Avemaria Utulu ◽  
Ojelanki Ngwenyama

PurposeThe study aims to identify novel open-access institutional repository (OAIR) implementation barriers and explain how they evolve. It also aims to extend theoretical insights into the information technology (IT) implementation literature.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted the interpretive philosophy, the inductive research approach and qualitative case study research method. Three Nigerian universities served as the case research contexts. The unstructured in-depth interview and the participatory observation were adopted as the data collection instruments. The qualitative data collected were analysed using thematic data analysis technique.FindingsFindings show that IR implementation barriers evolved from global, organisational and individual implementation levels in the research contexts. Results specifically reveal how easy access to ideas and information and easy movement of people across international boundaries constituted globalisation trend-driven OAIR implementation barriers given their influence on OAIR implementation activities at the organisational and individual implementation levels. The two factors led to overambitious craving for information technology (IT) implementation and inadequate OAIR implementation success factors at the organisational level in the research contexts. They also led to conflicting IR implementation ideas and information at the individual level in the research contexts.Research limitations/implicationsThe primary limitation of the research is the adoption of qualitative case study research method which makes its findings not generalisable. The study comprised only three Nigerian universities. However, the study provides plausible insights that explain how OAIR implementation barriers emanate at the organisational and individual levels due to two globalisation trends: easy access to ideas and information and easy movement of people across international boundaries.Practical implicationsThe study points out the need for OAIR implementers to assess how easy access to information and ideas and easy movement of people across international boundaries influence the evolution of conflicting OAIR implementation ideas and information at the individual level, and overambitious craving for IT implementation and setting inadequate OAIR implementation success factors at the organisational level. The study extends views in past studies that propose that OAIR implementation barriers only emanate at organisational and individual levels, that is, only within universities involved in OAIR implementation and among individuals working in the universities.Social implicationsThe study argues that OAIR implementation consists of three implementation levels: individual, organisational and global. It provides stakeholders with the information that there is a third OAIR implementation level.Originality/valueData validity, sample validity and novel findings are the hallmarks of the study's originality. Study data consist of first-hand experiences and information derived during participatory observation and in-depth interviews with research participants. The participants were purposively selected, given their participation in OAIR implementation in the research contexts. Study findings on the connections among global, organisational and individual OAIR implementation levels and how their relationships lead to OAIR implementation barriers are novel.


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