Barriers in implementing lean manufacturing in Indian SMEs: a multi-criteria decision-making approach

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Piyush Jaiswal ◽  
Amit Singh ◽  
Subhas C. Misra ◽  
Amaresh Kumar

Purpose This study aims to investigate the interrelationships among the Lean manufacturing (LM) adoption barriers in Indian SMEs. This issue has its own importance as LM has become the inescapable requirement for small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) because of the increased concerns about quality, cost, delivery time and rapidly growing competition in the manufacturing sector and in India it is opposed by many factors/barriers. To act for the eradication of these barriers, we need to systematically analyze them. Design/methodology/approach Based on the available literature and consultation with the experts, the authors identified 16 LM barriers for Indian SMEs. The authors analyzed the interdependencies among the barriers and prioritized them using integrated Grey-decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (grey-DEMATEL) approach. Findings The findings show that limited financial resources, fear in adopting new technology, lack of top management commitment and poor leadership quality are the most critical barriers for LM diffusion in Indian SMEs. Research limitations/implications The present research is based on the experts’ inputs, which may be subject to individual biases. In developing countries, such as India, geographical influences are also possible, which are neglected in this study. Practical implications This study provides significant insights that can help SMEs to focus on critical cause group barriers to accelerate the LM penetration. Originality/value The authors have proposed a Grey-DEMATEL-based LM barrier evaluation framework. Here, the authors analyze the interrelationships among the barriers for LM and segregate them in cause and effect groups.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Liu ◽  
Pratibha Rani ◽  
Khushboo Pachori

PurposeDue to stern management policies and increased community attentiveness, sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) performs a vast component in endeavor operation and production management. Sustainable circular supplier selection (SCSS) and evaluation presented the environmental and social concerns in the fields of circular economy and sustainable supplier selection. Choosing the optimal SCSS is vital for organizations to persuade SSCM, as specified in various researches. Based on the subjectivity of human behavior, the selection of ideal SCSS often involves uncertain information, and the Pythagorean fuzzy sets (PFSs) have a huge capability to tackle strong vagueness, uncertainty and inaccuracy in the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) procedure. Here, a framework is developed to assess and establish suitable suppliers in the SSCM and the circular economy.Design/methodology/approachThis paper introduced an extended framework using the evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) with PFSs and implemented it to solve the SCSS in the manufacturing sector. Firstly, the PFSs to handle the uncertain information of decision experts (DEs) is employed. Secondly, a novel divergence measure and parametric score function for calculating the criteria weights are proposed. Thirdly, an extended decision-making approach, known as PF-EDAS, is introduced.FindingsThe outcomes and comparative discussion show that the developed method is efficient and capable of facilitating the DEs to choose desirable SCSS. Therefore, the proposed framework can be used by organizations to assess and establish suitable suppliers in the SCSS process in the circular economy.Originality/valueSelecting the optimal sustainable circular supplier (SCS) in the manufacturing sector is important for organizations to persuade SSCM, as specified in various research. However, corresponding to the subjectivity of human behavior, the selection of the best SCS often involves uncertain information, and the PFSs have a huge capability to tackle strong vagueness, uncertainty and inaccuracy in the MCDM procedure. Hence, manufacturing companies' administrators can implement the developed method to assess and establish suitable suppliers in the SCSS process in the circular economy.


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.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikanta Routroy ◽  
C.V. Sunil Kumar

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify, quantify and establish relationship (i.e. cause and effect) among various supplier development program enablers (SDPEs) in a specific manufacturing environment. Design/methodology/approach – The proposed methodology runs into four phases, i.e. defining supplier development program (SDP) environment, identifying relevant SDPEs, collecting experts’ qualitative opinions regarding SDPEs and analyzing the SDPEs using Fuzzy DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory). The fourth phase is programmed using Matlab 7.10.0 (R2010a). The proposed methodology is implemented in an Indian manufacturing company and the results are analyzed to provide directions for the company while implementing SDPs. Findings – The proposed methodology leads to the ranking of SDPEs, classification of SDPEs into cause and effect groups and establishment of interactions for each SDPE using impact relationship map. Of the 20 SDPEs considered in the analysis, “top management commitment” and “mutual visits by competent personnel from both sides” are the two most important SDPEs for implementing SDP in an Indian manufacturing company taken as a case study. The outcomes are verified by consulting the said company’s experts and their validity is confirmed. Research limitations/implications – Because the results obtained are specific to a manufacturing environment, they cannot be generalized. However, the proposed approach can be adopted for analyzing SDPEs in any manufacturing environment, provided the set of SDPEs is selected considering its priorities. Practical implications – The proposed methodology will identify the SDPEs to be managed for successful implementation of SDPs. Originality/value – The proposed methodology has the capability to rank the SDPEs and their interrelationships. This will definitely help supply chain managers to precisely choose and manipulate the SDPEs for successful implementation of SDP.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 768-788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narpat Ram Sangwa ◽  
Kuldip Singh Sangwan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review various themes of leanness, leanness assessment approaches, leanness assessment areas, and their evolution by a systematic literature review (SLR). Design/methodology/approach The eight types of literature review methodologies are identified and compared. The SLR is selected after critically analyzing the eight types of literature reviews. A four-phased SLR (i.e. plan, do, analyze/synthesize, and propose) has been carried out based on the peer-reviewed journal and conference articles on leanness assessment. Findings The existing literature on leanness assessment shows the lack of review-based papers on lean assessment. This study attempts to build a two-fold contribution to the field of leanness assessment: first, various types of themes, approaches, and assessment areas are identified; second, a framework for leanness assessment is proposed. The study shows that the research on leanness assessment is mainly empirical using qualitative judgment. The paper traces the changes in scope, areas, and approaches to leanness assessment. The scope of leanness assessment broadened from manufacturing process assessment to whole supply chain assessment including manufacturing process. The focus of earlier assessment was manufacturing and financial areas which now includes human resource, administration, new product development, suppliers, and customers also. Tool and technique based assessment has given way to outcome-based assessment using non-financial and qualitative parameters. Research limitations/implications One of the limitations of the study is that literature search was mainly focused on peer-reviewed articles published in English language only; therefore, some papers in others languages may have been missed. Apart from this, the SLR has been conducted for the manufacturing sector only. Practical implications The study is expected to be useful for the lean practitioners to identify the causes of reported lean failures. Moreover, the authors also expect that the conducted SLR will provide the passage to the practitioners for not only fostering the concepts on leanness assessment but also provide the vital and significant knowledge about the leanness assessment to the managers for enhancing organizational performance. Originality/value As per the authors’ knowledge, this is the first SLR on leanness assessment. It is expected that this paper will help the researchers working in the area of lean manufacturing to identify new areas of research.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Abdul Latif ◽  
Jan Vang

Purpose Top management commitment (TMC) and prosocial voice behaviour in Lean teams are vital for the successful Lean implementation. This study aims to investigate how TMC influences Lean team members’ prosocial voice behaviour and how such changed voice behaviour affects the outcome of Lean implementations. Design/methodology/approach The authors have used a qualitative research methodology to examine six dimensions of TMC (communication, involvement, support, empowerment, encouragement and monitoring) in two ready-made garment (RMG) factories in Bangladesh. Operational performance was measured by efficiency, quality, value stream mapping, single-minute exchange dies and 5S scores. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) was assessed by acceptable head and back positions, machine safety, use of masks and housekeeping. Findings The findings reveal that TMC influences Lean team members' voice behaviour positively and, thereby, company's performance. Six dimensions of TMC are all critical for mobilizing prosocial voice, which then improves productivity, OHS and enhancing employee capacity and job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications This research involved two sewing lines in two RMG factories in Bangladesh. Cross-sector and large-scale international quantitative research is also needed. Practical implications This research shows how TMC and Lean problem-solving teams can mobilize employee voice. Originality/value Employee voice is a central issue in the implementation of Lean. To the best of the author’s knowledge, for the first time, the authors show how the six dimensions of TMC influence Lean team members’ voice behaviour in the workplace and thereby how prosocial voice affects team performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sourabh Kumar ◽  
Mukesh Kumar Barua

PurposeThis research identifies the supply chain performance indices and designs an evaluation framework to assess and compare the Indian petroleum supply chain performance. We presented a case study of three Indian petroleum companies. For this purpose, we identified fifteen performance criteria extracted from previous literature and expert inputs and classified them into four groups.Design/methodology/approachA fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS) method is employed for evaluating the performance of the Indian petroleum supply chain.FindingsThe design and evaluation framework suggests that the top three performance measurement criteria, the purity of the products, compliance with environmental laws, and new technology adoption. The result findings also indicate that company C contributes to a maximum satisfaction level of 77%. Simultaneously, companies A and B hold satisfaction levels of 72% and 67%.Practical implicationsThe managers should ensure that environmental standards, new technology adoption, and quality are significant concerns in the petroleum supply chain. The managers should follow national and international policies to preserve the environment and ensure safety in operational activities.Originality/valueThis paper makes two contributions in the domain of performance measurement of the petroleum supply chain. First, it identifies the prominent supply chain performance indices. Second, it proposes a model to assess and compare the performance of Indian petroleum companies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tritsana Sorat ◽  
Nug-Rob Rawangkarn ◽  
Wee Rawang ◽  
Kanang Kantamaturapoj

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate the meaningful public participation in activities relating to the master plan development and, at the same time, propose some recommendations for improvement.Design/methodology/approachThe study was carried out with in-depth interviews of 35 key-informants selected from various stakeholder groups involving in public participation activities. The evaluation frameworks for meaningful participation were developed from various scholars.FindingsThe evaluation showed that the public hearings partially met the criteria of information provision and representativeness. However, there are rooms for improvement on participation in decision-making process, social learning and influence over policy decision-making. Therefore, this study proposes two recommendations. First, more flexible form of public participation is needed to enable discussions among various groups of stakeholders. Second, the organizer should communicate with stakeholders about how their opinions influence the final master plan in order to create sense of belonging among community members.Originality/valueThis research developed the evaluation framework for public participation in old town conservation master plan in developing country.


Facilities ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 523-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Guillen ◽  
Diego Gomez ◽  
Ingrid Hernandez ◽  
Daniela Charris ◽  
Juan Gonzalez ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive methodology and a case study about the successful integration of FCA with continuous improvement tools for strategic decision-making processes. Reliable knowledge of the condition of tangible assets and their ability to fulfill their target activities over time are required for an assertive strategical decision process. Facility condition assessment (FCA) is a recognized methodology that allows the systematic evaluation of this performance. For those companies whose primary objective is the production of goods, decisions associated with improvements on the productive system or re-adaptation of existing assets may also require the implementation of alternative methodologies, with a direct impact on the indicators of the company and therefore on the FCA. Design/methodology/approach This study presents a methodology for the integration of FCA and lean manufacturing (LM) as a tool in strategic decision-making process that involves the integration of continuous improvement processes or significant changes in the production process, in which the condition of the installation impacts decisively the productivity of the system. Findings The results of the implementation on an insecticide and herbicide production plant indicate an increase of 33 per cent in the capacity of the formulation process and over 20 per cent reduction in the internal quality claims associated with the packaging system. Practical implications Those methodological stages are applicable to facilities in which the FCA shows the need for significant reconditioning of assets, the need to increase the efficiency and/or the production capacity. This methodology integrates elements of continuous improvement and redesign of production systems. Originality/value The original value of this paper is oriented to the capacity to integrate different FCA and LM tools through the company indicators of productivity key performance indicators and, in addition, of a comprehensive illustration based on a study case.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Om Ji Shukla ◽  
Gunjan Soni ◽  
G. Anand

Purpose – In the current customer-driven market, the manufacturers have to be highly responsive and flexible to deliver a variety of products. Hence, to meet this dynamic and uncertain market changes, the production system, which enables the manufacturing of such variety of products should be able to meet such diverse, dynamic changes. Hence, selecting a suitable manufacturing system is a key strategic decision for today's manufacturing organization, which needs to survive in these uncertain market conditions. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to present a decision-making model for selecting the best manufacturing system and also discuss the criteria on the basis of which the management can select the same. Design/methodology/approach – A case of small- and medium-sized company is presented, in which the management is deciding to establish a most suitable manufacturing system. To supplement this, a suitable multi-criteria decision-making model (MCDM), the grey approach is used to analyze manufacturing system alternatives based on various decision criteria to arrive a comparative ranking. Findings – An extensive analysis of grey-based decision-making model described grey decision matrix, grey normalized decision matrix, grey weighted normalized decision matrix and grey possibility degrees for three alternatives revealed that lean manufacturing systems was found to be the most suitable manufacturing system among three alternatives for a given case. Research limitations/implications – The same study can be extended by including sub-criteria with main criteria for selection of manufacturing system by utilizing two MCDM techniques such as AHP or ANP with Grey approach. Practical implications – The Grey approach has been discussed in a detailed way and it will be useful for the managers to use this approach as a tool for solving similar type of decision-making problems in their organizations in the future. Originality/value – Although, the problem of selecting a suitable manufacturing system is often addressed both in practice and research, very few reports are available in the literature of Grey-based decision models that demonstrated its application for selecting a suitable manufacturing systems.


Author(s):  
Jugraj Singh Randhawa ◽  
Inderpreet Singh Ahuja

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative benefits accrued by an Indian automotive parts industry through strategic 5S implementation initiatives. Design/methodology/approach The study involves evaluation of steps involved in systematic implementation of 5S program methodology in an automotive manufacturing organization and investigation of achievements accrued by the industry through the successful implementation of 5S program. Findings The empirical results of the study have revealed that effective practice of 5S program brings considerable level of improvements in the quality, production, cost optimizations, employee’s morale values and work culture in the manufacturing industry. The industry accrued both tangible and non-tangible benefits through the holistic adoption of 5S principals. 5S principals have been envisioned to further support other quality improvement programs like lean manufacturing initiatives of the organizations. Research limitations/implications The limitation of the study is that this research has been carried out in only manufacturing industry while similar study will be conducted in the service industry also. Originality/value Global competition in the manufacturing sector has provided necessary impetus for manufacturing organizations for affecting continuous improvements in manufacturing performance for achieving sustainability and profitability in the competitive market. 5S implementation is the fundamental tool for the overall achievements in both quantitative and qualitative performance enhancements in the manufacturing as well as service organizations.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document