Evaluation of Lean Production System by using SAE J4000 standard: Case study in Brazilian and Spanish automotive component manufacturing organizations

Stiff competitions, fluctuation in demand and changes in customer preferences have prompted the automotive component manufacturers worldwide to enhance their manufacturing system. Lean Production System (LPS) is a proven method used by many automotive component manufacturers to maintain their competitiveness. Although research on lean implementation has been conducted extensively, there is still a limited number of studies on the LPS implementation from the employees’ point of view. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the LPS implementation from the employees’ perspectives in an automotive component manufacturer in Malaysia. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in this study. A survey questionnaire was developed from previous literature and distributed to 50 middle and lower level employees. The questionnaire was pilot-tested by the employees and also verified by the industry experts. Structured interviews with 25 employees were conducted to determine their perceptions and problems encountered during the LPS implementation. The result of the study revealed that majority of the employees in this company were only aware of 5S and Kaizen although there are many other LPS tools which are also useful to them. However, the employees agreed that the LPS give many benefits in the workplace. Another finding was Employee Involvement (EI) in the LPS was mostly in the form of sharing responsibility with their co-workers. Problems were due to the lack of knowledge and training in the LPS among the employees. Greater effort should be taken by the company to ensure successful LPS implementation and its sustainability over time.

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Development of lean production system using value stream mapping approach: a case study

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management ◽

10.1504/ijpqm.2020.107811 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 168

Author(s):

Vikram Sharma ◽

Naveen Virmani

Keyword(s):

Production System ◽

Lean Production ◽

Value Stream Mapping ◽

Value Stream ◽

Mapping Approach

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Auditing for Evaluating the Degree of Agile Practices Implementation

Emerging Applications in Supply Chains for Sustainable Business Development - Advances in Logistics, Operations, and Management Science ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-5424-0.ch002 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 23-39

Author(s):

Aravind Raj Sakthivel ◽

Jayakrishna Kandasamy ◽

Vimal KEK

Keyword(s):

Relative Position ◽

Tamil Nadu ◽

Automotive Component ◽

Audit System ◽

Agile Practices ◽

Manufacturing Organizations ◽

Component Manufacturing

The purpose of the study reported in the chapter is to conduct agile audit comprehensively to inculcate agile culture in the organizations. A survey was conducted among 25 automotive component manufacturing organizations located in Tamil Nadu, India. The audit system consists of 149 agile indices grouped among five clusters. The focus of agile audit was to examine whether an organization had adopted agile principles and to construe the phase of agile journey the organization had reached. The audit also specifically gauges whether an organization has really implemented agile principles and the relative position of an organizations compared with other organizations.

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Lean production in agribusiness organizations: multiple case studies in a developing country

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma ◽

10.1108/ijlss-03-2016-0012 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 335-358 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Eduardo Guilherme Satolo ◽

Laiz Eritiemi de Souza Hiraga ◽

Gustavo Antiqueira Goes ◽

Wagner Luiz Lourenzani

Keyword(s):

Organizational Performance ◽

Case Studies ◽

Production System ◽

Global Economy ◽

Lean Production ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type ◽

System Use ◽

Multiple Case

Purpose This paper aims to conduct case studies in companies of different branches of the agribusiness sector to analyze the degree of adherence to lean production system, considering the use of techniques and tools, and how the specificities of the agribusiness system work. Design/methodology/approach By contributing to the refinement of the theory, multiple type case studies were conducted in eight agribusiness units from different branches by applying structured interviews, on-site visits and document analysis. The comparative analysis of the cases occurred focusing on the degree of adherence to lean production system; use of techniques and tools; and influence of the specificities of agribusiness systems. Findings The adoption of lean production system occurs as an improvement mechanism of organizational performance. However, it is necessary to advance in the formalization of the actions, which need to encourage the creation of new leaders who spread the organizational philosophy. When comparing the degree of adherence to lean production with the use of techniques and tools, it was observed that there is no direct relationship, indicating that each organization should select only the techniques and tools that will improve their own organizational performance. At last, the specific characteristics of seasonality of consumption, quality and health surveillance and sociological aspects of the food have high influence on surveyed agribusiness systems, and its effects can be minimized by the techniques and tools associated with lean production system. Research limitations/implications The analysis is valid for the universe investigated due to the specific characteristic of the case study. Originality/value The literature regarding the lean production philosophy is vast; however, the agribusiness segment, one of the major sectors of the global economy, features a large gap in literature. This study is one of the first original papers to report this reality.

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