Prioritization and ranking of lean practices: a case study

PurposeThe paper aims to identify, prioritize and rank lean practices in the context of an Indian automotive component manufacturing organization using interpretive ranking process (IRP) and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approaches.Design/methodology/approachLean practices are identified from the literature. Then, two hierarchical models were are developed using two distinct modeling approaches – ISM and IRP with expert opinions from an Indian automotive component manufacturing organization to analyze the contextual relationships among the various lean practices and to prioritize and rank them with respect to performance dimensions.FindingsIn the study, the hierarchical structural models are developed using ISM and IRP approaches for an Indian automotive component manufacturing organization. In ISM-based modeling, lean practices can be categorized into five levels. Top priority should be given to the motivators followed by value chain, system/technology and organization centric practices. IRP model shows the dominance relationship among the various lean practices with respect to performance dimensions.Practical implicationsThe models are constructed from the organizational standpoint to evaluate their impact to the implementation of lean manufacturing. The study leverages the organizations to prioritize limited resources as per the hierarchy. Managers get the inter-linkages and ranking of various lean practices, which leads to a better perspective for the effective implementation of lean. The structural models also assist management to assign proper roles to employees/departments for effective lean implementation.Originality/valueThere is hardly any structural model of lean practices in the literature for clustering, prioritizing and ranking of lean practices. The study fills this gap and develops the hierarchical models of lean practices through IRP and ISM approaches for an Indian automotive component manufacturing organization. The results from both approaches are compared for illustrating the benefits of one over the other.

Lean and resilience in the healthcare supply chain – a scoping review

Purpose The importance of a lean health-care supply chain is increasingly discussed. However, it is still not very clear how lean practices relate to resilience capabilities, as there are synergies and divergences between them. This study aims at identifying the relationship between lean practices and resilience capabilities in the health-care supply chain. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a scoping review based on five databases, which allowed the content analysis of 44 articles. Such analysis allowed the verification of trends and volume of studies on this topic. Further, the descriptive numerical and thematic analyses enabled the proposition of a conceptual framework, relating the adoption of lean practices to the development of resilience capabilities according to the tiers of the health-care supply chain in different value streams. Findings Three research directions were derived from this scoping review: empirical validation of the contribution of lean practices to resilience capabilities in the health-care supply chain; systemic implementation of lean practices across tier levels of the health-care supply chain; and complementary approaches to lean implementation toward a more resilient health-care supply chain. Practical implications The understanding of these relationships provides health-care managers arguments to prioritize the application of lean practices to improve desired resilience capabilities in the entire health-care supply chain. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no similar study in the literature.

The impact of a manufacturing execution system on supply chain performance

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) are still rather unknown compared to their relatives, Enterprise Information Systems. To date, most research about MES focused on technical aspects and implementation approaches. In this paper, five statistical models are developed and a web-based survey among global Operations and Supply Chain managers from the manufacturing industry is conducted. Managers were invited to complete a questionnaire, where the central questions queried the mentioned performance metrics, but also other conditions like the presence of ERP or Lean practices. When comparing the means between companies with and without an MES, it shows that on each performance metric, MES-companies perform better than non-MES companies do. The results of the statistical analysis support the authors’ claim that companies with an MES in place outperform their competitors without an MES on the inventory- and logistics performance, as well as on Order Lead Time.

Exploring relationships for integrating lean, environmental sustainability and industry 4.0

Purpose This paper aims to thoroughly identify the forms of integration between Lean, Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and environmental sustainability (ES) by examining the relationships between these three constructs, deepening understanding surrounding the theme and evolving the construction of a framework that can aid managing industrial production processes. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review (SLR) was the method used to identify the relationships for integration in the current literature. The SLR was supported by content and cluster analysis. The analyzes identified relationships at two levels. The first level observed relationships for constructs and variables. The second, at the level of constructs and components, which detail the variables. This study also proposes an integrated conceptual framework showing these relationships at the construct, variable and component levels. Findings The results show how these three constructs are related and the study concludes by stating that there is stronger integration among I4.0 technologies and Lean practices for reaching ES. The SLR identified the main components that allowed for this integration, i.e. I4.0 technologies, Big Data, the internet of things and Lean practices, like reducing waste and customer needs. Practical implications From an academic standpoint, this study proposes new lines of research lines that have not been explored thus far, and can be developed via empirical studies, at the strategic and operational levels among different industrial sectors. Also, this study can help managers understand the integrations between Lean practices and I4.0 technologies to achieve better operational and environmental organizational results. Originality/value To the best of the knowledge, this study is the first of its kind using SLR to integrate Lean approaches, ES and I4.0 and to propose a unified framework to help managers and academics understand these relationships.

Exploring the Application of Lean Best Practices in Remanufacturing: Empirical Insights into the Benefits and Barriers

Remanufacturing processes have been widely identified as being important elements of a sustainable economy. However, the commercial viability of this product recovery route is significantly influenced by several operational challenges that are different from those that occur in conventional manufacturing. One of the most widely used systematic process improvement methods in conventional manufacturing is lean production, which seeks to minimize all forms of waste throughout an operation. As the academic study of lean best practices in remanufacturing processes is relatively new, there is a lack of knowledge regarding implementation and impact. As such, this paper presents multiple case studies investigating the application of lean methods in industrial remanufacturing operations. These studies focus on the automotive industry, where both conventional and remanufacturing operations have been the leading adopters of lean thinking and practice. The results of the investigation identify specific lean methods that help manage the inherent complexity of the remanufacturing processes, and consequently improve the overall productivity of the process. Similarly, factors that limit the application of lean practices within remanufacturing are also identified and discussed. Matrices for opportunities and threats are developed to enable the simple adoption of these findings. Overall, the research provides a more holistic understanding of the application of lean within a remanufacturing environment, with benefits for both academia and industry.

Antecedents for blockchain technology-enabled sustainable agriculture supply chain

Blockchain can solve the problems that the agriculture supply chain (ASC) is facing to achieve sustainable growth. In a nation like India, blockchain application in the supply chain is still new; therefore, supply chain players need a better understanding and awareness of blockchain through valuable insights. This article aims to study the mediating role of blockchain technology adoption (BLCT) for sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP). This study investigates the influence of numerous factors such as green and lean practices, supply chain integration, supply chain risk, performance expectancy, top management support, cost, internal and external environmental conditions, regulatory support, and innovation capability on BLCT adoption. A sample of 316 respondents from Indian ASC industries was collected, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used. This study's outcomes show that green and lean practices, supply chain integration, supply chain risks, internal and external conditions, regulatory support, innovation capability, and cost positively influence BLCT adoption. Moreover, BLCT positively influences sustainable agriculture supply chain performance. This article is valuable for policymakers, managers, service providers, researchers, and academicians to understand the role of factors in influencing BLCT and BLCT's role in improving sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP).

Effect of Lean Practices on Organizational Performance

The study focuses on the analysis of the direct effect of Lean Manufacturing (LM) practices on operational performance in manufacturing industry. A model for evaluating the effect of LM is developed taking into consideration as a fundamental variable that affects the causal relationship between LM practices and operational performance. A structural equation model was proposed and investigated across the manufacturing industry in India. A structured survey questionnaire was used to collect empirical data from 400 Indian companies. A total of 203 usable responses were obtained giving a response rate of 53%. The data was analyzed using SPSS- AMOS software. The results revealed that LM practices directly and positively affected operational performance. The results indicated that the structural equation model remained invariant across the Industry. The study provides further evidence to managers and practitioner on the effect of LM practices on operational performance in developing countries like India.

Exploring the influence of lean manufacturing practices on employee social sustainability

Purpose The benefits of adopting lean manufacturing for leveraging corporate sustainability have been highlighted in the literature. However, these studies have neglected the social side of sustainability compared with the attention given to the environmental aspects. Addressing this gap, this paper aims to investigate the influence of lean practices on the dimensions of employee social sustainability (ESS), which enabled the identification of the most critical practices. Design/methodology/approach This paper conducted an exploratory study in two phases: first, seeking evidence in the literature, and second, applying the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to connect ESS to lean practices based on expert opinion. Findings From the literature review, this paper found linkages between eight lean manufacturing practices and four dimensions of ESS. Based on evidence from the literature, the authors designed and applied an AHP model to set priorities among lean practices and social dimensions. Therefore, “health and safety” was evaluated as the most critical social dimension, and 5S was considered the most influential lean practice on ESS. Originality/value This study contributed to introducing the perspective of lean manufacturing practices as enablers of ESS. Notably, it pointed out which specific practices should be prioritized in the lean implementation process with social sustainability purposes. In addition, it identified relationships not reported in the literature, raising questions for further investigation.