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Over the last three decades, there has been a vogue in manufacturing, and increasingly in services organisations to implement Lean. However, in many cases these journeys have not been as successful or sustainable as their architects had planned. The question is why have the results been worse than planned and have organisations got their implementa...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... second phase started with a systematic review of the site and its Lean maturity. The management reviewed Lean maturity with outside support against a five-point Lean matur- ity model ranging from 'Reactive', where there is no Lean activity to 'Way of Life' where Lean was the norm (Figure 2). There were five factors taken into account in this maturity assessment: Strategy Deployment, Value Stream Management, People, Tools & Tech- niques and Extended Enterprise. ...
Context 2
... judged themselves to be in the second 'formal' stage -a reflection of the fact that they had established a controlled, stable manufacturing environment by the end of 2009. They also identified where they wanted to reach three years later, as well as an intermediary point at the end of the first roadmap in 2011 ( Figures 2 & 3). ...
Citations
... For instance, Netland and Ferdows (2016) identify initial exploration and later exploitation phases, resulting in nonlinear performance patterns. Hines et al. (2020) portray lean implementation as an evolving sequence of tool-system-culture improvements. ...
... Yet, the impact on operational performance remained relatively unclear, speaking for keeping assessment frameworks simple, aligning with arguments by Netland and Powell (2016). Hence, staying too long in the Tool strategy might fail to develop a deep understanding of achieving improvements at a system level (C1-3), also identified by Hines et al. (2020). ...
... The findings in this study contribute to the theory-practice gap described by Hopp and Spearman (2021) by identifying implementation capabilities when adopting an organisational lens to lean implementation. Many companies might follow a toolsystem-culture sequence in their journey, as Hines et al. (2020) discovered in one case. However, the current paper builds on existing theory and presents a systemised view of implementation. ...
Purpose
This study explores how industrial production companies adjust implementation strategies to deliver value with their company-specific production system (XPS) in a multi-site setting. Implementing an XPS is part of operations management and is supposed to mobilise employees resource-efficiently to increase operational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a multiple-case study, this study qualitatively explores the patterns of implementation decisions within and between five multi-site production companies. Conclusions were drawn on a mix of timely and retrospective data gathered through individual interviews with senior managers and joint workshops where they interacted and shared experiences.
Findings
This study identifies the fact that companies respond differently to non-unique implementation challenges, constituting various decision patterns when implementing their XPS. This paper identifies four implementation strategies (Education, Tool, Pragmatic and Culture Strategy) that explain various implementation setups. More experienced companies frequently shifted between strategies to return to previously de-prioritised implementation aspects.
Originality/value
This paper offers a dynamic model for XPS implementation in contrast to a simplified tool–system–culture sequence in literature today. Companies that deliberately shift implementation strategy by understanding the benefits and challenges of their decisions are more likely to keep momentum in the XPS implementation.
... As highlighted by Bessant and Francis (1999) and later reinforced by Netland and Powell (2016), OpEx represents a paradigm shift in modern managementfrom the pursuit of perfection to an emphasis on adaptive, ongoing improvement. This shift cultivates a culture of organizational learning, innovation and adaptability, enabling firms to effectively navigate complex market conditions while simultaneously enhancing short-term performance and ensuring long-term growth (Hines et al., 2020;Haleem et al., 2024)a particularly relevant consideration in the automotive industry (Tortorella and Fettermann, 2018;Veres et al., 2018;Wahab et al., 2024). ...
This study aims to explore the implementation of operational excellence (OpEx) within the Moroccan automotive industry, focusing on its perception, adoption and integration into organizational structures.
This research uses a qualitative, exploratory design, using semistructured interviews with eight key experts from various ecosystems within the Moroccan automotive industry. A purposive expert sampling method was used to select participants with significant experience in OpEx, ensuring a deep, context-specific understanding of its implementation.
This study reveals that Moroccan automotive firms adopt OpEx practices in a phased, structured manner, beginning with foundational methodologies such as Lean manufacturing, 5S and Kaizen, before progressing to advanced tools like Six Sigma. The integration of these practices is typically supported by dedicated teams within engineering and production departments, with some firms establishing specialized OpEx departments reporting directly to plant directors. While notable progress has been made in the adoption of OpEx, significant challenges remain, particularly regarding the technical expertise required for advanced methodologies like Six Sigma. Nevertheless, strong support from international parent companies and Morocco’s highly integrated automotive ecosystem has been identified as key enablers in accelerating the adoption of OpEx best practices.
... The implemented model (Fig. 6) enhanced the sustainability of the PI program via the incorporation of integrated learnings from Refs. [4,64,65] to propose a framework for achieving operational excellence and sustainment through the establishment of purpose, process, people and results. These are further disseminated into alignment, engagement and improvement with the identification of key systems supporting this framework. ...
This research focuses on designing a clear methodology for problem-solving. It investigates the application of a defined ‘Lean’ methodology for the proactive application of process improvement activities using a phased digitized measurement and monitoring system. This case study in a Medtech organisation utilized the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) model to develop a Lean system and structure to support managing the process improvement or project management element of a Continuous Improvement (CI) framework. The results from the pilot of this study delivered financial gains and demonstrated how a robust structure and methodology to measure improvement activity and success provided a strong, sustainable foundation for customer satisfaction, efficiency, cost reduction and employee engagement improvement. It also highlighted the importance of focusing on proactive process improvement as part of a CI framework. The study provides valuable insights into the effective implementation of Lean principles and process improvement via a sustainable model, thereby contributing to the body of knowledge in this field. This study demonstrated how the developed model supported process improvement activity underpinning the development of a wider continuous improvement culture to support Lean deployment and sustainment and that systems can drive behaviour. Additionally, this application in the healthcare manufacturing sector adds to the sparse application in the literature from this sector.
... Despite these challenges, lean continues to evolve in healthcare settings. More recent research has focused on combining lean with other improvement methodologies, such as Six Sigma (Improta et al., 2019), and on applying lean principles to specific healthcare challenges like patient safety (Hines et al., 2020). ...
This paper investigates the lean management methodology and its applications in organizations, specifically in the healthcare sector. The study focuses on analyzing three healthcare organizations, Odense University Hospital (Denmark), Virginia Mason Medical Centre (USA), and Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital (Tanzania), seeking to reduce the cost of their daily operations via Value Stream Mapping, Kizen, Toyota Production System, and Total Quality Management. The study’s research methodology was based on analyzing previously published articles, papers, and reports on the later organizations. Furthermore, we examined the cost of waiting time, the number of treated patients, the number of walked steps for nurses to reach patients, the number of problems faced by a hospital, and resources management, before and after the implementation of lean management. The results of this research demonstrated a significant impact of implementing Value Stream Mapping, Kizen, Toyota Production System, and Total Quality Management as effective cost-reduction tools for healthcare organizations.
... The first of these challenges is negative employee opinion and resistance to Lean implementation (Balzer et al., 2015;Thirkell & Ashman, 2014). Introducing a Lean mindset in organisations is often associated with improving productivity, efficiency, scrupulous performance tracking and public communication, but in turn emerges the risk of overburdening employees with excessive workloads, which, if not properly managed, can lead to burnout and lower morale (Hines et al., 2020;Bakke & Johansen, 2019). Often HEI employees do not tolerate too much emphasis on performance measurement in a Lean framework (Thirkell & Ashman, 2014), and as the previous section has shown, not everything in HEIs can be measured, so some measurements are inaccurate or unrepresentative. ...
The growing interest in implementing Lean thinking in non-manufacturing sectors is encouraging higher education institutions (HEIs) to keep pace with integral innovation. We aim at identifying the challenges of implementing Lean thinking in HEIs and exploring why Lean principles, although recognised as effective in the private and public sectors, are experiencing implementation problems in HEIs. We focus on preventive systems, measures and strategies that could contribute to minimising the risks of resistance towards the implementation of Lean thinking and, simultaneously, to increasing the quality of education in HEIs. This paper discusses the differences between Lean and Hierarchical Management Systems, the concept of the quality of education, the elements of customer value through benefits and burdens, the margins between optimising performance and overloading employees, the measurability of value stream processes, and the links between improving communication processes and performance indicators in a Lean framework. We carried out an overview of the scientific literature to define the constituents of the Lean mindset in HEIs and the problems that may arise in the implementation of these Lean strategic elements. This study leads to a better understanding that Lean thinking contributes to HEIs’ “customer” satisfaction, institutional efficiency and quality of education, all whilst corroborating the point that innovative top management, their devotion and a supportive and flexible workforce are essential components in fostering the effective implementation of Lean thinking in HEIs.
... If a KPI is showing improvement, the Lean 4.0 principle states to continue the action that is causing that improvement. KPIs showing decline or no change in comparison to the original state need specific problem-solving and countermeasures to achieve improvement towards the objective [46,137,138]. An effective practice for managing KPIs is to plan the expected improvement targets into a "KPI storyboard" which will give a visual representation of the objectives and expected performance in all areas of the business. ...
... After monitoring and identifying that a process is deviating from the ideal state, corrective action must be taken. The aim is to 1) understand what went wrong, 2) eliminate the root cause, and finally 3) standardize methods of preventing re-occurrence [46,137,138]. During this process, cross-functional teams will be utilized to utilize a broad base of expertise to ensure effective problem resolution. ...
... The final stage in the Lean 4.0 process is to make adjustments and improvements to their current state based on the evaluation results [140,141]. This is a continuous loop which is designed to aid companies in making data-driven decisions which lead to step-change improvements to operations and help sustain the change process [46,133,137,138]. It is critical companies do not bypass this stage and move directly to the first step in implementation. ...
The primary aim of this study is to assess the significance of top management commitment in the context of Lean 4.0 implementation within the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Ghana. The study seeks to understand and evaluate the overall effectiveness and achievements associated with adopting Lean 4.0. Employing a positivist mindset, the research utilizes an explanatory quantitative research design and a survey technique. Data collected from 181 employees of pharmaceutical companies in Ghana undergo analysis using SmartPLS (version 4) and IBM SPSS version 26. The study employs a combination of descriptive statistics to summarise data characteristics and inferential statistics to test various hypotheses related to Lean 4.0 adoption. The analysis reveals that the successful integration of lean methods and Industry 4.0 technologies requires meticulous management. Simultaneously, individual implementations of lean principles and Industry 4.0 technologies positively impact business performance. Surprisingly, the study does not observe a substantial positive influence of Lean 4.0 on corporate performance, suggesting that immediate improvements in efficiency or profitability may not result from the adoption of this framework. This research contributes to the field by highlighting the need for careful management in integrating lean methods and Industry 4.0 technologies. It also emphasizes the positive impacts of lean principles and Industry 4.0 technology on business performance. The unexpected finding regarding the lack of immediate improvements in corporate efficiency or profitability with Lean 4.0 adoption prompts considerations of initial implementation challenges or the organization's need for time to adapt to this integrated approach.
... Effective Lean implementation in healthcare requires system-wide change and strong leadership to sustain improvements 16 . Leadership is crucial for creating a continuous improvement culture, empowering frontline staff, and aligning organisational values and behaviours with Lean principles 12,17 . ...
Background Global healthcare faces challenges such as rising costs, budget constraints, aging populations, chronic diseases, and increasing patient expectations. Healthcare organisations are deploying continuous improvement methodologies to address these challenges. Lean, derived from the Toyota Production System, focuses on eliminating non-value-adding activity and enhancing efficiency, making it a prominent quality improvement approach in healthcare. Effective implementation of Lean requires robust leadership to sustain improvements and foster a culture of continuous improvement. However, the attributes, values, principles, and behaviours of effective Lean leaders in healthcare remain underexplored. Methods This realist review protocol details methods to research how leaders' and managers' attributes, values, principles, and behaviours contribute to the sustainable implementation of Lean in healthcare. Following the RAMESES guidelines, a five-stage structured methodology will be used: defining the scope of the review and developing initial theories, developing the search strategy, reviewing primary studies and extracting data, synthesising evidence and developing conclusions, refining theory iteratively, and disseminating findings. An Expert Panel and reference groups of healthcare managers and leaders will refine candidate programme theories (CPTs) into initial programme theories (IPTs), guiding detailed evidence searches and data extraction. Conclusion This realist review will deepen our understanding of the specific mechanisms by which leadership impacts Lean implementation outcomes in the context of acute hospitals. By exploring how leadership attributes, values, principles and behaviours shape outcomes for diverse stakeholders, the review aims to provide critical insights into the dynamics driving the success of Lean in healthcare. The findings will inform policy and practice, enhancing leadership strategies to improve patient and staff experiences, patient outcomes, and organizational performance.
... Hence, given the corporate-level management strategy, Site Y put major efforts into implementing a single practice or rolling out a method with a push approach. A similar pattern to an initial tool focus generally seen in lean implementation (Hines, Taylor & Walsh, 2020). ...
Purpose: This paper aims to explore and describe how companies manage the level of standardisation of improvement practices in a multisite context. It seeks to explain the managerial strategies applied to change the standardisation level in manufacturing companies with multiple production sites worldwide.Design/methodology/approach: This paper collects data through interviews, observations and company documents from a large multinational producing company and, specifically, from of the largest production sites in the company. The research design resembles a grounded theory approach by being reflexive and open to emerging themes. The standardisation strategy was analysed at a company that strived to increase the standardisation of problem-solving practices within about 20 production sites as part of their corporate lean programme.Findings: Several managerial tools were applied at the corporate level to increase the standardisation level of problem-solving practices, such as developing standards and a company-specific toolbox aligned with an in-house maturity model. In addition, deploying change leaders and global implementation targets enabled audits and progress. However, consequences at the production-site level became minor adaptations of standards, the design of training models as a "roll-out", and a resource-demanding implementation process.Originality/Value: This paper empirically demonstrates strategic tools that corporate management teams apply to influence the company's standardisation level of practices. The study describes the purpose and consequences of the design of the toolbox, maturity model, training model, and implementation targets, which aims to simplify the complex task of managing standardisation in a corporate group. By applying a knowledge-based view, four processes (i.e. adaptation, integration, upskilling, and learning) were identified to improve the management strategies in multisite contexts.
... This overemphasis on tool application is cited as a frequent cause of programme failures in various organisational contexts (Aij & Teunissen, 2017;Laureani & Antony, 2019). What tends to be overlooked is the cultivation of a culture centred on continuous improvement and behavioural shifts, which are crucial for driving lean transformation (Hines et al., 2020). Seidel et al. (2017) identified 16 vital lean leadership competencies essential for implementing lean production systems through a comprehensive examination of literature and expert insights. ...
This paper sets out to investigate the microfoundations of lean leadership. To do so, we explore the Japanese philosophical concepts of Monozukuri, Hitozukuri, and Kotozukuri, representing that passion and craftsmanship for making things, developing people, and making things happen. The paper delves into how to foster lean leadership as a pivotal success factor in adopting lean thinking and practices in a manufacturing firm. By addressing the research gap concerning leadership traits contributing to successful lean deployment, the study explores the microfoundations of lean leadership. The paper is based on a single, in-depth longitudinal case study that offers new insights into the microfoundations underpinning lean leadership at VELUX, a Danish rooftop window manufacturer. The research contributes valuable evidence to the existing lean leadership research discourse, where lean should be seen as a human learning system, illustrating how lean leaders can cultivate lean and how the Japanese philosophical concepts of Monozukuri, Hitozukuri, and Kotozukuri resonate in a Western context.
... Whilst acknowledging the difficulties that exist between these industries Koskela, (1992) contributed to this transition by suggesting an alternative way of thinking that puts a focus on the flow of information, material, construction activities and how these flows are measured. It has been recognised in previous research that there is a difficulty marrying lean to CIs (Cano et al., 2015;Hines, Taylor and Walsh, 2020;Mano, Gouvea da Costa and Pinheiro de Lima, 2021). ...
Globally the Construction Industry is in a fragmented state and the Irish Construction Industry (ICI) is no exception. The ICI has a history of delivering National infrastructure projects over time and over budget. Irish Government publications have identified that low productivity within the ICI is a prevalent issue. Lean construction (LC) is proposed in this research as an antidote to assist the ICI in becoming less fragmented and more productive. Research indicates that successful incorporation of lean methodologies can cut completion times by 30% and costs by 15%. Further research demonstrates that Construction Industries (CI) are lacking the education required to implement lean methodologies. There is a lack of awareness within the ICI regarding the principles and benefits of lean. Lean Construction Ireland (LCI) membership numbers are increasing at a glacial pace. Traditional project management techniques that are autocratic in nature and focus on critical path items and milestones are extensively used in the ICI. These techniques prioritize measuring metrics such as commercial performance which means measuring other performance related metrics such as workflows slip down the order of seniority. This approach conflicts with the principles of lean and limits the opportunity for continual improvement. There is therefore a requirement for government, management, leaders and all project stakeholders to change their way of thinking regarding their project management techniques and embrace change. Aligning these stakeholders will strengthen the entire Irish Construction Supply Chain and only then will the benefits of lean be fully realized. Building Information Modelling (BIM), whilst not technically a lean tool shares multiple characteristics of lean and is further vehicle that can assist in this transition. The results suggest that with enhanced education in lean, alignment of project stakeholders, an overhaul of traditional project management techniques and heavier incorporation of BIM that a shift towards lean and higher productivity is possible for the ICI.
