Applying lean thinking in an educational institute – an action research

Identification of Waste Based on Lean Principles as the Way towards Sustainability of a Higher Education Institution: A Case Study from Indonesia

Lean management has generated new approaches to reduce non-value-adding activities in different sectors of the economy, including in higher education systems. Lean principles in higher education institutions (HEIs) contribute positively to sustainability performance. The current study aims to: (a) assess waste in HEIs based on lean principles and even their potential effect on sustainability; (b) establish the relationship among wastes; (c) develop a structural model using Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM); (d) carry out the Matrice d’impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliqué Àun Classement (MICMAC) analysis. In Phase 1 of this study, the identification of waste modes in HEIs was established. In Phase 2, risk assessment of each waste mode was conducted using the waste-Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (w-FMEA) technique. In Phase 3, ISM-MICMAC was used to identify relationships among critical waste modes. The results showed that eighteen waste modes were identified as critical in HEIs—with six waste modes being autonomous determinants; four were dependent determinants, four were linkage determinants, and four were driver determinants. This study is expected to help academicians and practitioners understand HEI’s waste types by listing the critical wastes, mapping their interrelationship, identifying the driving power and dependence, and proposing mitigation actions. It will also contribute to the growing body of literature highlighting the waste in HEIs.

Implementing responsibility centre management in a higher educational institution

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the design, development and implementation of responsibility centre management at a mid-sized Canadian university, within the context of decentralized decision-making. More specifically our study focused on the design, development and implementation of a revenue and cost allocation process known as transparent activity–based budgeting system (TABBS).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted this study using a qualitative case study methodology, rooted in grounded theory, as the primary approach to collect and analyse data, and report the findings. Primary data were collected from ten participants using semi-structured interviews.

Findings

The main takeaways from our research are that (1) such systems take time to design, develop and implement, (2) consultation, communication and information sharing and model adjustment and refinement are important enabling mechanisms, (3) internal and external events posed significant challenges, (4) although such systems are often designed keeping in mind several intended outcomes, there exists the possibility of experiencing some unintended consequences and (5) the juxtaposition of the above has the potential to negatively or positively impact organizational performance.

Originality/value

The research demonstrates that the design, development and implementation of a complex resource allocation model is an important element of a responsibility-centred approach to planning and decision-making. It highlights the importance and contribution of enabling mechanisms as well as the challenges that large, complex organizations may confront when introducing change.

Impact of lean service, workplace environment, and social practices on the operational performance of India post service industry

This paper aims to study the determinants of the Lean Service System (LSS) on the Operational Performance (OP) of India's mail service in the National Sorting Hub (NSH), Mangaluru, Karnataka, the southern part of India. Measuring the OP in mail service is a big challenge in the postal service industry. Hence, we have conducted a survey, and 150 usable data has measured the impact of Lean Service Practices (LSP), Lean Workplace Environment Practices (LWEP), and Lean Social Practices (LSoP) on the OP. The results are analyzed from the partial least square based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with the support of R programming. The analysis shows that there is positive and significant impact of LSP (β = 0.380, p < .05), followed by LWEP (β = 0.281, p < .05), and LSoP (β = 0.266, p < .05) on OP. The practical effect of the findings of LSS are effectively implemented for enhancing the OP of the business. This research addresses the appropriate empirical model to test LSS in India's postal service industry, which is scant in the existing literature. Moreover, this study helps India Post to review its policy so as to sustain the effectiveness of Lean Service (LS) implementation.

Value stream mapping in education: addressing work stress

Purpose

Teachers of primary education experience high levels of stress but lack rational coping strategies to reduce their work stress. The paper develops a value stream mapping for education approach and examines its use as a rational coping strategy for teams of teachers and other employees to overcome work-related stressors.

Design/methodology/approach

The research process consists of two phases. First, a value stream mapping approach for education is developed, based on literature research. Next, the approach is validated in an action research study to reduce work stress of teachers in educational services. The processes that have been selected by the teachers relate to coping with increased variety, long and uncertain throughput times and unclear specifications.

Findings

Value stream mapping for education (VSM4EDU) is a well-structured improvement method based on principles of visualization, participation and process thinking, which helps teachers without background in lean thinking to analyse their processes. Using this method has enabled the team to develop rational coping strategies to reduce their work-related stress.

Research limitations/implications

VSM4EDU has been validated using action research at a single school, which implicates deep insight, but further testing at other schools is welcome. Moreover, VSM4EDU has not been used to develop a future state map.

Practical implications

Value stream mapping is useful in educational settings as long as the educational context is respected in the approach.

Social implications

VSM4EDU empowers teachers and helps to develop co-operation in teams.

Originality/value

The validation of value stream mapping for education is well-documented and original.

Lean construction and simulation for performance improvement: a case study of reinforcement process

Purpose

This research seeks to evaluate the impact of applying lean construction principles on the performance of reinforcement operations using a discrete-event simulation (DES) approach.

Design/methodology/approach

Process mapping of reinforcements operations was first established through field observation and interviews with construction managers involved in the selected project. Subsequently, quantitative data were gathered and then used to identify the best probabilistic density functions for each activity duration based on the fit-quality tests. Upon testing the validity of the real-world model, a lean simulation model was developed, using ARENA software, to investigate the impact of lean construction principles on the performance of such processes.

Findings

Lean principles are effective in enhancing the performance of the selected construction process. Output performance measurements for real-world model and lean model revealed that lean construction principles led to 41% improvement in process productivity, 14% enhancement in process efficiency and 17% reduction in cycle time.

Research limitations/implications

The statistical findings only represent the process under study (reinforcement process) and cannot be generalized to other construction activities. In order to draw generalizable conclusions, future works are needed to extend this study to different project sizes and more complex construction processes (e.g. bricklaying process and concrete pouring operations). Moreover, there are other factors such as labor skills, rework and uncertainty, site conditions that require further analyses for leaner construction projects.

Originality/value

The methodology and the techniques presented in this work can be used for decision making by analyzing various lean construction scenarios and evaluating their impacts on performance outcomes of any construction process prior to real-world implementation.

Lean thinking and higher education management: revaluing the business school programme management

Purpose

This paper explores the applications of lean thinking in re-evaluating the business school curriculum, syllabus and intended learning objectives to enhance the employability of graduates through identifying and eliminating non–value-added activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The research employed multilevel qualitative methodology, where 55 semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from academics, students and graduates from several private and public universities in Jordan.

Findings

The study finds that the application of lean thinking in the business school is twofold – it helps the developer of the school curriculum to get rid of many superfluous and non–value-added activities and also emphasises and reinforces the value-added activities. Value stream mapping, with a consideration for internal and external outputs, has been found to be a useful tool for developing an employability-focussed curriculum that equips business school students with the required competences and skills in the labour market.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on a qualitative research approach. The generalisability of the findings is difficult to assess, and future research would benefit from the insights obtained from the quantitative data

Practical implications

In practice, this study has identified different types of non–value-added and unnecessary activities in business school curriculum and has made suggestions for the development of a more employability-focussed curriculum.

Originality/value

This paper investigates the non–value-added activities of the business school curriculum, syllabus and the intended learning objectives to enhance the employability of graduates in Jordan.

Lean thinking for education: development and validation of an instrument

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to respond to the increasing demands that education currently faces and develop a structured approach for the implementation of lean thinking (LT) in primary and secondary education (P&SE) and empirically validated it.

Design/methodology/approach

An extended literature review was conducted of studies on LT in education, service and manufacturing, in which a preliminary list was formed of LT dimensions, which were subsequently reviewed by a focus group. An instrument was generated, which was distributed to 1,400 education professionals, and 394 replies were received. The measures were tested for validity and reliability. After the first round of analyses, measures were tested further to strengthen the proposed instrument.

Findings

The findings confirmed that the instrument developed is both valid and reliable and that the proposed measures consist actual dimensions of LT in P&SE. A number of success factors that would be required for LT initiatives to be implemented effectively within the P&SE context in a holistic perspective were revealed.

Practical implications

Although a number of studies have been developed on LT in the manufacturing or service sector, its implementation in education and particularly in P&SE remains scant. The instrument developed provides sufficient knowledge of which are the most important dimensions to consider when pondering LT in education.

Originality/value

While LT has been the subject of previous research in education, this study represented the first look at lean in P&SE and was the first of its kind to develop and validate in a real environment a lean implementation instrument for use in educational institutions. Researchers and practitioners can use the proposed instrument to build models of facilitating practices to improve performance while contributing to economic growth and enhancing social empowerment.

“8A” framework for value stream selection – an empirical case study

Purpose

Before initiating the implementation of change for transforming and improving an organization through lean thinking (LT), it has to first select a right value stream. Several implementation studies have been documented in literature, but not many studies have addressed this issue of value stream selection. The purpose of this paper is to propose and empirically validate a framework for selecting a value stream to implement LT.

Design/methodology/approach

8A framework is proposed by reviewing the literature on LT implementation case studies. Single case study methodology has been adopted to validate the application of 8A framework for selecting a value stream in an Indian educational institute. Since multiple qualifiers are considered simultaneously, a multi-criteria decision-making approach has been employed for choosing the value stream.

Findings

Utility of the proposed 8A framework for value stream selection was confirmed through its successful application in an educational institute. Out of three alternatives in the case organization, the teaching alternative was chosen for further LT implementation based on the application of 8A framework. Qualitative cross-validation and sensitivity analysis also confirmed the robustness of the value stream selection made using the 8A framework.

Research limitations/implications

Framework proposed in this study comprehensively captures the important qualifiers that were overlooked by the widely adopted first tenet of LT. Future research can attempt to generalize the applicability of 8A framework in different contexts including manufacturing, healthcare, software development, etc. A further study can be carried out in two similar case organizations or in two value streams of the same case organization (say in two different plants) to compare the differences in the outcome of lean implementation when one chooses its value stream for LT implementation without the application of the proposed framework, while another chooses it by applying the 8A framework.

Practical implications

Through structured evaluation of the comprehensive set of qualifiers in 8A framework using a multi-criteria decision making model, an informed decision can be taken by the practitioners in selecting a value stream from the available alternatives before proceeding with the implementation of LT.

Originality/value

After questioning the existing procedure of value stream selection for LT implementation, this study is the first to propose and validate an 8A framework that overcomes the limitations of the existing procedure. Study is also unique in the choice of the case organization as not many research papers have documented implementation of LT from the context of educational institutes.