Identification and modeling of employee barriers while implementing lean manufacturing in small- and medium-scale enterprises

The Challenges of Lean Transformation and Implementation in the Manufacturing Sector

In this study we explored the challenges involved in Lean Transformation and implementation in the manufacturing sector. Using survey data from 50 North American manufacturing organizations, we examined the challenges involved in implementing and sustaining Lean Manufacturing (LM) principles and practices in production processes. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and the fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) were used to rank the considerable challenges observed in these organizations. We concluded that the need for a change in organizational culture was the major barrier to Lean implementation. It is challenging to sustain Lean without a culture shift and a clear direction set by the organization’s leadership team. The originality of the paper relates to prioritizing the cultural aspects of organizations as a major barrier to LM implementation. Other challenges encountered during Lean implementation in the manufacturing industries were related to management support, technical knowledge, and employee resistance to change. Early identification of these challenges enables companies to question their capabilities before implementing the Lean philosophy. In this study we used results obtained from 50 manufacturing companies in North America, representing a subset of manufacturing organizations. As a result, it must be interpreted based on the data acquisition method and the study’s sample size.

A conceptual framework for a systemic understanding of barriers during lean implementation

Purpose

Multiple organisations which have attempted to implement lean production/manufacturing/thinking have failed to achieve significant benefits. Practitioners and researchers have identified the barriers that hinder successful implementation. This study first consolidates such lean implementation barriers that are common across all industry sectors. Further, a systemic understanding of lean barriers is attempted by determining causal relationships between barriers and their relative causal strength.

Design/methodology/approach

Barriers to lean implementation were first identified from extant literature and categorised into broad barrier groups. These barrier groups were classified into four categories as specified by Liker's 4P model of lean–philosophy, people and partnership, processes and problem-solving. Additionally, interrelations between barriers, both within and among these four categories were determined.

Findings

The barriers classified under philosophy were the most critical as it affects the barriers in other groups. Similarly, barriers such as lack of leadership and top management commitment, lack of resources, shortage of lean consultants and trainers, lack of systemic understanding of lean and the need for its implementation, lack of lean expertise and training were found to be the most critical causal barriers.

Research limitations/implications

Highly critical barriers in terms of causality should be addressed with high priority, as effective measures against them may eliminate or reduce the impact of other barriers.

Originality/value

This study addresses the confusion regarding the high number of lean barriers in extant literature by providing a systemic understanding of the same. By exploring the interrelations among barriers, the most important causal barriers and barrier types (4Ps) are identified, the knowledge of which could improve lean implementation success. This is a novel attempt in the domain of lean.

An investigation and implementation framework of Lean Green and Six Sigma (LG&SS) strategies for the manufacturing industry in India

Purpose

The Indian manufacturing sector currently contributes 16–17% to gross domestic product (GDP) and gives employment to around 12% (2014) of the country's workforce. Among the various initiatives planned under Atma Nirbhar Bharat and “Make in India”, the Indian government aims to increase the share of the manufacturing sector to country's GDP to 25% by 2025. To ensure sustainable growth of the Indian manufacturing industries in global market, successful and implementation of strategies such as lean manufacturing, green manufacturing along with six sigma are crucial. This research aims at identification and analysis of barriers to successful implementation of integrated Lean Green Six Sigma (LG&SS) strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on an evaluative literature review and expert's opinion, this research identifies 18 barriers to lean, green and six sigma implementation in the manufacturing industry in India. The inter-relationships among the barriers is identified using an integrated approach of ISM (interpretive structural modelling) and Fuzzy Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée á un Classement (MICMAC).

Findings

ISM helps to derive key managerial insights and implementation plan based on the identified inter-relationships among the barriers. Fuzzy MICMAC analysis classifies the barriers into four categories, namely, autonomous, driver, dependent and linkage to understand their relative impact on the implementation of LG&SS practices in the Indian manufacturing industry. “Lack of cooperation and mutual trust between management and employees”, “The scarcity of time and work pressure”, “lack of continuous improvement work culture” and “lack of cooperation from suppliers” that forms the top most level of the model. “Weak legislation” is a highly significant barrier to LG&SS implementation in the Indian manufacturing industries.

Practical implications

It is expected that the findings of this research will help the Indian manufacturing industry to derive a sustainable competitive advantage through an effective implementation of LG&SS practices.

Originality/value

This study can be seen as the first attempt in investigating barriers to successful implementation of lean, green and six sigma strategies in the Indian manufacturing industries using ISM and fuzzy MICMAC analysis.

Implementation of supply chain 4.0 in the food and beverage industry: perceived drivers and barriers

Purpose

Despite considerable growth in literature on Industry 4.0 technologies, the research on the factors influencing the investment on these technologies in pursuit of supply chain 4.0 is yet incipient. The study aims to fill this knowledge void by exploring the perceived drivers and barriers intertwined in the implementation of supply chain 4.0 in the context of food and beverage industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative exploratory research was employed involving 20 semi-structured interviews with senior managers from the Australian food and beverage supply chain. The interviews' data were analysed with VOSViewer software version 1.6.14.

Findings

The results unravel that reduction in supply-demand misalignment, fast-changing consumer's needs, threat of legal penalties and cost optimisation are the key drivers; whereas lack of collaboration, organisational inertia and lack of awareness are the critical barriers to implement supply chain 4.0.

Research limitations/implications

The study derives seven propositions and a theoretical framework that need to be empirically corroborated.

Practical implications

Understanding of drivers and barriers will help practitioners to make more informed decision in implementation of supply chain 4.0.

Social implications

Implementation of supply chain 4.0 can enhance the performance of the food and beverage industry, thus offering more job opportunities and sustained food supply.

Originality/value

This is the first study in exploring drivers and barriers to the implementation of supply chain 4.0; thus, adds new knowledge to the growing body of the literature. The paper introduces a novel method for qualitative data analysis contributing to the methodological development of the supply chain management field.

Exploring the dark side of Lean: a systematic review of the lean factors that influence social outcomes

Purpose

Lean has shifted over the years from a set of tools to implement to a human-centric approach concerning both hard and soft factors. However, there is a limited research on these soft factors and how they influence companies performance and social outcomes on the one hand and how they enable the hard factors on the other hand. Taking this as a valuable opportunity, the purpose of this paper is to present the key motivating factors and key gaps in the literature as an agenda for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic methodology to identifying the literature on social outcomes and factors in Lean is presented. Web of Science, EBSCO, Emerald, Science Direct, Google Scholar and the top journals were searched, and 158 papers were identified.

Findings

The systematic review helped the authors to identify the evolution, current trends, research gaps and an agenda for future research for exploring social outcomes in Lean and the factors mediating them. These factors are grouped and presented.

Practical implications

The implications of this work include understanding for managers and professionals how both soft and hard factors in Lean are related and that for a sustainable implementation, the whole system must be observed. This work could serve as a valuable resource that depending on the execution of Lean, either positive outcomes will emerge or even negative outcomes, referred to as “The Dark Side”.

Originality/value

This paper presents an extended survey on the factors in Lean mediating both companies’ performance and social outcomes. The authors also believe that this is possibly the most comprehensive systematic literature review on the topic and will set the foundation for various research avenues based on the key findings of this study.

Analyzing barriers and strategies for implementing Lean Six Sigma in the context of Indian SMEs

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the barriers for implementing Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and present a framework that provides prioritized strategies to overcome the barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

The barriers and strategies are identified via a comprehensive literature review and validated by industry experts. The study uses the fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (fuzzy TOPSIS) to analyze the barriers and strategies for determining the prioritized list of strategies.

Findings

The findings reveal that there are sixteen barriers to LSS implementation in Indian SMEs. To overcome these barriers, this study reveals twelve strategies. The analysis shows that “effective management” is the most crucial strategy to overcome the barriers for implementing LSS in Indian SMEs.

Research limitations/implications

This research guides SMEs practitioners to efficiently and effectively implement LSS, which, in turn, can enhance the performance of SMEs.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by integrating the strategies with the barriers for implementing LSS in Indian SMEs. Besides, this study provides the prioritized list of strategies to overcome the barriers for implementing LSS in Indian SMEs.

Towards a high-performance HR bundle process for lean service operations

Purpose

This article presents an empirically induced “high-performance” “human resources (HR) bundle”, comprising six HR practices, for supporting lean service operations.

Design/methodology/approach

This was a multiple case study. A qualitative data set, including transcripts from 27 semistructured in-depth interviews with lean practitioners from across five service organizations that have adopted lean practices, was thematically analyzed to establish key HR practices on the road to lean maturity.

Findings

A “high-performance” HR bundle of three work practices and three employment practices emerged from the analysis. These practices typically mature implicitly rather than systematically to support organizations in successfully implementing lean service operations by resourcing the most suitable people for carefully defined roles, providing workers with extensive lean training opportunities, appraising workers' performances such that lean behaviours are recognized and rewarded and encouraging a participative teamworking culture.

Research limitations/implications

This article uses cross-sectional data from five case studies to induce a “high-performance” “HR bundle” theoretical model and process. A larger number of case studies and/or longitudinal data would add credence.

Practical implications

Lean service managers should regard HR practices as integral to the lean maturation process and might usefully conceive of them as processes allowing for greater management control to achieve incremental improvements to lean service provision.

Originality/value

The article provides deeper understanding of the importance of HR practice for lean service organizations and offers practical suggestions for managing HR practices in this context.

Competency profiles for lean professionals – an international perspective

Purpose

Requirements for business improvement professionals depend on different job characteristics. By focussing on lean management, the purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to provide a comprehensive conceptualisation of competencies relevant for lean professionals by comparing them to an existing project management competency framework; and second, to identify their similarities and differences in three different analysed countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper investigates 2,701 online published job advertisements in the USA, UK and Germany by means of a content analysis to compare and contrast the respective job profiles.

Findings

Main findings are similarities and differences in the specification and perception of lean professional’s roles among the three countries. Strikingly, four out of eight considered competency categories comprise 74 per cent of the profiles’ most relevant keywords. Additionally, with the help of a latent semantic analysis, 16 specific competencies can be summarised in a lean professional’s competency taxonomy.

Research limitations/implications

The collected data only represent a snapshot of lean professionals’ advertisements. Also, text mining results from job profiles could largely differ from other techniques like recruiter interviews or company surveys. Further research could use different methods or combine them to construct a more complete model.

Practical implications

Lean education and training as well as the respective candidate selection processes can benefit from these studies’ results.

Originality/value

Requirements and job contents for lean professionals have not been empirically researched on a comparable in-depth level before, even though their expertise is in high demand in any kind of business sector.