Implementation of lean supply chain: an empirical research on the effect of context

Development of an improvement framework for warehouse processes using lean six sigma (DMAIC) approach. A case of third party logistics (3PL) services

This study aims at developing an improvement framework of warehouse processes by improving process cycle efficiency using lean six sigma (DMAIC) approach. A case study method was used to illustrate the evaluation of the existing processes in the warehouse of a third party logistics company with a focus on productivity using warehouse lean tools. Data were collected based on warehouse operational areas of suppliers, customers and internally related with a focus on warehouse core processes. The optimization of the warehouse processes was based on established lean tools. Based on the warehouse evaluation, high non-value added activities were observed leading to a low process cycle efficiency of 40%. After the implementation of the lean six sigma approach, the process cycle efficiency improved of up to 70%. An improvement framework was also established for productivity across the warehouse processes to minimise waste. Lean warehousing has been used to illustrate solutions to a real-time problem of productivity which has negatively impacted on management and customer satisfaction. The study has added to lean warehousing focusing on all the warehouse processes using six sigma DMAIC approach, unlike most literature which concentrates on a specific process. Also develop a framework for the improvement of the processes.

Contextual factors on Toyota Way and Agile Manufacturing: an empirical investigation

This research aims to examine the differences across selected contextual factors on the Toyota Way (TW), agile manufacturing (AM) and their sub-elements. These factors include firm size, nationality of firms, production approaches, IATF 16949 - an international quality management certification in the automotive industry, supplier tiers in supply chains, export levels, and import levels. A survey instrument was developed based on literature, then verified by experts and statistical techniques. ANOVA and independent samples t-test were used to explore the differences across contextual factors of 216 automotive part manufacturers on TW, AM, and their elements. It revealed that there were significant differences across firm size, nationality of firms, and export levels on overall TW, AM and most sub-elements. Insignificant differences across production approaches and IATF 16949 on overall TW, AM and their sub-elements were found. Firms with different contextual factors require different levels of TW, AM and sub-elements. Managers should apply TW and AM elements at suitable levels in accordance with their organizational contexts.This is one of the first studies to empirically investigate the differences across the contextual factors on TW, AM and sub-elements in the same paper from a socio-technical perspective. This study can be used as a basis for further research on integrative practices between lean and agile (leagile) manufacturing.

Decision-making framework for supplier selection using an integrated MCDM approach in a lean-agile-resilient-green environment: evidence from Indian automotive sector

Purpose

Today, proficient practices are required to stimulate along various boundaries of the supply chain (SC) to exploit manufacturing resources economically, effectually and gracefully for retaining operational excellence. Accordingly, varieties of paramount practices, i.e. Lean, Agile, Resilient and Green practices, are integrated in present study with the objective to develop a Decision Support Framework (DSF) to select robust supplier under the extent of Lean-Agile-Resilient-Green (LARG) practices for a manufacturing firm. The framework is developed and validated in the Indian automotive sector, where the primary data is collected based on perceptions of the respondents working in an automotive company.

Design/methodology/approach

LARG metrics can ponder ecological balance, customer satisfaction, associations, effectiveness and sustainability and thus, the study consolidated LARG practices in one umbrella to develop a DSF. The analytical approach under DSF is developed by the integration AHP, DEMATEL, ANP, Extended MOORA and SAW techniques in present study to evaluate a robust supplier under the aegis of LARG practices in SC. DSF is developed by scrutinizing and categorizing LARG characteristics, where the selected LARG characteristics are handled by fuzzy sets theory to deal with the impreciseness and uncertainty in decision making.

Findings

The study has identified 63 measures (15 for Lean, 15 for Agile, 14 for resilient and 19 for Green) to support the robust supplier selection process for manufacturing firms. The findings of study explicate “Internal communication agility”, “Interchangeability to personnel resources”, “Manufacturing flexibility”, “degree of online solution”, “Quickness to resource up-gradation”, “Manageability to demand and supply change”, “Overstocking inventory practices” as significant metrics in ranking order. Additionally, “Transparency to share information”, “Internal communication agility”, “Manufacturing Flexibility”, “Green product (outgoing)” are found as influential metrics under LARG practices respectively.

Practical implications

A technical DSF to utilize by the managers is developed, which is connected with knowledge-based theory and a case of an automobile manufacturing firm is presented to illustrate its implementation. The companies can utilize presented DSF to impose service excellence, societal performance, agility and green surroundings in SC for achieving sustainable outcomes to be welcomed by the legislations, society and rivals. The framework represents an important decision support tool to enable managers to overcome imprecise SC information sources.

Originality/value

The study presented a proficient platform to review the most significant LARG alternative in the SC. The study suggested a cluster of LARG metrics to support operational improvement in manufacturing firms for shifting gear toward sustainable SC practices. The present study embraces its existence in enrolling a high extent of collaboration amongst clients, project teams and LARG practices to virtually eradicate the likelihood of absolute project failure.

The Impact of Digitalization on Supply Chain Integration and Performance

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between digitalization, supply chain integration, and firm performance. Data are analyzed by the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that both digitalization in the supply chain and supply chain external integration positively affected company performance. Further, supply chain external integration partially mediated the relationship between supply chain digitalization and firm performance. In addition, it was found that financial performance is enhanced through different paths for large enterprises and SMEs. Large enterprises improve financial performance through supply chain integration after efforts spent on the digitalization of their supply chain, while SMEs improve financial performance directly through supply chain digitalization. These findings provide insights for managers and policymakers of large enterprises and SMEs in formulating appropriate implementation strategies for digital transformation.

A systematic literature review on supply chain approaches

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present green supply chain, resilient supply chain, agile supply chain, cold supply chain and lean supply chain (GRACL SC) procedures based on a detailed perspective, analyzing subjects in the past 19 years with a systematic literature review (SLR) of the papers reported from 2000 to 2019, and offering information and guidelines for further studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on 17 keywords in the title and topic of the articles and collects data from Web of Science (WOS) databases and objectively chooses 1,190 articles and performs meta-data analyses. Tables and statistical reports are based on the following three filters: publication year, authors and document type. At least, 39 publications from the ISI WOS has been examined for presenting information of categorization of the conducted research with regard to the content analysis, comprising the conceptual development and obstacles, cooperation with the supply chain elements, as well as mathematical and other optimization models.

Findings

Finally, this study answered three main questions in the research and demonstrates that the majority studies in the green supply chain (GSC) and a minimum number of studies on the cold supply chain have been conducted and 27 factors are chosen to achieve the 2000 to 2019 GRACL SCM model which robust and fit for Iranian food industries. The model shows that the agile, resilient and lean supply chain have direct effect on GSC and it can be said that all 27 groups which are selected for the final model of this research can be the main groups in the supply chain.

Originality/value

This paper was actually conducted by authors who reported it. To prevent plagiarized, redoubled efforts have been made and actually this paper is based on SLR methodology and the results are real and the researcher discusses the results appropriately. This investigation can have a positive impact within the field of expanding supply chain flexibility and lessening squander within the Iranian generation framework.

Comparative analysis of ranking the lean supply chain enablers: An AHP, BWM and fuzzy SWARA based approach

Purpose

In the recent scenario, there has been an increasing trend toward lean practices and implementation in production systems for the improvement of an organization’s performance as its basic nature is to eliminate the wastes. The increasing interest of customers in customized products and the fulfillment of customers’ demand with good productivity and efficiency within time are the challenges for the manufacturing organization; that is why adopting lean manufacturing concept is very crucial in the current scenario.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors considered three different methodologies for fulfilling the objective of our research. The analytical hierarchy process, best–worst method and fuzzy step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis are the three methods employed for weighting all the enablers and finding the priority among them and their final rankings.

Findings

Further, the best results among these methodologies could be used to analyze their interrelationships for successful lean supply chain management implementation in an organization. In this paper, 35 key enablers were identified after the rigorous analysis of literature review and the opinion of a group of experts consisting of academicians, practitioners and consultants. Thereafter, the brainstorming sessions were conducted to finalize 28 lean supply chain enablers (LSCEs).

Practical implications

For lean manufacturing practitioners, the result of this study can be beneficial where the manufacturer is required to increase efficiency and reduce cost and wastage of resources in the lean manufacturing process.

Originality/value

This paper is the first of the research papers that considered deep literature review of identified LSCEs as the initial step, followed by finding the best priority weightage and developing the ranking of various lean enablers of supply chain with the help of various methodologies.

Association between distribution centre design and contextual characteristics

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship between the main decisions for designing distribution centers (DCs) and the contextual characteristics of the distribution networks.

Design/methodology/approach

Experts were surveyed and responses analyzed quantitatively through multivariate data techniques. This study considered four contextual characteristics that were deemed as influential for DC design: types of routes in the distribution network, quantity of DCs, distribution network levels and company size.

Findings

This paper evidenced which decisions are affected by each contextual characteristic encompassed in this study. This paper identified that the characteristic types of route in the distribution network must be carefully considered, as it had the greatest amount of associations with the decisions for designing a DC.

Originality/value

Despite its importance, most studies on design of DCs disregard the effect of the context in which DCs are inserted. This research provides arguments to support decision-making process of DCs design, increasing assertiveness of their planning. This work fulfills a literature gap by empirically examining the effect of contextual variables on the decisions related to DC design. Regarding practice, this paper addressed a fundamental issue for managers looking to design a DC, as it evidenced how contextual characteristics impact the decision-making.

Patterns emerging from the TQM paradigm in relation to the 21st century complex context within TQM journal

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to explore the deployment of the total quality management (TQM) paradigm in the TQM Journal in relation to the context of the 21st century. The study builds on the theoretical framework of the four quality paradigms that together compose TQM. The four paradigms differ in their effectiveness based on the context in which they are used. In a complex context, one would expect the reflective and the emergence paradigm to flourish. The TQM Journal is one of the leading scientific journals on TQM. If the assumption that the reflective and emergent paradigm would flourish in a complex environment is correct, one will see that represented in the past five years of scientific research in that magazine.

Design/methodology/approach

The TQM Journal articles of the past five years from January 2016 till January 2021 have been chosen as the scope of an exploratory review. The author assessed the title and abstract of all articles based on the characteristics of the four quality paradigms, as described in the theoretical framework. If the title and abstract did not provide enough data to take the decision for the assessment, the whole article has been taken into account. The results have been collated, summarized and reported. Based on the results, the author explores the possible patterns.

Findings

In total, 283 articles from 2016 to 2021 (from Volume 28, Issue 1 to Volume 33, Issue 1) were included in this study. In total, 45 were read fully to be able to characterize the article. Most of the studies relate the tertiary (33.3%) and secondary (27.9%) sectors. Healthcare was the sector in 32 of the cases (11.3%). Most studies have been conducted in Europe (n = 82, 28.9%) and Asia (n = 58, 20.5%). Within Europe, Italy was the most prolific country with, respectively, 25 (30.8%) of the articles. The USA and Canada only had five articles in these five years (1.8%). Many articles did not specify the region. More than half of the articles (52.4%) worked with surveys, questionnaires or other methods to involve the customer in the research; 16 articles (5.6%) used experts in the field through expert panels and such to collect data from. In total, 107 articles (37.8%) did involve no other stakeholders than the researchers themselves. Eight studies (2.8%) used action research or co-design methodology to create optimal stakeholder participation. Based on the data, four patterns can be discovered: the context sensitivity of the articles, reflexivity, coping with uncertainty and co-creation.

Research limitations/implications

It is acknowledged that the articles in the study were published in just one scientific journal. One can expect that this will be represented in other journals on TQM. Still, it would be interesting to conduct a follow-up study in other journals on TQM and compare the results. The research is done by one subjective researcher.

Practical implications

Research on TQM should take the complexity of the context into account. For that purpose, researchers should focus more on the emergence paradigm within TQM.

Originality/value

This study is the first to investigate TQM as a holistic paradigm, including the empirical, reflective, reference and emergence paradigm in TQM research.

A hybrid approach using entropy and TOPSIS to select key drivers for a successful and sustainable lean construction implementation

Successful implementation of the lean concept as a sustainable approach in the construction industry requires the identification of critical drivers in lean construction. Despite this significance, the number of in-depth studies toward understanding the considerable drivers of lean construction implementation is quite limited. There is also a shortage of methodologies for identifying key drivers. To address these challenges, this paper presents a list of all essential drivers within three aspects of sustainability (social, economic, and environmental) and proposes a novel methodology to rank the drivers and identify the key drivers for successful and sustainable lean construction implementation. In this regard, the entropy weighted Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was employed in this research. Subsequently, an empirical study was conducted within the Malaysian construction industry to demonstrate the proposed method. Moreover, sensitivity analysis and comparison with the existing method were engaged to validate the stability and accuracy of the achieved results. The significant results obtained in this study are as follows: presenting, verifying and ranking of 63 important drivers; identifying 22 key drivers; proposing an MCDM model of key drivers. The outcomes show that the proposed method in this study is an effective and accurate tool that could help managers make better decisions.

Industry 4.0 adoption as a moderator of the impact of lean production practices on operational performance improvement

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating role of Industry 4.0 technologies on the relationship between lean production (LP) and operational performance improvement within Brazil, a developing economy context.

Design/methodology/approach

One representative from each of the 147 studied manufacturing companies filled in a survey on three internally related lean practice bundles and two Industry 4.0 technology bundles, with safety, delivery, quality, productivity and inventory as performance indicators. As this study was grounded on the contingency theory, multivariate data analyses were performed, controlling for four contingencies.

Findings

Industry 4.0 moderates the effect of LP practices on operational performance improvement, but in different directions. Process-related technologies negatively moderate the effect of low setup practices on performance, whereas product/service-related technologies positively moderate the effect of flow practices on performance.

Originality/value

With the advent of Industry 4.0, companies have been channelling their efforts to achieve superior performance by advancing levels of automation and interconnectivity. Eventually, widespread and proven manufacturing approaches, like LP, will integrate such technologies which may, in turn, impair or favour operational performance. Contrary to previous studies, the contingencies appeared to have a less extensive effect. The authors point to various options for further study across different socio-economic contexts. This study evidenced that purely technological adoption will not lead to distinguished results. LP practices help in the installation of organisational habits and mindsets that favour systemic process improvements, supporting the design and control of manufacturers’ operations management towards the fourth industrial revolution era.

Lean supply chain practices: an exploratory study on their relationship

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the relationships among the implementation of LSC practices. Particularly, the authors examine the adoption level of 27 LSC practices, which were identified in a literature review, within 113 manufacturing companies from different sectors located in Southern Brazil.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collected were analyzed by means of multivariate techniques (partial correlation analysis) and two control variables were used: level of onshore suppliers and company’s experience on lean manufacturing implementation.

Findings

The results showed that the relationship among practices may not always be synergic, since there are pairs of practices that, when concurrently implemented they tend to conflict, hindering their benefits.

Originality/value

The use of partial correlations between pairs of LSC practices provides means to better understand specific associations, disregarding the implementation effect of the whole set of practices. The research also provides managers and practitioners arguments to better comprehend how practices interact with each other under specific contexts.