International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

Wagner Cezar Lucato; Felipe Araujo Calarge; Mauro Loureiro Junior; Robisom Damasceno Calado

2014 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPPM-04-2013-0085

Purpose – Manufacturing companies worldwide have been replacing traditional mass‐production practices by lean initiatives. This translation process is progressive and may vary depending on several factors. Hence, it could be expected that the degree of adoption of the lean practices could vary significantly among industries, regions and even countries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the implementation performance of lean principles in Brazil, the paper developed a survey in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area, which considered 51 industries of different sizes, from several industrial segments, nationals and multinationals. Design/methodology/approach – The proposed survey was developed using as a normative framework the SAE J4000 standard – identification and measurement of the best practice in implementation of lean operation and the SAE J4001 – implementation of lean operation user manual. To measure the implementation degree of the lean practices in the researched industries, the paper proposed the utilization of two concepts: the degree of leanness (DOL) of an element of J4000 and DOL of a company. Also three hypotheses were tested, trying to establish the relationship among the DOL and firm ownership, their size and respective industrial sector. Findings – The results obtained in the survey demonstrated that the performance of lean initiative implementation is not uniform among the companies located in the researched area. Outcomes also showed that the degree of implementation of the lean practices by multinational companies was higher than that for the national firms. However, it was not possible to establish a relationship between the DOL and the size of the firms. Neither a clear and definite association between DOL and industrial sector was possible to be identified. Practical implications – For the practitioners and managers dealing with the lean implementation, this paper gives a relevant contribution because it shows how they can effectively use an existing tool to measure the implementation of the lean practices in their respective firms. Furthermore, the DOL calculation for each individual element of the J4000 standard could also be used by practitioners and managers to identify specific problems and opportunity areas where practical actions could be identified to improve the lean implementation. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the lean manufacturing theory because it proposes a theoretical way to measure the degree of implementation of the lean initiatives in the manufacturing companies. Also the survey results generate additional research material that could be used by other researchers to further explore the subject in the area.

Nicola Bateman; Peter Hines; Peter Davidson

2014 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPPM-04-2013-0067

Purpose – The lean enterprise model has been adopted in a wide range of industries beyond its origins in the motor industry. To achieve this there has been a considerable extension of the lean concept outside high‐volume repetitive manufacture. The purpose of this paper is to present an in‐depth study of the application of lean within the British Royal Air Force. It offers a number of new insights which have implications for the future development and adoption of lean in service contexts, and the public sector in particular. Design/methodology/approach – To illustrate the issues of application of lean outside automotive, this paper considers the adoption of the lean concept by the Tornado joint integrated project team within the UK Ministry of Defence. A review of methods of application of lean used within Tornado are studied. The paper considers how the fundamental principles of lean apply in this environment and how, considering these principles, methods of implementation should be modified. Findings – This paper finds that the five lean fundamental principles apply in Tornado but they need to considered specifically within the public service context particularly the pull principle. Hence the authors offer three propositions relating to the use of the lean principles of value, waste, flow and pull in the public sector, and one for perfection only relating to military organisations. Originality/value – This paper makes an important contribution by demonstrating that lean can be successfully applied, in a public service context, with only modest modifications to its core principles, principally about how customer demand (pull) is managed. The implication of this finding demonstrates that to be adopted successfully, lean must be adapted to its context and the lean principles need to be reviewed too.

Kuldip Singh Sangwan; Jaiprakash Bhamu; Dhwani Mehta

2014 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPPM-06-2013-0105

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a statistically reliable and valid model of lean manufacturing (LM) implementation drivers for the Indian ceramic industry through an empirical study. Design/methodology/approach – The research methodology is based on the empirical study of the Indian ceramic industry through a questionnaire specifically developed for the study through literature review and discussions held with practitioners. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling techniques have been used to propose and validate the model. SPSS and AMOS statistical tools have been used for the statistical analysis of the data. Findings – The study identified 12 drivers for the LM implementation in Indian ceramic industry. Further, these 12 drivers have been categorized into internal, policy and external drivers (ED). Structural model affirms that ED are positively related to policy drivers (PD) and PD are positively related to internal drivers. Research limitations/implications – This study provides casual relationships among the various drivers, which can be leveraged by the managers for the easy and effective implementation of LM in their organizations. It is expected that the model will help the decision makers during LM implementation in taking informed decisions in prioritizing and sequencing the implementation strategy. The results of the research may apply to other industries as well, but this needs to be validated by collecting data and analysing its results. Practical implications – The results provide insights into motivating factors that should be focused on while taking lean decisions. The correlation results among drivers will enable the policy makers in government and industry to strategically leverage the resources for the successful implementation of LM in the industry. Originality/value – This research empirically develops a model of drivers for LM implementation. The novelty of the study is the causal relationship among the drivers which can be used for decision making to implement lean easily and effectively. Moreover, the categorization of the drivers into internal, external and policy categories and driving/driven relationship among these categories provides the top management an incisive insight into broad improvement areas.

Kazi Arif‐Uz‐Zaman; A.M.M. Nazmul Ahsan

2014 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPPM-05-2013-0092

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present supply chain metrics and to propose a fuzzy‐based performance evaluation method for lean supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – To understand the overall performance of cost competitive supply chain the paper investigates the alignment of market strategy and position of the supply chain. Since lean is applicable in many supply chains, the authors propose a set of metrics to evaluate supply chain performance. Moreover, the paper uses a fuzzy model to evaluate the performance of cost competitive supply chains. Fuzzy is an appropriate model method when uncertainty is present. It also allows modelling of a significant number of performance metrics across multiple supply chain elements and processes. Competitive strategy can be achieved by using a different weight calculation for different supply chain situations. Findings – Research provides optimal metrics for lean supply chains. The proposed method can measure the performance of lean supply chains using a fuzzy approach and competitive strategies. Research limitations/implications – The metrics which have been selected to measure the performance of lean supply chains is particularly applicable for high volume, low‐price products. Practical implications – By identifying optimal performance metrics and applying performance evaluation methods, managers can predict the overall supply chain performance under lean strategy. By identifying performance for each metric they can also categorize the existing performance and optimise them accordingly. Originality/value – This study provides a performance evaluation method for supply chain managers to assess the effects of lean tools and competitive strategies.

Shreeranga Bhat; E.V. Gijo; N.A. Jnanesh

2014 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPPM-11-2013-0191

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the scope of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) strategy and to explore its successful deployment in the Indian healthcare sector. Design/methodology/approach – The research reported in this paper is based on a case study carried out using the LSS DMAIC (Define‐Measure‐Analyze‐Control) approach and its application in improving the registration process in the Health Information Department (HID) of a Medical College hospital in India. Findings – The study describes improvements in the HID through the power of LSS. Cycle time of the process was reduced from three to 1.5 minutes and the SD was reduced to 21.2 from 61 seconds. The project has shown a 94 per cent reduction in patients’ average waiting time. The study also reported a 91 per cent reduction in queue length and 48 per cent reduction in percentage of scheduled utilization of staff for the process. Research limitations/implications – The paper is based on a single case study executed in a hospital and hence there is limitation in generalizing the specific results from the study. But the approach adopted and the learning from this study can be generalized. The study is of use to healthcare practitioners seeking to implement or develop LSS further in their organizations. Originality/value – Although LSS being extremely successful in the last two decades, the application of LSS to the healthcare industry in general and HID in particular has been limited. This study illustrates how its application can improve the performance of the process and thus productivity in the department.

Shivdasini Singh Amin; Rakesh Atre; Ankur Vardia; Boby Sebastian

2014 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPPM-06-2013-0120

Purpose – The global manufacturing industry is becoming more competitive. Munjal Showa, a shock absorber manufacturer in India, is using indigenous development of lean machines by incorporating concepts of lean manufacturing and low‐cost automation techniques to increase their competitiveness. This new approach has helped the company to reduce cost of manufacturing and to increase productivity by reducing cycle time and down time. The purpose of this paper is to offer an in depth study of how at Munjal Showa Ltd lean machines are being developed and manufactured. This paper explores how a cumbersome machine was transformed into a lean machine. Design/methodology/approach – This paper explores how a cumbersome machine was transformed into a lean machine. Findings – This new approach has helped the company to reduce cost of manufacturing and to increase productivity by reducing cycle time and down time. Research limitations/implications – The paper discusses the process of converting one cumbersome machine to a lean machine. Practical implications – Creativity before capital. In lean, team brainstorming of ideas and solutions is emphasized instead of spending large sums of money on capital expenditures Social implications – The cockpit model eases pressure of incumbents on the shop floor. Originality/value – The concepts espoused in the paper has increased productivity by 3.45 times and reduced costs.

Lara Chaplin; Simon T.J. O’Rourke

2014 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPPM-09-2013-0155

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the current use being made of the sustainability message within business improvement activity and project justification within individual businesses. Design/methodology/approach – This is a reflective paper that looks at an illustrative case study against the wider perspectives of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) implementation, market orientation and business improvement initiatives in general. Findings – The piece discusses the gains derived from the LSS projects and identifies gaps in potential benefits in particular the paper questions how well any potential marketing messages were exploited by the organisation. The findings critically evaluates the impact that marketing function involvement could have in helping to promote the wider productivity message and its contribution to the wider corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy for the organisation. The document also suggests how the company could leverage internally focused projects to adopt a companywide marketing orientation and use such leverage to support future LSS project selection and justification. Research limitations/implications – The observations are limited to a single case study, although tempered by the authors’ wider experience. Further empirical research is required to validate the observations and conclusions. Practical implications – The proposed approach to future improvement initiatives can help to increase the wider productivity message and assist organisations to exploit their internal projects in external communications and wider CSR strategy. Originality/value – The paper proposes an approach that can be used to widen organisational involvement in improvement initiatives allowing future project justification to be less internally cost focused, more holistic with a focus on customer voice.