Open Access
Defining Lean Production : Some conceptual and practical issues
Jostein Pettersen
- Iss: 033, pp 285-300
TLDR
In this paper, the authors investigate the definition of Lean Production and the methods and goals associated with the concept as well as how it differs from other popular management concepts, and conclude that Lean Production is not clearly defined in the reviewed literature.Abstract:
Purpose - This paper aims to investigate the definition of Lean Production and the methods and goals associated with the concept as well as how it differs from other popular management concepts. Methodology/Approach - The paper is based on a review of the contemporary literature on Lean Production, both journal articles and books. Findings - It is shown in the paper that there is no consensus on a definition of Lean Production between the examined authors. The authors also seem to have different opinions on which characteristics that should be associated with the concept. Overall it can be concluded that Lean Production is not clearly defined in the reviewed literature. This divergence can cause some confusion on a theoretical level, but is probably more problematic on a practical level when organizations aim to implement the concept. This paper argues that it is important for an organization to acknowledge the different variations, and to raise the awareness of the input in the implementation process. It is further argued that the organization should not accept any random variant of Lean, but make active choices and adapt the concept to suit the organization-s needs. Through this process of adaptation, the organization will be able to increase the odds of performing a predictable and successful implementation. Originality/Value - This paper provides a critical perspective on the discourse surrounding Lean Production, and gives an input to the discussion of the implementation of management models. Keywords - Lean Production, Definition, Construct Validity, Total Quality Management Paper type - Conceptual paperread more
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References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Lean implementation at different levels in Swedish hospitals: the importance for working conditions and stress
TL;DR: Investigation of how implementation approaches for improvements of care processes in line with lean production, at hospital strategic and operative levels, are associated with working conditions and stress-related health among the employees found evidence of more beneficial or improved working conditions in relation to higher degree of LP at operative levels.
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Teoria das Restrições, Lean Manufacturing e Seis Sigma: limites e possibilidades de integração
TL;DR: In this paper, a broad literature search encompassing the period 1995-2011 was conducted on the main national and international databases, seeking to identify the topic's state of the art research.
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Adaptation of theories of supply chain management to the lean supply chain management
TL;DR: In this article, five important lean principles have been categorised to investigate the possibility of adoption with some SCM theories and they are concluded as lean supply chain management (LSCM) theories.
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A fuzzy interpretive structural modeling approach for evaluating the factors affecting lean implementation in Indian healthcare industry
Puneeta Ajmera,Vineet Jain +1 more
TL;DR: Evaluating the important factors which influence implementation of lean principles in the healthcare industry shows that lean leadership, professional organizational culture and teamwork and interdepartmental cooperation are the top level factors.
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Lean Production Development in SMEs: A Case Study
Jukka Majava,Tiina Ojanperä +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe a study of a lean development project in a Finnish-based manufacturing SME, which applies a framework that other SMEs can utilize in identifying their problem areas and creating development proposals for their production activities.