Giuliano Almeida Marodin, Guilherme Luz Tortorella, Alejandro Germán Frank and Moacir Godinho Filho
The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between the implementation of Lean shop floor (LSF) practices and Lean supply chain management, and their effect on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between the implementation of Lean shop floor (LSF) practices and Lean supply chain management, and their effect on quality and inventory turnover.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey-based research method was conducted and data were collected from 110 plants located in Brazil. The research constructs were validated through rigorous procedures (unidimensionality and discriminant validity and reliability) through confirmatory factor analysis and two hypotheses were tested using ordinary least square regression.
Findings
The results indicate that: Lean supplier relationship positively moderates the effect of LSF practices on inventory turnover; Lean customer relationship negatively moderates the effect of LSF practices on inventory turnover; and Lean supplier relationship positively moderates the effect of LSF practices on quality.
Originality/value
From a theoretical perspective, the results of this study provide evidences supporting the importance of understanding the systemic relationships between Lean implementation at the shop floor and the firm’s relationships with supply chain partners, that was not tested before. As managerial implications, the results suggest that managers should take a decision to foster a Lean supply chain management depending on which performance metrics they need to improve: quality or inventory turnover.
Details
Keywords
Giuliano Almeida Marodin, Alejandro Germán Frank, Guilherme Luz Tortorella and Tarcisio Abreu Saurin
This paper aims to understand the patterns of lean production implementation, and the relationship between three context factors (i.e. firm size, positions within the supply chain…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to understand the patterns of lean production implementation, and the relationship between three context factors (i.e. firm size, positions within the supply chain and time length of the lean initiative) and the adoption of lean production practices in firms of the automotive supply chain in Brazil.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected data from 65 companies of the automotive supply chain in Brazil. For data analysis, first a cluster analysis was performed to identify common characteristics in the companies’ context factors when considering patterns of lean implementation. Then, multivariate analysis of variance was used to investigate the differences between the context factors and the degree of use of lean practices.
Findings
High lean adopters had better performance than low lean adopters in terms of lead time, inventory and turnover. Firms at the first and second tier of the automotive supply chain were “leaner” than firms at the third tier. Large-sized firms were more likely to have a higher degree of use of lean practices than medium and smaller ones. Some, but not all, lean practices followed these patterns. Results also showed that some lean practices were most commonly adopted at the beginning of the lean journey, whereas others took more time to mature.
Originality/value
This paper demonstrated how lean practices were implemented at different positions within the supply chain, and the patterns of implementation often followed. It also considers lean in the context of developing countries such as Brazil.
Details
Keywords
Léony Luis Lopes Negrão, Moacir Godinho Filho, Gilberto Miller Devós Ganga, Sunil Chopra, Matthias Thürer, Mário Sacomano Neto and Giuliano Almeida Marodin
The purpose of this paper is to explore the adoption of lean practices by manufacturing companies in regions of low economic and technological development and to compare findings…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the adoption of lean practices by manufacturing companies in regions of low economic and technological development and to compare findings with previous studies from more developed regions highlighting important contextual differences. The paper uses the contingency theory to explore how contextual variables and scarce resources influence the adoption of lean practices.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of 233 manufacturing firms was conducted in the State of Pará in the Amazon Region of Brazil.
Findings
The results demonstrate that six internal lean practices (single minute exchange of dies, human resource management, continuous flow, total productive maintenance, pull and statistical process control) and two external lean practices (supplier feedback and customer involvement) are implemented. However, the two external lean practices of just-in-time delivery by suppliers and supplier development were not implemented. Furthermore, from the 36 operating items comprised in eight lean practices that are being used, 13 were not implemented. As such, compared to developed regions, there is evidence for a more fragmented implementation in less developed regions. The results reveal empirical evidence explained by the contingency perspective, such as national, geographical, strategic context and culture.
Originality/value
There is broad evidence on lean implementation in developed and developing countries in the literature. However, little is known about lean implementation in poorer regions of developing counties. This is one of the first studies mapping lean implementation in a region with low economic and technological development. This has important implications for research and practice, especially to cross-country/cultural research on operation management.
Details
Keywords
André Seidel, Tarcísio Abreu Saurin, Giuliano Almeida Marodin and José Luis Duarte Ribeiro
The purpose of this paper is to define the individual leadership competencies that are necessary to implement and sustain lean systems, based on a multi-method approach.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to define the individual leadership competencies that are necessary to implement and sustain lean systems, based on a multi-method approach.
Design/methodology/approach
Data collection involved a literature review of lean competencies, interviews with four experts from the university and the industry, and an empirical survey answered by 91 respondents, who represented companies from several sectors. These techniques provided a mix of qualitative and quantitative data, which set a basis for identifying a list of competencies and discussing its validity.
Findings
In total, 16 lean leadership competencies were identified and validated, in terms of content validity, face validity, and predictive validity. Regarding this latter validity type, the survey results indicated that the competencies are positively associated with key operational performance indicators, organizational maturity level of lean, and leaders’ experience with lean systems.
Practical implications
The identified list of competencies may be a basis for the development of formal lean leadership development programs. The list may also support the design of tools for assessing the competencies of leaders in lean companies.
Originality/value
A list of 16 lean leadership competencies was developed based on a verifiable research method that used a mix of data collection techniques. This methodological approach is a distinctive characteristic in comparison with earlier studies, which did not include an empirical validation of the competencies.
Details
Keywords
Giuliano Almeida Marodin, Guilherme Tortorella, Tarcísio Abreu Saurin and Erico Marcon
This paper aims at examining how different types of shop floor performance feedback affect employee motivation and engagement. Based on this dataset, the authors analyzed the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at examining how different types of shop floor performance feedback affect employee motivation and engagement. Based on this dataset, the authors analyzed the relationship between five types of performance feedback (safety, quality, productivity, improvement and individual performance) and three types of human-related outputs (motivation, role clarity and engagement) in light of socio-technical systems theory.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors designed a survey instrument and collected data from 492 employees of a large beverage distribution company. The authors used robust construct validity tests and multiple regression analysis to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The findings indicated significant positive effects of feedback on overall production, improvements and individual performance on all human-related outputs. In turn, safety and quality performance feedback had no statistically significant impact in motivation or engagement. These findings highlight the mixed nature of the impact of performance feedback on human-related outputs that have been neglected in the literature.
Originality/value
The joint analysis of the social and technical portion of performance feedback is unusual despite its clear relevance, which characterizes an original contribution of the authors’ work. Although previous literature supports the effect of performance feedback on motivation and engagement, previous studies have not tested how different types of feedback affect those social constructs.
Details
Keywords
Giuliano Almeida Marodin and Tarcísio Abreu Saurin
The purpose of this paper is twofold: to classify the risks that affect the lean production implementation (LPI) process, and to demonstrate how that classification can help to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: to classify the risks that affect the lean production implementation (LPI) process, and to demonstrate how that classification can help to identify the relationships between the risks.
Design/methodology/approach
Initially, a survey was conducted to identify the probability and impact of 14 risks in LPI, which had been identified based on a literature review. The sample comprised 57 respondents, from companies in the south of Brazil. An exploratory factor analysis was carried out to analyze the results of the survey, allowing the identification of three groups of risks in LPI. Then, a case study was conducted in one of the companies represented in the survey, in order to identify examples of relationships between the risks. Multiple sources of evidence were used in the case study, such as interviews, observations and documents analysis.
Findings
The risks that affect LPI were grouped into three categories: management of the process of LPI, top and middle management support and shop floor involvement. A number of examples of relationships between the risks were identified.
Research limitations/implications
The survey was limited to companies from the south of Brazil and therefore its results cannot be completelly generalized to other companies. Moreover, the results of the survey were not subjected to a confirmatory factor analysis.
Originality/value
This study helps to improve the understanding of LPI, as: it re-interprets the factors, barriers and difficulties for LPI from the perspective of risk management, which had not been used for that purpose so far; it presents a classification of the risks that affect LPI, which can support the understanding of the relationships between the risks and, as a result, it can support the development of more effective methods for LPI.
Details
Keywords
Milena Flessas, Vinicius Rizzardi, Guilherme Luz Tortorella, Diego Fettermann and Giuliano Almeida Marodin
The purpose of this paper is to plan the layout of the production area of an industrial kitchen of a theme restaurant through the application of the systematic layout planning…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to plan the layout of the production area of an industrial kitchen of a theme restaurant through the application of the systematic layout planning (SLP) methodology and the establishment of layout indicators with a specific application in the restaurant business.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors applied the SLP methodology in the industrial kitchen of a theme restaurant in order to plan and develop layout alternatives. Such layout alternatives were then evaluated according to a set of specific indicators consolidated based on a literature review. Finally, a multi-criteria decision-making tool was used to support the selection of the best layout alternative and suggest to the case study area.
Findings
The main results could be highlighted as: first, an area, previously unexplored, of approximately 5.40 m² ended up being used as a productive area for the operations; second, 40 percent reduction in work-in-process by removing the refrigerators of groceries and the freezer from the production area; third, indirect indicators, such as customer satisfaction and the employee’s workplace environment, have increased their performance, since customers were better served and working environment became more conducive to a good employee performance.
Originality/value
Most research in layout planning is typically developed in productive industrial areas, and this paper contributes to the understanding the differences of implementing SLP methodology in a food service business, such as restaurant, and proposes the utilization of specific layout indicators.
Details
Keywords
Catherine Maware, Modestus Okechukwu Okwu and Olufemi Adetunji
This study aims to comparatively discuss the effect of lean manufacturing (LM) implementation in the manufacturing sectors of developing and developed countries.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to comparatively discuss the effect of lean manufacturing (LM) implementation in the manufacturing sectors of developing and developed countries.
Design/methodology/approach
An in-depth literature review focused on previous research published between 2015 and March 2020. The papers published by the databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, ProQuest and Web of Science were used in the study. A total of 63 studies that focused on LM application in manufacturing industries in developing and developed countries were used in the research.
Findings
It was observed that LM improves operational performance for manufacturing organizations in developing and developed countries. Small and medium-sized enterprises in both developed and developing countries have difficulties transforming their organizations into lean organizations compared to large enterprises. Furthermore, the review also found that there seems to have been no paper had reported the negative impact of implementing LM in manufacturing industries in developing and developed countries from 2015 to March 2020.
Research limitations/implications
The study used research papers written between January 2015 and March 2020 and only considered manufacturing organizations from developed and developing nations.
Practical implications
The study provides more insight into LM implementation in developing and developed countries. It gives the LM practices and the implications of applying these practices in manufacturing organizations for developing and developed countries.
Originality/value
A preliminary review of papers indicated that this seems to be the first paper that comparatively studies how LM implementation has affected manufacturing organizations in developed and developing countries. The study also assessed the LM practices commonly used by the manufacturing industries in developing and developed countries.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the existing knowledge system of lean supply chain management (LSCM), i.e. by using main path analysis, and the authors extract the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the existing knowledge system of lean supply chain management (LSCM), i.e. by using main path analysis, and the authors extract the main development track of LSCM. It is advantageous for relevant scholars to deepen their understanding of this academic field from a bibliometrics view to grasp the future directions better.
Design/methodology/approach
Structuring a citation network with the processed data set containing 866 papers and relevant information collected from Web of Science (WoS). Conducting review analyses aiming at the main paths that are extracted from the above citation network.
Findings
There are two different evolution paths in LSCM field, i.e. improving corporate sustainability performance through combining lean and green practices, and seeking the balance between lean and agility to structure leagile supply chain for specific industries. LSCM research studies mainly focus on five aspects: (1) establishment and development of LSCM theory; (2) structuration of lean supply chain; (3) research studies of the relationship between LSCM and corporate performance; (4) supply chain evaluation system; and (5) review and vista of LSCM field. The intersection of two knowledge evolute routes would be Industry 4.0, which is an integrated theory system combining lean, agility, green and other supply chain thinking.
Research limitations/implications
The data set collected from WoS cannot contain all the research studies about LSCM is the main research limitation. Sustainability, as represented by environmental performance, will continue to be a major pursuit of this field. Integrating LSCM in Industry 4.0 will be the next hotspot in LSCM field.
Practical implications
Providing the main research contents and common methods of LSCM field. It is conducive to deepening the understanding of relevant practitioners and scholars to LSCM field from a dynamic perspective.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first time to reveal the knowledge diffuse trajectories of LSCM under different view with main path analysis. This study is unique that it provides a new view to understand the field of LSCM.
Details
Keywords
Mahesh Babu Purushothaman, Jeff Seadon and Dave Moore
This study aims to highlight the system-wide potential relationships between forms of human bias, selected Lean tools and types of waste in a manufacturing process.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to highlight the system-wide potential relationships between forms of human bias, selected Lean tools and types of waste in a manufacturing process.
Design/methodology/approach
A longitudinal single-site ethnographic case study using digital processing to make a material receiving process Lean was adopted. An inherent knowledge process with internal stakeholders in a stimulated situation alongside process requirements was performed to achieve quality data collection. The results of the narrative analysis and process observation, combined with a literature review identified widely used Lean tools, wastes and biases that produced a model for the relationships.
Findings
The study established the relationships between bias, Lean tools and wastes which enabled 97.6% error reduction, improved on-time accounting and eliminated three working hours per day. These savings resulted in seven employees being redeployed to new areas with delivery time for products reduced by seven days.
Research limitations/implications
The single site case study with a supporting literature survey underpinning the model would benefit from testing the model in application to different industries and locations.
Practical implications
Application of the model can identify potential relationships between a group of human biases, 25 Lean tools and 10 types of wastes in Lean manufacturing processes that support decision makers and line managers in productivity improvement. The model can be used to identify potential relationships between forms of human biases, Lean tools and types of wastes in Lean manufacturing processes and take suitable remedial actions. The influence of biases and the model could be used as a basis to counter implementation barriers and reduce system-wide wastes.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that connects the cognitive perspectives of Lean business processes with waste production and human biases. As part of the process, a relationship model is derived.