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Lean approach has overcome the boundaries of the automotive and manufacturing industry and has achieved many different sectors of the economy, including services. In this context, this paper aims to investigate the applicability of value stream mapping (VSM) tool in processes of the oil and gas chain. Also, this paper investigates if there is a specific framework currently being used by organizations belonging to this chain to map the value stream of its processes.

A detailed systematic review of the literature is done by using a set of relevant keywords based on peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers available in the Scopus database, analyzing data from 2012 to 2017. Content analysis methodology involving a four-step process (identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion) suggested by Moher et al. (2009) was adopted for this study.

The number of studies in literature on VSM applicability to the oil and gas chain processes is low when compared to studies regarding the application of lean tools and methods in general in this area. Also, there is no specific framework that has been used by the oil and gas chain companies to carry out the VSM, which is a research gap that can be further explored.

Sample size for this research consists of 42 studies, thereby limiting the generalizability of the research studies. However, the analysis presented in this paper was based only on Scopus database, which is a remarkable and broad base, which provided robustness to the data found.

Practicing managers of oil and gas chain who are planning to transform their processes can use the VSM for it. Researchers can explore the research gap found in this study and develop a specific framework to implement VSM in the oil and gas chain processes.

This is the first paper to evaluate the VSM tool applicability to the oil and gas chain processes based on an systematic literature review and understand if this is possible and if there is a specific framework to carry out this task.

This study aims to analyse the setup time management using the single-minute exchange of die (SMED) method in 24 h Emergency Care Units (ECUs).

A total of 1,098 reports in A3 form format were analysed and grouped into analysis categories to evaluate the implications of SMED in managing setup time in the 24 h ECUs. The content analysis was based on Bardin (2011). The findings were grouped into three categories.

The findings demonstrate the contributions of the Lean Healthcare approach in the 24 h ECUs through SMED analysis to reduce setup time in activities characterised as waste in 24 h UPAs.

In this study, data were collected directly from the Good Practices Application, from a specific project conducted in ECUs, which could generate selection bias. Finally, the datas were categorised according to the categories defined a posteriori, which may lead to interpretation bias.

The implications listed from the SMED perspective for setup time management allow us to guide managers, consultants, researchers, and health professionals to provide continuous improvement in 24 h ECUs. The findings can serve as a basis for reducing configuration time in other public and private healthcare service organisations.

SMED applied in 24 h ECUs makes it possible to improve emergency services provided to society and increase the capacity to care for patients and society in general. In addition, reducing costs for health service financiers, such as government and private institutions.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that correlates the setup time management of the SMED method in crucial areas of 24 h ECUs, demonstrating opportunities for its application in reducing time in patient journeys. The findings show the benefits of Lean in these environments and highlight several opportunities for applying SMED to reduce setup in activities characterised as waste in 24 h UPA. SMED allows for improved operational excellence in emergency units and enables target opportunities to increase user satisfaction and service capacity.

The lean production system and world class manufacturing (WCM) have been prominent in recent studies due to their conceptual synergy. However, although the number of studies is increasing, the research is immature, especially regarding the interaction between topics. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to rank the tools of the lean production system, indicating how they help organizations achieve WCM, using the theory of grey systems.

Therefore, the authors conducted an initial survey to collect data to determine how the lean production tools are related to the WCM pillars. These data were analyzed by the grey relational analysis statistical method, which passes through the construction of four stages.

The results show that of the lean production tools, stream mapping, kaizen, total productive maintenance, Six Sigma, standardized work and 5S stand out for their use and implementation in the organizational environment and facilitate organizations’ transitions to world-class performance through the WCM pillars.

The results achieved guide organizations to use the tools of the lean production system to help them reach world class status.

This paper stands out in the field of operations management, specifically in the research on lean production, by making use of the theory of grey correlation system in an innovative and original way. In addition, it promotes the consolidation of information on two of the main administrative strategies currently employed in the organizational environment.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.