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This article proposes a multiobjective mathematical model to optimize the multiperiod aggregate production planning (APP) of multiproduct companies. Although there are many studies of lean manufacturing (LM), its integration with APP has not been studied. The present article is intended to integrate APP and LM, including an analysis of market winners, market qualifiers, and waste. The model's objective functions include the cost, lead time, and waste minimization in addition to maximizing the product quality. A solution procedure is suggested to solve the model using IBM CPLEX 12.4 software. The model is investigated in three different case studies to check its applicability and generalizability. According to the obtained results, the proposed model provides an optimized APP with regard to the major concerns of LM, including waste, overproduction, time, and sourcing. In addition, according to the sensitivity analysis, lean weighting of the objective functions provides a better output than using equal weighting.

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of human resource management (HRM) in mitigating negative effects of Lean management and Six Sigma (LM&SS) on employee well-being in health care. The authors subdivide well-being into three components: happiness, trust and health. Design/methodology/approach This is a cross-sectional, multisite survey study in internal service units of hospitals. Data analyzed using multivariate regression come from a sample of 1,886 survey respondents (42 units, N = 218 supervisors, N = 1,668 employees) in eight Dutch academic hospitals that have implemented LM&SS. Findings The present study findings show no or weak effects of LM&SS on the happiness and health component of employee well-being. In addition, the authors found a significant but weak direct positive effect (ß = 0.07) of the LM&SS bundle on the trusting relationships component of well-being. Therefore, moderating effects of HRM practices on the relationship between LM&SS and employee well-being seem less relevant because an existing relationship between LM&SS and employee well-being is a prerequisite for moderation (Hayes, 2009). There were unexpected side effects. Inspired by research that discusses direct effects of HRM on employee well-being, the authors tested this relationship and found that HRM has a direct positive effect on trust and happiness of employees in health care. For the health component of well-being, the present results show a weak negative effect of HRM. Practical implications This study results in a cautiously optimistic view about LM&SS in health care, provided that it is applied in a targeted manner (to improve the performance of their processes) and that HRM is strategically aligned with the goals of LM&SS to improve employees’ happiness and trusting relationships. Originality/value Unique features of the study are the focus on the consequences for employees’ well-being related to LM&SS in health care, the role of HRM in regard to this relationship and the participation of all eight Dutch academic hospitals in this research.

Lean is a term that was first used in 1988 with reference to a production system. It is a highly acknowledged production method that focuses on cutting out waste, at the same time ensuring the same quality. An emerging field known as industry 4.0 has recently evolved, with the goal of incorporating current smart technologies into the industrial process. Due to the novel nature of the subject, very little evidence is there to suggest that there is a link between industry 4.0 and Lean production. The study aims to find empirical evidence to show the direct relationship between the introduction of industry 4.0 and Lean process and to find the impact it has on organizational performance. The research is based on data gathered in the form of a survey questionnaire. The measurement scale used for the questionnaire was a five-point Likert scale, the primary respondents of the questionnaires were production engineers, service engineers and sales representatives. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS software and a correlation between industry 4.0 technologies and Lean manufacturing was obtained.

Set-based concurrent engineering (SBCE), also known as set-based design, is a state-of-the-art approach to the new product development process. SBCE, simply, provides an environment where designers explore a wide range of alternative solutions in the early stages of product development. After gaining knowledge, solutions are narrowed down until the optimal solution is ensured. Such an environment saves considerable amount of cost and time while reaching innovation and high quality in the products. However, industrial practitioners seek a clear and systematic application throughout an SBCE process. This paper demonstrates a well-structured SBCE process model and its step-by-step application on a product called “electronic card reader”. Real data is used in the industrial case study. Results showed the benefits of applying SBCE in both the product, and the process of new product development.

Purpose The application of lean thinking in the transportation industry provides opportunities to streamline operations with a value-added orientation. Prior literature shows evidence of limited application of lean thinking in the transportation operations of the pharmaceutical industry. This study aims to close this research gap by investigating the application of lean thinking for improving pharmaceutical transportation performance. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted an action research approach at an Indonesian pharmaceutical distribution company. One cycle in one year was analyzed; empirical data were collected and analyzed through direct observations, interviews and the study of company data and documentation. Findings The application of lean thinking in waste elimination allowed the delivered project to achieve a remarkable 40% reduction in overall transportation costs, 75% reduction in total lead time, 200% improvement in truck productivity and 100% improvement in truckload capacity utilization. Practical implications This study can guide the pharmaceutical industry toward achieving excellence in transportation operations through lean thinking implementation. Originality/value There has been limited research on this topic, and this study is the first attempt to generate new and significant evidence of a real-life application of lean thinking within the field of pharmaceutical transportation.

Introduction. Currently, visualization is recognized as one of the main criteria for the quality of space of the new model of a medical organization providing primary health care. Purpose of the study to establish the features of architectural and planning solutions for visualization systems of medical organizations providing primary health care. Materials and methods. The object of the study was the visualization systems of 94 medical organizations from seven constituent entities of the Russian Federation, in which all available internal and external visual elements were studied in person. As a basis for assessing visualization systems, the author's checklist was taken according to the ALIDS method of 50 indicators, united by common characteristics in five blocks: architectural planning and design solutions, transmitted information, levels and methods of visualization. The block «Architectural and planning solutions» was represented by 10 parameters. A nominal dichotomous score was assigned for each criterion. Results. The general architectural and planning solutions of visualization systems of medical organizations providing primary health care are at a satisfactory level (6,3±1,8 points). The greatest correspondence among the architectural and planning solutions of visualization systems of medical organizations was found in the characteristics of safety (93%), cleanliness (88%) and ergonomics of the location (79%) of elements, the least — in the presence of general infographic schemes (9%) and routing (3%). The level of architectural and planning solutions for visualization systems of medical organizations correlates with the complexity of the architectural plan of buildings (r=–0,423; pDiscussion. Improving visualization systems by improving the architectural and planning solutions of elements can lead to a significant reduction in the main and additional types of losses in lean production both on the part of patients and on the part of medical personnel. Conclusion. One of the main problems of organizing visualization systems in medical organizations is the lack of common maps with buildings, signs of entrances and other objects of the adjacent territory. The absence of a positioning sign on most schemes leads to a longer orientation in space, and in the case of placing the elements of the visualization system at the decision-making points, the intersection of patient flows and an increase in the risk of security breaches.

Higher education essentially needs to pay attention to the quality of its graduates, whether it is by the current market demand for the world of work. To provide a quality education service, it is not enough to make improvements within the tertiary institution. In general, Lean management in tertiary institutions has 3 fields, namely the field of education, the field of research, and the field of service. The principles and practices of Lean management applied in universities are the same as those applied to the service, manufacturing, or government sectors. To eliminate wasted time, it is necessary to eliminate complexity, cost, or activities that do not add value. Lean principles such as just-in-time can be applied to a better quality of learning and research. This paper examines how Lean principles can be applied to education and research in universities - Lean Higher Learning and Lean Research with a focus on value flow analysis for better quality improvement of learning and research.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is (1) to review, analyze and assess the existing literature on lean tools selection studies published from 2005 to 2021; (2) to identify the limitations faced by previous studies; and (3) to suggest future works that are necessary to facilitate the selection of lean tools.Design/methodology/approachA systematic approach was used in order to identify, collect and select the articles. Several keywords related to the selection of lean tools were used to collect articles from different Scopus indexed journals. Next, the study systematically reviewed and analyzed the selected papers to identify the lean tools' selection method and discussed its features and limitations.FindingsAn analysis of the results showed that previous studies have adopted two types of methods for selecting lean tools. First, there are various traditional methods being used. Second, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods were commonly used in previous studies, such as the multi-objective decision-making method (MODM), single multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) methods and hybrid (MCDM). Moreover, the study revealed that the lean tools' selection methods in previous studies were based on evaluating the relationship between either lean tools and performance metrics or lean tools and waste, or both.Research limitations/implicationsIn terms of its theoretical value, the study is considered as an extension of the previous researches performed on this topic by determining and analyzing the features of the most selection methods of lean tools. Unlike previous review papers, this review had considered discussing and analyzing the characteristics and limitations of these methods. Section 2.2 of this paper reviewed some of the categories of MCDM methods as well as some of the traditional methods used in the selected previous studies. Section 2.1 of this paper explained the concept of lean management and its application benefits. Further, only three sectors were covered by the previous studies in this review paper. This study also provided recommendations for future research. Therefore, it provided researchers with a good conception of how to conduct the studies on lean tools selection. Besides, knowing the methods used in previous studies can help researchers develop new methods to select the best set of lean tools. That is, this study provided and advanced the existing knowledge base for researchers concerning lean tools selection, especially there is limited availability of review papers on this topic. Moreover, the study showed researchers the importance of the relationship between lean tools and indicators or/and performance indicators to determine the appropriate set of lean tools so that the results of future studies will be more realistic and acceptable.Practical implicationsPractically, manufacturers face a significant challenge when selecting proper lean tools. This study may enhance managers, manufacturers and company's knowledge to identify most of the methods used to choose the best set of lean tools and what are the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of these methods as well as the latest studies that have been adopted in this topic. That means this study can direct companies to prioritize the application of lean tools depending on either the manufacturing performance metrics or/and manufacturing wastes so that they avoid incorrect application of lean tools, which will add more non-value added activities to operations. Therefore companies can decrease the time and cost losses and enhancing the quality and efficiency of the performance. Correctly implementing the best set of lean tools in companies will lead in general to correctly applying lean management in corporations. Therefore, these lean tools can boost the economic aspect of companies and society through reducing waste, improving performance indicators, preserving time and cost, achieving quality, efficiency, competitiveness, boosting employee income and improving the gross domestic product. The correct lean tool selection reduces customer complaints and employee stress and improves work conditions, health, safety and labor wellbeing. Besides, the correct lean tools selection improves materials usage, energy usage, water usage and decreases liquid wastes, solid wastes and air emissions. As a result, the right selection of lean tools will have positive effects on both the environment and society. The study may also encourage manufacturers and researchers to adopt studies on lean tools selection in small- and medium-sized companies because the study referred to the importance and participation of these kinds of companies in a large proportion of the economy of developing countries. Further, the study may encourage some countries that have not previously adopted this type of study, academically and industrially to conduct lean tools selection studies.Social implicationsAs mentioned previously, the correct lean tool selection reduces customer complaints and employee stress and improves work conditions, health, safety and labor wellbeing. The proper lean tools selection improves materials usage, energy usage, water usage and decreases liquid wastes, solid wastes and air emissions. As a result, the right choice of lean tools will positively affect both the environment and society.Originality/valueThe study expanded the efforts of previous studies concerning lean management features. It provided an accurate review of most lean tools selection studies published from 2005 to 2021 and was not limited to the manufacturing sector. It further identified and briefly described the selection methods concerning lean tools adopted in each paper.

Productivity can increasing through eliminating waste, with a low cost, the company can reduce selling prices which will further increase market opportunities. Waste identification itself is a tool used to achieve lean industries, also known as lean manufacturing. This requires knowledge and skills in identifying and eliminating waste for management and employees in the Kembangan sub-district. Green manufacturing is a method in manufacturing to minimize/eliminate waste and pollution through product and process design with the main objective being sustainable. This service activity aims to provide knowledge, understanding and skill of the eliminate waste in small industry. Seven wastes are transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, over processing, over production and delay. The results of the evaluation showed that all participants (100%) agreed with questions 1) Does the webinar material provide insight? 2) Does the webinar material increase knowledge? 3) Does the webinar material increase understanding in identifying waste in business activities, 4) Does the webinar material help overcome the problem of waste in business activities? 5) Do webinars need to be held on an ongoing basis? While in the implementation time, 28 people agree that the implementation time needs to be extended and 21 people think that the implementation time does not need to be extended.

Purpose Over the past few decades, lean manufacturing has focussed on being customer-centred and now Lean 4.0 technologies have made it possible for manufacturers to have a deeper view of waste reduction. Technologies such as the internet of things, artificial intelligence, three-dimensional printing, robotics, real-time data, cloud computing, predictive analytics and augmented reality, are helpful to achieve Lean 4.0. This study aims to develop the conceptual understanding of Lean 4.0, related tools and linkage with Industry 4.0. Further, it provides the strategies for implementing Lean 4.0, developing lean culture and highlights the Lean 4.0 application in the manufacturing context. Design/methodology/approach This study relates to Lean 4.0 and its technologies. Prominent research is identified through Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar and studied as per the objective of this study. This lean revolution provides customers desire for personalisation, connectedness, high-quality and valuable products. Lean 4.0 provides valuable information on the value chain and production process. This revolution has significantly impacted refining production processes for a greater level of adaptability and cost reduction. Findings This paper is brief about Lean 4.0 and its capabilities for the reduction of waste. The authors discussed different tools used in Lean 4.0 and its relationship with Industry 4.0. The classical strategies and progressive features of Lean 4.0 for overall enhancing the manufacturing sphere are discussed diagrammatically. Finally, it identified and discussed 14 significant applications of Lean 4.0 for manufacturing industries. Originality/value This study provides a comprehensive understanding of Lean 4.0 and related tools and strategies that help the upcoming manufacturing industries.

Purpose As few studies have explored the causal relationship between both the triple bottom line (TBL) of sustainability and the lean practices in higher education institutions (HEIs), the purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationships between lean practices and sustainable practices in Brazilian HEIs. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with 454 public and private HEIs workers in Brazil. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equations modeling were used for data analysis. Findings The results support the hypotheses of the study that HEI lean practices are positively related to environmental, economic and social practices in HEIs. Practical implications HEI managers must evaluate the use of lean practices in the organizational processes, to identify their weaknesses and to improve the aspects that influence a balanced TBL of sustainability practices. Social implications The findings highlight the importance of leadership as a support for the workers, as a continuous improvement practice on a daily basis and a focus on the student as a basic principle of HEI success. Originality/value This article provides new measurement and structural models to analyze Lean thinking practices as the predictors of sustainability practices. The work could assist any HEI in prioritizing its strategies and actions and to contribute to excellence in decision-making. This study could contribute as a source of empirical data for transferability in other contexts for HEIs.

In order to improve the effect of intensive care, this paper proposes a lean nursing intervention method and evaluates the lean nursing intervention through a controlled experiment. According to the actual situation of intensive care, this paper starts with the research from several aspects of patients’ ICU nursing time, patients’ satisfaction, patients’ pathological knowledge familiarity, patients’ autonomous nursing, and enthusiasm of patients and their families. Moreover, this paper collects and displays experimental results through mathematical statistics, gives patients lean management concepts and methods based on routine care, and finds that it has good management effects. Thus, lean management concepts and methods can effectively improve the anxiety state of critically ill patients, improve the patient’s knowledge of disease, and reduce adverse nursing events to improve patient nursing satisfaction, which is worthy of further promotion in the clinic.

Lean Manufacturing (LM) is about cultural change at all levels of an organization, which can be seen as the essence of leadership. This study aims to present a list of the main Lean leadership competencies with validated definitions and propose a practical roadmap to Lean leadership development and training. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted to achieve this goal in which the Lean leadership competencies were identified. The Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) approach established the relations among the leadership competencies and result in a structural model that could be used for Lean leadership development. The analysis of leadership competencies' driving power and dependence power was done using the fuzzy Matriced’ Impacts Croises Multiplication Appliquee a un Classement (MICMAC), which improved the reliability of research. This study contributes to Lean leadership literature by proposing a validated roadmap to Lean leader development and training. A structural model was developed that shows the hierarchy among the competencies and indicates the ones that should be prioritized. Besides, the result shows that the main ways to improve a Lean leader are attending to the shop floor and developing self-awareness. Furthermore, a strong synergy among all competencies was observed, reinforcing the fact that Lean must be an endless journey of improvement. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to present the relationship between Lean leadership competencies. In addition, the results may guide the development of new leaders who work in Lean environments.

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic situation has imposed changes in the way many services are being provided. The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of lean thinking and digital transformation on services redesign of a higher education institution. The aim is to improve efficiency and incorporate new health and safety recommendations because of the pandemic situation. Design/methodology/approach This paper follows a case study approach to explore how lean thinking contributes to the digital transformation of services. The data was collected through student surveys from a Portuguese University, where three different academic services were selected. Findings This paper identifies important requirements for new and improved online alternatives to face-to-face interactions of the students with the academic services. It also shows that lean thinking is a driver for digital transformation of services. Practical implications This paper presents a dedicated roadmap to aid the implementation of a digital transformation process within student academic services of higher education institutions. Originality/value This paper addresses the digital transformation of services through a lean thinking perspective and considering four dimensions: quality, efficiency, cost reduction and health and safety.

the last decade has witnessed the birth of technological advances such as the IoT, artificial intelligence, machine learning and augmented reality. These technologies have driven the transition to Industry 4.0 where they have enabled the digitization of manufacturing with potential gain. Also Industry 4.0 has given birth to several new hybrid concepts as well as several management operations to take advantage and become more efficient by using IoT and these new technologies. In our paper, we discuss the effect of Industry 4.0 on management and quality practices by answering the following questions based on the literature review: What is the positive effect of Industry 4.0 on quality improvement and operations management? How does Industry 4.0 integrate concepts (Lean, Six Sigma, Supply Chain ...) to create new paradigms?

The study aimed to conduct a cost-value analysis of the production process of a newly introduced batch of external doors in the context of value-added creation and to identify redundant processes that do not create added value and for which appropriate corrective actions could contribute to their elimination. The result of applying improvement actions following the lean management concept was the optimization time nationalized analyzed by eliminating, among others, operations related to unnecessary transport and storage of products. In addition, the optimization production process impacted both shortening the process implementation time and reducing the costs of its implementation. Further activities will be related to the use of the presented methodology to analyze the processes implemented in the company in order to increase their efficiency.

The paradigm of "unlimited growth" capitalism leads to an aggravating the problem of a natural resource shortage, an increase in waste and general pollution of the Earth. The concept of a circular economy (CE) is an alternative to this; it implies a transition to closed production and consumption cycles. The purpose of the article is to supplement this concept with ideas of integrating several rationalizing production models of the CE building at the national production system level, taking into account the country's participation in international trade. These model production models are “flexible custom manufacturing”, “distributed manufacturing” and “lean manufacturing”, which also means the widespread involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises. The use of digital technologies for a new quality of communication, as well as the creation of sharing centers, in order to achieve greater organizational and technological complexity of the production system is required. The CE building must take into account the country's participation in international trade. Attention is focused on the fact that the CE will have a different effect on certain types of international trade, in particular, it will stimulate such trade as: materials for processing, secondary raw materials, technologies, projects of finished products, RD digital platforms for interaction between producers and consumers; industrial parks, clusters and incubators for new industries, as well as technological, digital and organizational innovation stimulation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The United States has an under-performing healthcare system on both cost and quality criteria in comparison with other developed countries. One approach to improving system performance on both cost and quality is to use the Lean management system based on the Shingo principles originally developed by Toyota in Japan. Our objective is to examine the association between hospital use of the Lean management system and evidence-based or recommended quality improvement care management processes. METHODS: A cross sectional analysis of data from 223 hospitals that responded to both the 2017 National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems (NSHOS) and the 2017 National Survey of Lean/Transformational Performance Improvement in Hospitals (NSL) was conducted. RESULTS: Controlling for hospital organizational and market characteristics, the number of years doing Lean was positively associated with use of electronic health record-based decision support, use of quality-focused information management, use of evidence-based guidelines, and support for care transitions at the p

Purpose Developing a lean supply chain is a continuous improvement effort, so it requires tracking the implementation progress by assessing the achieved level of leanness. However, lean supply chain practices depend on firm-to-firm relationships and an assessment method should consider these network interactions. Given the absence of such a method, this study aims to propose an alternative approach for assessing the leanness level of supply chains. Design/methodology/approach The authors extracted 18 typical lean supply chain practices from the literature, constituting the leanness assessment parameters. Then, the authors developed an assessment method based on the graph-theoretic approach due to its properties of capturing the interdependencies between elements of a system. The authors tested the proposed method in an automotive supply chain, selecting the focal firm and three of its first-tier suppliers. Findings The authors positioned partial and overall results in a visual classification scale and the supply chain presented a moderate leanness level. After empirical testing, the proposed method demonstrated its practical feasibility. Research limitations/implications This paper contributes to the literature with a novel approach for supply chain leanness assessment. However, to increase its generalizability, it would be beneficial to test the method in non-automotive supply chains, extending the assessment scope to downstream firms and second-tier customers and suppliers. Practical implications For practitioners, this paper provides a self-assessment tool to monitor the supply chain leanness and set priorities for improvement. Originality/value Besides tackling the interrelationships between firms, the proposed method considers the interdependencies between lean practices, providing partial and overall feedback to enable a systemic assessment.

While lean thinking may help tackle waste, rework remains an ongoing problem during the construction of infrastructure projects. Often too much emphasis is placed on applying lean tools rather than...

PurposeHealthcare provision is costly, and patient expectations are increasing. Lean implemented within healthcare settings is one possible solution for dealing with this issue, with much of the current research in this respect mostly focused on developed countries. The research examines the applicability of lean in the healthcare sector of a developing country, specifically Oman.Design/methodology/approachInterviews were conducted with 32 individuals representing four public sector hospitals, along with two major hospital suppliers and the Ministry of Health. The readiness of lean thinking was assessed against seven criteria. Data were then analyzed thematically.FindingsThe authors found that Oman's healthcare sector is strong on leadership support, understanding value and customer groups, ability to undertake an end-to-end process view and engaging in the required training for lean. Interviewees showed awareness of the challenges, including aligning lean with the strategic agenda of healthcare settings, aligning measurement and reward systems to lean thinking and matching demand and capacity levels. The authors conclude that Oman's healthcare sector is ready for widespread application of lean, and if executed successfully, will generate strong strategic and operational outcomes.Originality/valueThis paper provides evidence of the applicability of lean in a very different context to the one that has been generally reported in the literature. The authors propose that lean thinking can be applied in countries and regions with similar cultural contexts such as the Middle East.

Lean is a strategy that aims to achieve smooth production flow by eliminating waste and hence helps manufacturing firms realize their time, cost, and quality goals. Food manufacturers not only have limited ability to offer uniform quality but also a greater chance of generating wastes due to the perishable nature of materials. This study investigates the degree to which the Sri Lankan food sector is practicing lean manufacturing and examines the direct and indirect relationships between lean manufacturing, business performance, and operational performance. Data were collected through a questionnaire distributed to managers who have lean experience in the food industry. Using a sample of 86, the hypotheses were tested applying Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling with SmartPLS software. Developing a new construct to represent four lean manufacturing practices, namely, Just-in-time (JIT), Total Quality Management (TQM), Total Preventive Maintenance (TPM), and Human Resource Management (HRM), this study empirically confirms that lean manufacturing has a significant positive impact on both operational and business performance. Furthermore, operational performance partially mediates the relationship between lean manufacturing and business performance. The findings offer valuable implications for mangers, particularly in the food industry to achieve sustainability through practicing lean in their manufacturing and supply chain operations.

Being sustainable in today's business life has become the biggest goal of organizations. Ensuring customer satisfaction and stakeholder satisfaction in product and service delivery by providing competitive advantage has started to attract attention as an important priority not only for the private sector but also for public institutions. In this context, organizations can initiate the changes required by the age by applying post-modern management approaches and create proactive and reactive strategies by analyzing the environment. There are various methods used by organizations in this process. Six sigma concept is considered as a concept that advocates perfectionism and error-free in terms of providing customer satisfaction and increasing quality in many businesses, especially in production enterprises. On the other hand, lean production and management practices are also the art of embracing being free from elements that are not needed in the realization of activities. The Lean Six Sigma concept is a philosophy that focuses on business units and processes together. Lean Six Sigma advocates perfectionism and simplicity in all corporate processes by addressing the advantages of Six Sigma and Lean Management in a single managerial technique. In this research, it is aimed to examine Lean Six Sigma theoretically by considering Six Sigma and Lean Management techniques which are effective in the emergence of Lean Six Sigma concept. Referring to the studies on Six Sigma, Lean Management and Lean Six Sigma, it was concluded that the concept should be adopted and implemented in the private and public sector, not in a single process or unit, but in all institutions.

Purpose: The research aims to design a performance improvement framework for a new model of sports shoes to increase the ramp-up process time. Methodology/Approach: The approach used the problem-solving system of 8 disciplines, Single Minute Exchange Dies, Visual Management, and the Just In Time principle. Findings: By using the methods described above, the research findings will have a positive impact on the company. Model changeover time was reduced from 600 minutes to 102 minutes, and ramp-up time was reduced from 20 days to 2 days. Research Limitation/Implication: The limitation of this study was that only the CK2946 model was still done as a case study. The cost and other inhibiting factors were also not included in the discussion of this rump-up process. Originality/Value of paper: By integrating SMED, Just In Time, visual management, and using 8-Dicipline, the researcher developed a framework for improved performance for ramping up a new model of sports shoes.

PurposeThis study aims to help quality professionals in following a precise framework that maintains a company’s performance during health pandemics. In many companies, all quality methods seem to produce performance improvement at different levels, but lean management and kaizen were superior in preparing manufacturing companies to have high readiness levels when faced with a health pandemic.Design/methodology/approachWhich quality method can help businesses in performing well during a health pandemic? In order to answer this question and be able to provide specific recommendations toward performing well in all future health pandemics, 500 manufacturing companies were selected and surveyed. The selected companies are known to use at least one quality method such as lean management, ISO 9001, European foundation for quality management (EFQM) and Six Sigma.FindingsEFQM comes second, then Six Sigma and ISO 9001. Lean creates a healthy workplace and enhances worker's health and well-being. This research helps quality professionals in following a precise framework that maintains performance during health pandemics. Whether the company uses lean or other quality methods, the framework helps in achieving pandemic readiness status. The framework is implemented in a company that does not currently use lean. Implementation resulted in significant improvement in pandemic preparedness, corporate performance and employee well-being.Originality/valueAfter the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, all companies should start thinking of creating a workplace that functions well during pandemics. To do that, companies should start including sanitation and health pandemic preparedness as part of their performance measurements. Using lean management and kaizen helps organizations to create a healthy workplace; clean and equipped with smaller number of workers. If organizations choose to use other quality methods, it is okay, but they should enhance these methods with lean tools such as elimination of the seven wastes, gemba, 5S and visual management.

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.

The financial problems of the health sector affect almost all countries. The introduction of market mechanisms in this sector, despite the resistance, has become inevitable. Today, hospital managers are faced with competition and rules that govern the market, which de facto forces them to optimize business, including financial activities, using tools that are specific to the market environment. One of the methods of optimizing the activities of medical organizations is the use of the Lean management concept.The purpose of this article is to consider the impact of the use of Lean technology on the efficiency and quality of the work of medical organizations.The article provides a detailed description of the use of Lean technologies in medical organizations. Based on the expert survey, the types of losses in medical organizations and Lean management tools in the healthcare sector have been determined.It has been concluded that the use of Lean technology in medical organizations will contribute to the rationalization of processes in the healthcare sector: minimizing the number of medical errors and nosocomial infections, reducing treatment time, while at the same time making hospital beds more accessible, using fewer materials and waiting for a visit to a specialist doctor, and optimizing the use of resources (premises, equipment, and materials). These and many other positive effects of using the Lean approach in medical organizations lead to a significant reduction not only in the cost of treating patients but also in the global cost of operating medical organizations.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to revisit lean manufacturing and process management to review how these have targeted environmental sustainability and determine whether these have the potential to achieve environmental sustainability in small- and medium-sized companies within the freight transport sector. Design/methodology/approach The methodology for this paper was divided into three steps. The first step involved a narrative literature review, including previously designed search strings. The second step involved a snowball approach, where the identification of new sources departed from previously selected articles. The third step included a completing narrative review to search for the most recent articles published related to the purpose. The analysis was based on the identification of benefits, challenges and the potential of lean and process management to deal with environmental demands among transport companies. Findings The findings suggest a potential of lean and process management for achieving environmental sustainability, if adapted appropriately. The potential is on the operative and strategic levels, respectively. Research limitations/implications This study included two of the concepts from the quality movement from a literature perspective. Hence, there is a need for research to evaluate these results empirically. Additionally, other aspects should be studied within the quality movement for achieving environmental sustainability. Originality/value This paper aims to be a basis and a path for further theoretical and empirical research for the quality movement to support environmental sustainability. This paper particularly aims to fill part of the gap in the literature on how the freight transport sector can enhance environmental sustainability in its operations.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the advantages and obstacles of implementing Lean Six Sigma in Indian MSMEs during or post-COVID-19. The following research also elaborates on the challenges of implementing Lean Six Sigma in MSMEs in India, along with the changes in the culture that are required for providing a proper climate to ensure success in a long-term manner. Design/methodology/approach The methodology used in this study is a descriptive study, which explores and looks for the factors that influence the impulse or motivation to implement Lean Six Sigma in MSMEs and factors that inhibit the implementation of Lean Six Sigma. To achieve this goal of Lean Six Sigma, a significant review of the existing literature of the subject area has been done to prepare a framework with the help of inferential statistics in view of the critical success factors. This research is a flow and arranged a type of survey of organizations that is conducted using MS-Excel and SPSS 25.0 statistical software. The number of participants selected using a purposive sampling method in this study was 127 Lean Six Sigma experts and owners or CEOs of MSMEs in India. Findings Lean Six Sigma be used for facilitating the improvement processes in manufacturing operations, quality improvements and productivity. As some obstacles exist in implementing the Lean Six Sigma approach, the improvement processes and outcomes of change in the culture are noteworthy and worthwhile. The implementation of Lean Six Sigma has also some constraints, including cost limitations, skill limitations, limited facilities and other such limitations. The implementation of Lean Six Sigma during COVID-19 is not yet a matter of urgency or priority, and hence, cannot yet be applied. Research limitations/implications This paper presents opinions of only a few selected professionals of Indian MSMEs. So it was a crucial aspect of capturing the views of such practitioners of their arrival on valid and sound conclusions. Practical implications The novelty of this research is to analyze the advantages and obstacles of implementing Lean Six Sigma in MSMEs during the COVID-19 in India. The results of this research can be used as scientific references for researchers who will conduct future research. Moreover, it can be guidance for MSMEs owners to make decisions in implementing Lean Six Sigma during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organizations assess all of their aspects such as perceive objectives, required qualities and shortcomings for fruitful implementation of any practice. Originality/value Several suggestions were made for the methods and thoughts, which will constitute a Lean Six Sigma organization. Hence, the research offers an excellent framework for both working professionals and academicians to understand the view of Indian MSMEs along with their benefits and obstacles of implementing Lean Six Sigma. So this study helps in laying out a platform for understanding the uses of Lean Six Sigma for process excellence in a new era due to COVID-19.

Lean production is an innovative paradigm, providing an opportunity for a significant increase in the efficiency of enterprises and organizations of various industries. Currently, the high need for personnel with lean competencies and the expansion of the scope of application of the lean production ideology in the Russian economy have led to the emergence of a new model of management organization in a number of universities – «lean universities». The article analyzes the process and the experience of introducing the lean production principles in a number of Russian universities, identifies the main directions for the emergence of positive effects and the possibilities of forming regional educational systems focused on achieving long-term development goals of a lean individual, the formation of a lean culture in each specific region and country. The object of the research is the organizations of the higher education system in Russia, introducing the principles of lean production in their activities and in the management system. The subject of the research is the role and place of universities in the system of forming lean competencies, creating a flow of development of a lean personality. The article examines the main elements of an innovative model of university management based on the principles of frugality. The formation of an appropriate corporate culture is highlighted as the main condition for the effective functioning of such a model. Its functions consist in forming the worldview of a future specialist, actualize the values of lean production in a personality’s socio-psychological structure, cre- ating a special information-transparent communication environment in the organization that promotes the dissemination of ideas of frugality at the university and beyond. Moreover, the article summarizes the experience of foreign universities that implement the ideas of Lean Production in their activities, and draws analogies with the positive effects that can be observed as a result of the implementation of lean production in the practice of the Russian universities.

The purpose of the research is to develop and improve human resources of an organization by using a competence model in the field of lean production. The following methods are used: methods of generalization, comparative analysis, induction, decomposition, formalization, and modeling. The results: the paper defines the essence and necessity of a competency-based approach in mastering the philosophy, principles and tools of lean production. Nowadays, lean manufacturing is a harmonious frame of reference that can be represented in the form of four levels: philosophy, values, principles, tools. The widespread introduction of lean manufacturing allows you to improve processes, concentrate efforts on creating value for a consumer, and reduce the waste of time and resources of all kinds. Also, the article presents a matrix of lean competencies, which allows you to assess the most important competencies for specific positions and allows employees to compare their own ideas about themselves, their potential with the ideas of a manager and, in accordance with this, to orient their way of action in the field of lean production, advanced training. The conclusion: the development and improvement of human resources, including pedagogical, scientific and scientific and pedagogical workers, engineering and technical workers are directly dependent on the management system. The person who owns deeply the knowledge of lean production and the skills of their application in various fields: production, management, healthcare, education, social sphere plays the major role. Therefore, the competency model presented in the research in the field of lean technolo- gies will be focused on achieving strategic goals, improving organization processes, reducing losses, and therefore add value to the organization. Assessment of employees using the competency matrix will allow the head of an organization to analyze the approaches and tools used by him in the field of lean manufacturing and offer training in innovative educational programs and technologies that ensure high quality of development of lean competencies.

Lean manufacturing (LM), by providing significant advancement in systems performance and efficiency, has recently come to a wide use in industrial environments. LM, providing tools that can target types of waste and improve various aspects of manufacturing systems implementation, uses the application of such tools to improve operational and financial aspects of organizations. Critical decisions with multiple contradictory criteria are associated with lean implementation (LI), leading to a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem. A great deal of work has been directed toward understanding the decision-making process involved in LI process, but with little focus on the role of MCDM involving a LI chain. More than two hundred articles were reviewed and categorized, and the decision-making process as related to LI is structured into three main levels. First, the leanness level should be determined to describe the need for lean tools. Second, based on the leanness level, lean tools can be selected for implementation. Finally, appropriate parameters for the selected tools should be determined. The result of this categorization is a platform providing a comprehensive understanding of full-chain decision-making in LI. In general, adequate quality of decisions should be realized through all levels to ensure efficient LI.

PurposeMillions around the world still cannot access safe, timely and affordable surgery. Considering access as a function of efficiency, this paper examines how the latter can be improved within the context of operating theatres. Carried out in France and Australia, this study reveals different types of waste in operating theatres and a series of successful tactics used to increase efficiency and eliminate wastefulness.Design/methodology/approachData for this qualitative study were collected through 48 semi-structured interviews with operating theatre staff in France (n = 20) and Australia (n = 28). Transcripts were coded using a theory-driven thematic analysis to characterise sources of waste in operating theatres and the tactics used to address them.FindingsThe study confirmed the prominence of seven types of waste in operating theatres commonly found in industry and originally identified by Ohno, the initiator of lean: (1) underutilised operating rooms; (2) premature or delayed arrival of patients, staff or equipment; (3) need for large onsite storage areas and inventory costs; (4) unnecessary transportation of equipment; (5) needless staff movements; (6) over-processing and (7) quality defects. The tactics used to address each of these types of waste included multiskilling staff, levelling production and implementing just-in-time principles.Originality/valueThe tactics identified in this study have the potential of addressing the chronic and structurally embedded problem of waste plaguing health systems' operating theatres, and thus potentially improve access to surgical care. In a global context of resource scarcity, it is increasingly necessary for hospitals to optimise the ways in which surgery is delivered.

The COVID-19 crisis hit the economy hard, it is a global situation of declining activity due to a highly contagious disease which has pushed the world to the brink of a deeper recession than ever. Small and medium-sized enterprises constitute 92% of the Moroccan economic fabric, they are among the organizations most seriously affected by the current pandemic. This paper examines the problems that exist before and during this crisis, in order to raise major challenges and choose the ideal approach that will strengthen the competitiveness of these companies. the analysis is based on secondary data and the literature to demonstrate the different constraints of these companies and to show the importance of lean manufacturing as the guarantor of industrial performance. the main question is how the alignment of Lean principals goes well with the desired improvement and with the constraints posed by this crisis, the primary objective of Lean is to provide the means to succeed and accelerate competitiveness. Finally, these circumstances can be a real opportunity to assist Small and Medium Moroccan companies to integrate the methods they need, and “Lean approach” is one of the best performance solutions to adopt in a post COVID-19.

PurposeSimulation has attracted increasing attention in lean production research as a response to address the complexities of the production environment and difficulties of dealing with changes within a system. Considerable growth of using simulation to facilitate lean acceptance and implementation has been observed across different projects and sectors. However, a thorough review of the development and use of simulation in lean production research is limited.Design/methodology/approachThis study aims to address this gap by reviewing 311 journal papers published in the past two decades on this specific research area and identify the state-of-the-art development and propose future research directions.FindingsThe review shows that current studies related to simulation in lean production research can be categorised into two major research streams, namely, simulation assisted lean facilitation and evaluation, and simulation-based lean education and training. Under the first research stream, a total of 19 application areas have been identified which applied both lean and simulation in their studies. The evolution of the simulation techniques used in these studies has been analysed as well. Meanwhile, four types of simulation games have been identified in the stream of simulation-based lean education and training and the impact and applicability of the different simulation and games have been discussed. A framework for engaging lean and simulation is suggested based on the review of the existing studies. The analysis in both streams also highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement and the utilisation of information technologies for future studies.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study are expected to provide useful references for the future development and application of simulation in lean production research.Originality/valueThis paper conducted a broad and extensive review of simulation integrated lean production research. An in-depth examination of the retrieved papers was conducted through a structured and quantitative analysis to understand the current body of knowledge.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the interactions between lean production, internal green practices, green product innovation and sustainable performance metrics. The study further looks at the mediation effect of internal green practices and green product innovation between lean production and sustainable performance dimensions. Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire was used to glean data from 209 manufacturing firms. All the hypothesized relationships were processed by using partial least square-structural equation modelling. Findings The results suggest that lean production significantly leads to the implementation of internal green practices and the production of quality products with eco-oriented features that meet customers’ needs. Further, while lean production and internal green practices were found to significantly influence sustainability performance, green product innovation significantly influences only financial performance. Besides, the mediation analysis shows that internal green practices mediate the relationship between lean production and sustainable performance dimensions but green product innovation mediates the relationship between lean production and financial performance only. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to firms from Ghana, a developing country; hence, the results cannot be imported to reflect other geographical contexts. Practical implications The results of the study provide sufficient justifications for managers, (especially Ghanaian managers and those from other similar environs) to commit their financial resources towards implementing lean production and internal green practices so as to achieve sustainability excellence. Originality/value This study magnifies and provides new insight on lean and green literature by developing a comprehensive research model that concurrently tests the direct and indirect effects between lean production, internal green practices, green product innovation and sustainable performance dimensions.

Education is a valuable asset that contributes much to economic growth and social development. Due to the economic downturn of the last decade, education is under increased pressure to deliver quality, improve efficiency and reduce costs, while adhering to stakeholders’ expectations. Lean thinking (LT) is an approach that aims to improve processes and customer satisfaction, while managing costs and demands for continuous improvement. The beneficial implementation of LT in the manufacturing sector led this concept to evolve into a managerial paradigm with wider applicability to various sectors and practices, including education. The present study undertook a systematic literature review (SLR) of LT in education (LTE) to document its implementation. The SLR used a number of search criteria, resulting in a total of 47 scholarly articles, published from 2003 to mid-2018 in 20 scientific journals, being identified for further examination and discussion. The study produced a comprehensive mapping of recent trends and content of the literature on LTE from various methodological and empirical perspectives. This approach enabled the selected articles to be classified and compared according to relevant features such as publication data, timeline distribution, geographic base of operations, tools, keywords and results. It also oriented the LTE literature within two frameworks to document (a) the maturity of the given study in the research lifecycle and (b) the evolution of LTE research over time. The articles reviewed were thoroughly examined, enabling us to identify limitations or deficiencies that could indicate future research directions.

BACKGROUND Lean management tools have proven effective in achieving high reliability in health care. LOCAL PROBLEM Unstructured leader rounds, decentralized prevention bundle repositories, and unfavorable patient experience outcomes prompted leaders on a thoracic and cardiovascular surgery unit to find other methods to address these issues and positively impact outcomes. METHODS Nurse sensitive indicator prevention bundles, root cause analysis tools, and best practices were used to develop Kamishibai Cards (K-Cards) for each measure targeted. INTERVENTIONS K-Cards were implemented to standardize processes, engage patients in their care, and promote staff identification of barriers and solutions. RESULTS Nurse-sensitive indicators and patient experience metrics were positively impacted by Kamishibai Rounding. K-Cards promote a state of continuous improvement, which supports sustainability of evidence-based practice and best practices that were implemented. CONCLUSIONS K-Cards use high-reliability principles to standardize nursing practice to promote quality outcomes.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is two-fold: to describe how Lean methodology can be used, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to enhance the learning experience for non-traditional adult learners (NALs) and to explore attitudes and perceptions of students toward the integration of Lean methodology in online classes. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to collect data for the study. NALs were invited to participate in 60–75 min semi-structured interviews. These interviews allowed researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of a participant’s experience. A six-step thematic analysis framework was used to conduct the data analysis. Findings This paper presents a Lean model that can be implemented in an online medium of instruction. The core concepts of Lean methodology: jidoka, just-in-time, customer-centered approach, team involvement and standardization and how these can be used in online learning have been described in-depth. In total, 40 students participated in the semi-structured interviews. Four themes emerged from the data analysis: work-life balance; lack of standardization; learning online classes and connection to the workplace. Practical implications These findings could help academic institutions, instructors and course designers as they work on implementing new teaching and learning strategies for NALs. Originality/value There is extremely limited evidence on the usage of Lean methods for NALs in a public health crisis. As academic institutions move to the online medium of instruction to contain public health problems, this project can provide important practical tips to instructors.

Increasing of production performance of production systems and equipment in the meat-processing industry is integrally linked to maintenance activities. The article analyzes the influence of technological effectiveness, level of hygiene, reliability and simplicity of equipment design on the main parameters of meat products quality. Here it is shown that the strategy of Total Productive Maintenance (TRM) and Lean production is important tool for assessment of parameter of the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), which is used to assess the main types of losses that reduce the equipment productivity. The link of influence between the structural and mechanical properties of food masses, the moisture content of the initial food raw material, the temperature and viscosity, the processing pressure, and the density for the optimal operating terms of the equipment are analyzed in this research. With the help of OEE concept, the time losses related to the features of the equipment functioning are determined. The types of losses are classified as follows: downtime and readjustment (availability or readiness for operation) of equipment, short-term shutdown of equipment and a decrease in processing speed (productivity or performance rate of the equipment), product rejects and product losses (quality losses) during startup of equipment. While analyzing of the operation of vacuum filler for sausages production, the values of parameters of equipment availability, it productivity and product quality are calculated. The availability index is 0.79, the productivity index is 0.76, and the product quality index is 0.95. Taking into account the obtained data on equipment availability, productivity and product quality, it is determined that the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) accounts for 57%. The application of this method for studying the overall equipment effectiveness operation can be applied to any technological equipment used in the meat-processing industry and allows eliminating many problems that arise during the operation of technological equipment, improving its technical and economic parameters, and developing a system of measures for improvement of its maintenance and repair.

Lean systems which provide the elimination of waste and increase productivity in both manufacturing and service systems are highly desired by the companies. Designing a lean system requires enormous amount of efforts and is time consuming unless the right steps are followed. The first step of lean implementation is the assessment of leanness which determines the status quo of the existing system with respect to leanness. In searching of a comprehensive evaluation method, this study aims to propose a leanness assessment methodology which is able to aid company’s lean transformation. This study mainly differs from the existing studies by taking into account a wide range of lean indicators with a comprehensively designed questionnaire and evaluating leanness via neutrosophic DEMATEL (The Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) based scoring structure. The proposed methodology is applied in three companies. Moreover, sensitivity analysis concerning metrics and comparison with classic DEMATEL are performed.

One of the factors that ensure the company’s success in the market is a properly selected management system. This article is a study of the experience and prospects of implementing “just in time” and related modern management methodologies for Russian companies in a crisis situation caused by the СOVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. The authors suppose that there is a relationship between the use of these methods and a favorable socio-psychological climate in the team. The paper presents the theoretical material and experience ofcompanies belonging to various sectors ofthe economy. The study describes the conclusions based on the results of observation of the offi of the joint-stock company “Tochka”, which successfully applies “just in time”, scrum, agile, holacracy and lean thinking. The article describes the state of the company in the conditions of transition to remote work in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.Based on the opinion of the employees obtained during the observation and conversation, the authors of the article suggest that the use of modern elements of the management philosophy allows the joint-stock company to maintain an optimal state of the socio-psychological climate, attracting employees, ensuring high productivity and engagement. Thus, the introduction of the just in time system and methods in modern Russian realities is quite feasible, but it will require signifiant effrts, fiancial investments, high-quality work on personnel selection.

An evaluation of use of lean and sustainable manufacturing tools was made, correlating them with the productivity and quality indices in an industry of the electronic sector located in the city of Mexicali. In this evaluated company, it was observed that some improper manufacturing methods was used and for this reason, generated a large amount of waste from electronic devices and electronic boards. This caused the productivity and quality indices to decrease, originating the need for extra time and with it unnecessary costs that devalued the prices of manufactured products, due to the competitiveness in the electronic industry sector evaluated. With the application of tools of lean manufacturing and sustainable manufacturing, the productivity and quality levels were increased and both overtime and unnecessary costs were reduced, achieving competitive prices in the evaluated industry. The installation method of electronic components with polarity in electronic boards was evaluated, due to the fact that a great diversity of products emerged from the automatic insertion area with defects, indicating reversed polarity, which should be solved, otherwise, short circuits could be generated or lack of electrical conductivity, in the manufactured products in their final process. This caused the manufactured products to not work properly, causing the presence of defective products and with it low levels of productivity and quality and economic losses. and It was detected that this occurred due to the lack of training of the operative personnel and the neglect of the operative workers of the automatic insertion area. In order to control this situation, as a methodological part, schematic models were developed to support the operational personnel in their activities in the automatic insertion area. This proposal with the schematic models developed for use in the electronics industry, where the research was made. The study was developed from 2018 to 2019.

Purpose A rich agenda for future research in the field of Lean Manufacturing (LM) is available in the academic literature. The purpose of this paper is to determine the LM future research methodologies suggested in the literature and to classify them into themes. Classifying these themes into broad categories is also an aim of the present study. Design/methodology/approach For the purpose of the present study, a systematic literature review (SLR) of peer reviewed journal articles in LM was conducted. A total of 214 articles published in 46 journals during 2010–2020 were collected from four major management science publishers, namely, Emerald Online, Elsevier/Science Direct, Springer Link and Taylor and Francis. To organize the qualitative data into meaningful themes and these themes into broad categories, the quality tool “affinity diagram” was applied. Findings The review of LM articles that are increasing over time reveals the “vital few” academic journals, which have published most of the sample articles. The plethora of the suggested future research methodologies are analytically presented and classified into meaningful themes, namely, the size of the research sample and its composition, several types of study (other than surveys), longitudinal studies, applying advanced statistical analysis and (mathematical) modeling techniques, objective, real and quantitative data, surveys, mixed/multiple research studies, reliability and validity analysis, using computer-aided technology for data collection and processing and research collaborations. These themes in turn are classified into broad categories, namely, study, data and statistical analysis and modeling. Research limitations/implications This SLR is not comprehensive because the number of the databases searched is restricted to four. Moreover, the literature review is limited to peer reviewed journal articles regarding Lean only in the manufacturing sector, while the subject reviewed is limited to the future research methodologies. The subjectivity of classifying the large number of the future research methodologies into themes and these themes into broad categories is also a limitation of the present SLR. Based on these limitations, future literature review studies can be carried out. Practical implications Researchers can be analytically informed about the future research methodologies suggested in the literature and their respective key themes and broad categories, to design original research studies of high academic and practical value. Originality/value This study goes beyond previous SLRs on LM by presenting analytically the plethora of the future research methodologies suggested in the literature as well as by identifying natural patterns or groupings of these methodologies.

PurposeThe paper aims at fulfilling two purposes: (1) to enrich young production shop floor managers to understand and appreciate the different dimensions of manufacturing excellence and (2) to provide a comprehensive industry-based case study to a faculty involved in the teaching-learning process of Lean systems to the Business school management students.Design/methodology/approachImparting learnings through a real-life case study from a manufacturing industry, which successfully doubled its delivery capacity using the project management and Lean systems approach. Value flow techniques have been utilised in the production shop floor.FindingsEffective implementation of lean thinking can significantly facilitate enhancing plant capacity within the original shop floor area and without hindering the delivery to the customers with growing demand. Outcomes of the plant transformation re-emphasised that effective leadership, a well-constituted project team, project management tools, applied knowledge of lean enablers and its metrics and management's engagement are the critical success factors.Research limitations/implicationsThe case has been automotive industry driven.Practical implicationsThis real life industry case study is expected to enrich not only the management graduates who would be industry leaders tomorrow but also the practising young shop floor managers who aspire to achieve manufacturing excellence through lean enablers and metrics.Originality/valueUseful real-life industry-based Lean manufacturing case study to be utilised by the business school faculty members in their class to enrich students/young practising managers.

Healthcare organizations using Lean Management have the potential to decrease the number of errors, reduce wait time and increase productivity. The aim of this review is to assess the literature with regard to the use and efficacy of Lean thinking and Lean methodologies within a Department of Nuclear Medicine. Several health departments have adopted lean thinking as a consistent approach to quality improvement. We considered studies that demonstrated improvements across a variety of outcomes: the common factor was the aim to improve services to the patient. Lean methodology was selected because it is widely used in the healthcare environment and many Lean tools (VSM, one-piece flow, 5S, spaghetti diagram, A3, cell design, SMED) were analyzed for different processes. Many Lean studies have resulted in shortened queuing time, in cost-saving, in reducing defects, in increasing patient volume and in increasing staff and patient safety and satisfaction. Lean tools have the potential to reduce error and costs and improve quality. Because Radiology and Nuclear Medicine departments are similar concerning patient processes, they have plenty of potentials to benefit from systematic Lean adoption. We believe these principles can be applied to other health care delivery areas.

In the current competitive business world, the importance of lean systems has significantly improved. The purpose of the research paper is to identify key enablers of lean and understand their relationship dynamics using the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach with a goal to accelerate the pace of manufacturing excellence in industries. Literature review and focused interaction with domain experts facilitated in identifying 24 significant enablers. The analysis from the ISM has highlighted the strong need to focus on two clusters of four enablers each in the driving and dependent enablers quadrants in manufacturing. People-excellence-related cluster had leadership standard work, quality of people, functional expertise and lean training as the key driving enablers. While, the customer-driven cluster had supermarket pull system, demand management, process quality and value flow as the key dependent enablers. The research paper has provided useful insights and recommendations to industry leaders for accelerating their manufacturing excellence journey.

The review is devoted to the analysis of the capabilities of modern navigation systems of healthcare facilities to supply an acceptable level of accessibility to the perception of navigation information for various categories of citizens. The hospitals’ navigation system is considered to be the most important part of the visualization system and one of the basic criteria for the quality of the space of health facilities when forming a new model of a medical organization providing primary health care in the framework of the federal project «Development of a primary health care system» of the national project «Healthcare». From the viewpoint of the management concept of lean production, the hospitals navigation system should be aimed at the complete elimination or reduction of unnecessary movements of visitors, as well as other types of basic and additional losses. The accumulated experience in implementing projects with the implementation of the concept of lean production in outpatient medical institutions of the Russian Federation suggests that a rationally designed and deployed navigation system can be an effective tool for visualization in a lean production methodology. Structural and technological solutions of an effective hospitals navigation system introducing the concept of lean production should take into account the possibility of perceiving navigation information by all population groups, including people with limited mobility: people with disabilities, people with disabilities, people with prams, etc. Technical means of informing, orienting and signaling for people with limited mobility is a complex of various technical means for providing visual, tactile, sound information, orientation in space. In addition, they indicate possible directions of movement and places of receipt of services that contribute to the accessibility, safety, information content and comfort of the healthcare facility. Modern hospitals must meet the requirements of ensuring accessibility and safety for people with disabilities and other people with limited mobility due to the implementation of a complex of architectural and planning, engineering, ergonomic, structural and organizational measures of the state program «Accessible Environment». The navigation system can be a key tool for these activities.

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the role of rational culture in the relationship between lean manufacturing practices and operational productivity in the machinery and equipment industry.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a cross-sectional quantitative approach to conduct the research. Using an online survey questionnaire, 118 responses were collected. SPSS was used to assess validity, reliability and hypothesis testing of the study variables. Hierarchical regression analysis was employed to investigate the moderating effects of rational culture.FindingsThe study results reveal that quick setup and quality control were significantly related to operational productivity. Rational culture was a significant quasi-moderator.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the importance of quick setup and quality control for machinery and equipment firms to gain higher operational productivity. Rational culture could be used to drive the firms toward greater achievements in this regard.Originality/valueThe use of rational culture as a quasi-moderator in the relationship between lean manufacturing practices and operational productivity is unprecedented. This study offers new findings by introducing the role of rational culture to enhance the effects of lean manufacturing practices on operational productivity.

Providing products with higher quality and lower prices is considered to be a competitive advantage for the industrial firms over competitors. This main challenge can be achieved by minimizing the overall production costs and operational time. Lean manufacturing provides many tools and techniques to iden-tify and eliminate wastes and to reduce costs in production systems. In this paper, single minute ex-change of die (SMED) technique is used as a lean manufacturing approach in a leading Palestinian aluminum profiles company. SMED was implemented through real experimental procedures applied to the extrusion line processes to investigate its effect on decreasing the setups time and improving the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) of the extrusion machine, in addition to introduce a guide for practitioners to improve the extrusion process dies exchange in similar industries. Overall, the successful implementation of SMED resulted in an increase of OEE by 3.26% as the consequence of the increase of machine availability by 4.86%.