PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the characteristics and the performance of the Catalan pork supply chain, with the objective to assess whether this operates according to the parameters of a lean chain. Moreover there is a tentative lean supply chain model contribution.Design/methodology/approachTo test lean approaches in the Catalan pork supply chain we have used case research methodology. The research strategy started with a conceptual model proposal as a tool to carry out the assessment. The research went on a multiple case studies in a large‐scale sample of the population and developed a semi‐structured interview as a basic instrument to apply it.FindingsThe article shows the pork sector has actively adopted the productive techniques associated with lean management. The structure of the specific chain in the Catalan pork sector is suitable to implement lean supply chain strategies according to the presented model.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper should be of value to researchers in this area as it contributes in a tentative generic lean model for the pork sector. Further research to affirm the cultural support for lean collaboration is recommended as a precursor to the application of the five lean principles.Practical implicationsIt provides empirical evidence from a significant pork producing region indicating that the model proposed has applicability. These findings support industry wide business associations' efforts to initiate actions which will reinforce these techniques and improve the competitiveness of the sector.Originality/valueA review of this literature ascertained that there were no existing published works centred on the study of the pork supply chain development in Spain and particularly nothing focussed on the applicability of the “lean” discipline in this area. This gap in research along with the importance of the pork sector at national and regional levels demonstrates the necessity and importance of the study.

PurposeLean is a well‐established industrial paradigm and has proved to be of significant benefit in different sectors of the manufacturing industry (e.g. automotive and aerospace). This paper aims to report on the introduction of lean to a new sector – the “UK red meat industry”. It highlights the benefits of lean production in one specific manufacturing area, the “cutting room”, where meat is split down from a carcass into retail cuts of meat.Design/methodology/approachA multiple case study approach is adopted in this paper. As part of the Red Meat Industry Forum's Value Chain Analysis Initiative, five cutting plants are presented as case studies in this paper.FindingsThis paper identifies two “traditional” and three “advanced” cutting rooms and reports a typical 25 per cent productivity gap. The paper tentatively concludes this is due to the advanced cases practicing lean techniques, such as “Takt‐time” and “work standardization”.Originality/valueThe literature review identifies a gap in previous research on the applications of logistics and operations management concepts and practices into the red meat industry. Particularly, lean techniques have been overlooked in the red meat industry.

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Purpose -The purpose of this article is to discuss the results from a UK government-funded applied research programme on value chain analysis that examined the beef foodservice sector. The demands and dynamics of this sector differ markedly from those of the supermarket, which is the dominant channel for beef produce and which forms the focus of the existing literature. This is a challenging environment for the application of collaborative supply chain improvement principles because of its high level of regulatory control, power relationships and low profit margins. Design/methodology/approach -This is an applied research project that was case study based and employed the value chain analysis method. Empirical work was conducted over an 11-month period and included a one-week whole-team study tour to Argentina. Informants encompassed UK and Argentine livestock producers, an Argentine meat processor, a UK meat import operation, a UK meat processor, a UK foodservice distribution centre and two foodservice restaurants. Findings -The paper concentrates on the key findings pertinent to the upstream members of the above chain. It highlights specific supply chain waste elimination opportunities at both producer and processor level. It also establishes valuable learning points for the UK beef industry as a whole. Originality/value -This study represents the first holistic and non-partisan study of its type within the UK beef industry. This paper adds to the limited body of knowledge on supply chain management within the foodservice sector. It also provides the first explanation and analysis of its kind on supply chain operations within the Argentine beef industry. It quantifies the magnitude and nature of the cost advantage afforded the Argentine producer over its best practice counterpart. Finally, it presents a number of reflections upon the implications of this study for the concept of best practice and also the Lean paradigm.

Value Chain Analysis (VCA) is a tool for analysing the nature and source of value within a supply chain and the potential for reducing waste therein, with the focus explicitly on the determinants of value within a manufacturing process rather than the simple measurement of process outputs. The tool has been successfully applied in recent years within the motor and information technology industries, to assist forward thinking businesses to survive in an increasingly competitive environment. VCA within the food industry faces the challenge where transactional relationships between trading partners remain the norm. This paper reports the results from the first of a series of Government sponsored VCA projects in the U.K. red meat industry. The paper explains the rational for VCA, describes the methodology and reports the findings from a case study involving a food multiple retailer, a meat processor and a livestock producer. Insights are presented into the potential for the use of VCA in the U.K. food industry and the specific issues that researchers need to be mindful of when embarking on a VCA project. The paper concludes by identifying key areas in which further research is required to develop the methodology to suit the unique characteristics of the food industry.