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Purpose – This study aims to assess the possibility of implementing lean practices in the Halal food supply chain, and the barriers to their implementation. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was used to identify the perceived issues and attitudes towards implementing lean practices in the supply chain. The questionnaire was distributed to 300 Halal food firms in Malaysia. A total of 61 usable replies were received. Findings – More than 70 percent of the firms reported that lean supply chain (LSC) has not yet been implemented in their firm. Data analysis shows that 14 percent of non-lean firms urgently need to implement lean manufacturing. Market competition and uncertainty was highlighted as an important barrier in implementing LSC among lean firms. In contrast, lack of customer awareness of LSCM practices was recognised as a major barrier in non-lean firms. Originality/value – There is little documentation regarding the status of LSC implementation in the Halal food industries, and therefore identifying the necessity of its implementation and the important impediments was identified as a gap in the existing literature. This paper provides insightful information on the necessity of implementing lean manufacturing practices in Halal food supply chains.

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Purpose Lean manufacturing is one of the leading paradigms for fast and proficient manufacturing but its proper implementation is a foremost task due to certain barriers affecting lean and can be handled when utilized with RFID technology. With this aspect in view, the purpose of this paper is to enlighten and present a thorough literature study that can show how RFID-based lean manufacturing is helpful for handling barriers affecting lean manufacturing in light of previous literature available. Design/methodology/approach In order to achieve this purpose a systematic literature review is conducted to justify the impacts of RFID technology for handling barriers. The aim of this systematic literature review is to initially find the barriers affecting lean implementation and then to explain the properties of RFID-based lean manufacturing which are highly feasible to handle detected barriers. Findings An interrelation is generated in this study which provides a clear indication that the properties of RFID carry significant effects to handle detected barriers in the operational, managerial and financial regime of manufacturing companies. The detected barriers that affect lean implementation are company’s cultures, top management commitment, poor employee administration, lack of finances, unbalanced inventory control, unstable customer handling and longer lead times. The properties of RFID-based lean manufacturing like operational visibility, inventory control, production control, minimized lead times and the real-time data information (to facilitate top management and employees on shop floor) are extremely helpful to control these barriers. Originality/value The originality of this study is the provision of clarity provided to both academicians and practitioners by citing and utilizing previous research studies which undoubtedly indicates positive impacts of RFID on lean implementation.

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End-of-life vehicles (ELV) policy implementation has long been a hotly debated issue in Malaysia. Vehicles that have become ELVs should be disposed of accordingly to prevent environmental pollution and also for the purpose of recycling useful materials, particularly metals. The automotive industry affects the earth environment through greenhouse gas emissions such as air-conditioning gas (CFC/HFC) which will increase global warming and uncontrolled use of raw materials. Even poorly managed ELV waste will cause gas emissions and toxic substances to be released to the environment. To reduce this problem, the implementation of an ELV policy should be seriously considered. In order to have a successful implementation of the ELV policy, support from the public is essential. Thus, this study aims to understand the ELV related laws and their implementation in the neighbouring countries and to ascertain public perception on ELV implementation in Malaysia. The study involves literature search on implemented ELV laws in the neighbouring countries and a survey involving 58 respondents. Results from the survey were analysed using SPSS. This paper presents and discusses the findings from the study. The study indicates that the level of public awareness and acceptance of ELV implementation are quite low. In general, it can be concluded that the implementation of ELV in Malaysia needs to be carefully studied before it is implemented in order to ensure acceptance from the public.