A Rapid Improvement Process through “Quick-Win” Lean Tools: A Case Study

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper was to introduce procedural changes based on a type of human resources management tool using Lean Leadership (LL). We sought to determine which Lean Tools (LTs) are able to promote a rapid impact on a company; namely, we aimed to determine which LTs are able to facilitate fast and positive results for companies after their implementation, thus allowing for quick wins. This study was conducted at a medium-sized Portuguese company in the metalworking sector. Results were assessed from two surveys (involving 17 people) regarding perceptions of employee awareness in the machining area for Quality, Maintenance/Equipment, Process/Products, Leadership/Management by Objectives, and Trust and Training. The surveys were conducted at the beginning of the study and at the end of a quarterly period. LTs were used over a period of three months, thus enabling changes to the company’s manufacturing processes which could lead to improved organization, orientation, consistency and viability. Three months were considered an adequate time period to measure whether the tools were effective in the production of quick wins or not. LL allowed for greater awareness of the importance of LTs, the most important feature of which is the aggregation of all of the employees’ energies, which culminates in better operational efficiency and an increase in the employees’ overall positive perceptions of their company’s principles and mindset. The introduction of LL, as well as the implementation of 10 LTs, which are considered to be Quick-Win Tools, enabled employees to improve their perceptions of their company by 6.1%. Lean tools can be implemented quickly and are easily understood by their intended users. These benefits provide additional motivation for their use and for the achievement of highly satisfactory operating results across production areas. This study aims to identify which lean tools allow companies to obtain benefits/gains quickly. This outcome is the main contribution of this study to the scientific community and to companies. A Quick Win means a rapid improvement in a short period of time. As such, lean tools that provide Quick Wins also contribute to economic development. Due to the restricted time period imposed by the main purpose of this study, statistical analysis of the results was unfeasible.

Analyzing the Implementation of Lean Methodologies and Practices in the Portuguese Industry: A Survey

“…Currently, Lean thinking has literally invaded both industry and service sectors, eager to eliminate waste and make companies economically healthier. One of the factors that has strongly contributed to this vast dissemination is the diversified set of tools that fall under the Lean thinking, which can be applied individually or together, depending on the specific needs of each company [4]. From the most basic tools such as the 5S (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain), to more complex tools like VSM (Value Stream Mapping), among others, they allow for the identification and analysis of problems, enabling them to be later overcome.…”

Guidelines to build the bridge between sustainability and integrated management systems: A way to increase stakeholder engagement toward sustainable development

“…It is necessary to join lean and green (Cordeiro et al, 2020;Rodrigues et al, 2019;Rodrigues et al, 2020;Silva et al, 2020;Teixeira et al, 2021;Teixeira et al, 2022) toward a Circular Economy (Ramos et al, 2022).…”

“…Surrounded by this scenario, companies in several countries must meet increasingly high social and environmental requirements to contribute to the Sustainable Development (SD) of the planet in the short, medium, and long term (Cazeri et al, 2018; Pechancová et al, 2019). It is necessary to join lean and green (Cordeiro et al, 2020; Rodrigues et al, 2019; Rodrigues et al, 2020; Silva et al, 2020; Teixeira et al, 2021; Teixeira et al, 2022) toward a Circular Economy (Ramos et al, 2022).…”

Projeto de reestruturação do programa 5S em uma indústria do setor moveleiro

“…O Kaizen se apresenta como uma vantagem competitiva às organizações, proporcionando negócios sustentáveis, traduzidos em maior produtividade, qualidade, flexibilidade, e alinhados a menores custos e menor lead time (GRANDO, 2016;GROVER, 2013). O Kaizen Diário, por sua vez, auxilia na manutenção da cultura lean em plantas industriais, empregando ferramentas de padronização para sustentar melhorias, e gestão visual para viabilizar análises e resolução de problemas em sua causa raiz (GROVER, 2013;RODRIGUES et al, 2020).…”

“…Existem diversas ferramentas voltadas à filosofia lean, tais como Gerenciamento Diário, Kanban, SMED, e o 5S. Este último faz parte do Kaizen Diário (MRUGALSKA; WYRWICKA, 2017;RODRIGUES et al, 2020), e é uma ferramenta que visa aumentar a produtividade e eficiência da organização (PATEL; THAKKAR, 2014), trabalhando sobre um dos Ms de organizações industriais: o meio ambiente. O 5S atua sobre a desorganização e o desperdício de tempo e materiais, que afetam o ambiente de trabalho, o lead time de produção, a qualidade das entregas, e as quebras de equipamentosinfluências sobre os custos produtivos de uma organização (RANDHAWA; AHUJA, 2017).…”