Critique on the lean production system research

Abstract

Since the 1990s, research has been done on lean production systems with progressive development of a scale for measuring characteristic leanness in efficient production organizations. For example, Shah and Ward (2003, 2007) originated from the HPM and IMSS surveys become as the de facto standard. However, the explanations of these studies were not necessarily convincing. In contrast, in the IMVP survey, site visits were made to automakers' development and production genba or sites in each country surveyed, in addition to the use of questionnaires. However, in actuality, a comparison of multiple Japanese automakers showed differences in methods and means for achieving just-in-time production in organizations, even at the genba that would be believed to score high on a leanness scale, such as JIT production. It is difficult to detect and measure these differences through large-scale cross-industry questionnaire surveys alone, and there is a possibility that this difficulty manifests in the weak explanatory power of the lean studies. Approaches to explaining differences in performance using "leanness scale" are based on a lean hypothesis where there is a best practice lean

Reconsideration of value stream mapping and cross-functional integration in the digitalization of operations

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“…Companies can be said to be competing with each other for excellence and skill in creating such value flows. Since the mid-1980s, Japanese manufacturers served as the benchmark for lean production system (Fukuzawa, 2019;Holweg, 2007;Shah & Ward, 2003, 2007Womack, Jones, & Roos, 1990), characterized as an organization that efficiently creates a value flow. The question of whether value flow can be managed even better in these kinds of Japanese manufacturers through digitalization will be important to gain and maintain a competitive advantage.…”

The ‘standard of civilization’ in international law: Intellectual perspectives from pre-war Japan

“…Their spirits enjoy free play and are not credulous of old customs : : : They cultivate their own virtue and refine their own knowledge. 90 According to Fukuzawa, this is what is meant by modern civilization: a leap far beyond the primitive or semi-developed stages.…”

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