Lean Management fundamentals with regards to services

Abstract

Abstract. Right now Lean Management is a pretty well known in manufacturing companies. But its application in the service industry reveals many doubts and gaps in knowledge. The aim of this study is the identification of the necessary adaptations of Lean principles when they are implemented in a service organization. The study is a conceptual work. The major findings of the study are the necessary adaptations when Lean principles are implemented in services:(1) the inclusion of the direct presence of the customer in the value stream, (2) the identification and elimination of waste on the customer's side, (3) the Lean philosophy must coexist with the service-oriented organizational culture, and (4) standardisation needs to be more flexible and focused on organizational knowledge increase.