Organizational structure, employee problem solving, and lean implementation

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between organizational structure and lean implementation success and to explore the impact of a lean implementation on the development of employee problem-solving skills. Organizations that implement lean manufacturing strategies experience widely differing results, with unexpected outcomes for some organizations. Design/methodology/approach – This study was conducted using qualitative research methodologies. Specifically, a case study was performed at an electronics manufacturer in the northwestern USA over a three-month time period. The researchers collected data from a variety of sources at the manufacturing site. Findings – Two significant findings emerged. First, the lack of dedicated personnel for the lean implementation inhibited the widespread adoption of lean practices. Second, evidence supported the role of the lean implementation in positively affecting employee problem-solving skills. Research limitations/implications – This paper is relevant to most manufacturing organizations; however, lean implementations are likely as unique as the organizations themselves. Given that the study used a single-site case study, utilizing qualitative methods, additional research is needed to confirm the findings for a larger range of manufacturing organizations. The results do indicate, however, that an organization with fewer resources to dedicate to the lean effort may find the transformation process slow and may experience fewer performance benefits. Likewise, further empirical study would help strengthen the findings regarding the relationship between the lean implementation and noticeable improvement in employee problem-solving skills. Originality/value – The literature stream for lean manufacturing provides examples of how lean implementations have not only noticeably affected tangible metrics related to profits and expenses but have also helped positively influence factors such as employee safety, morale and empowerment. For some organizations, considering the effect of these intangible factors before committing to a new manufacturing approach may prove useful. This study focused on exploring, in a much deeper way, through qualitative methods, how organizational structure can impact a lean implementation and how it ultimately acts as a catalyst for the increased development of employee problem-solving skills.

Investigating the readiness of people in manufacturing SMEs to embark on Lean Six Sigma projects

“…The goal of LSS, similar to Six Sigma, is to focus on low hanging fruits and eliminate waste factors known as defects by accomplishing a near perfect quality level through the systematic removal of causes of the defects (Dora and Gellynck, 2015;Choi et al, 2012). LSS benefits from both Six Sigma and Lean by incorporating a focus on cost, process cycle time, delivery value and efficiency from Lean and Kaizen and sustainable and incremental process improvement and profitability from Six Sigma (Bamford et al, 2015;Holmes et al, 2015;Worley and Doolen, 2015;Atmaca and Girenes, 2013;Sarkar et al, 2013;Womack and Jones, 2005). At an operational level within the manufacturing sector, the LSS model aims to clarify the process of identifying opportunities, as well as reduce variability and improve the quality of the manufacturing process (Holmes et al, 2015;Thomas et al, 2009).…”

A comprehensive insight into Lean management: Literature review and trends

“…Includes research articles that deliberate on its conceptual issues, methods, validity and scope (Bhasin & Burcher, 2006;Found & Rich, 2007;Petterson, 2009;Saurin, Rooke & Koskela, 2013;Langstrand & Drotz, 2016) Organizational Theory and Lean Includes papers examining relationship between Human resource management, Culture, Management support, leadership and lean (Forrester, 1995;Conti, Angelis, Cooper, Faragher & Gill, 2006;Bamber et al, 2014;Pakdil & Leonard, 2015;Worley & Doolen, 2015;Tortorella, Marodin, Fogliatto & Miorando, 2015) Lean and sustainability…”

Reducing the Scrap Rate in Manufacturing SMEs Through Lean Six Sigma Methodology: An Action Research

“…LSS has been strongly suggested by a longitudinal study to promote a sustainable process improvement in manufacturing organisations including SMEs [5,22,32,[38][39]. At an operational level within the manufacturing sector, the LSS model aims to clarify the process of identifying opportunities for non-value added activities, as well as reduce variability and improve the process cycle time and quality of the manufacturing process [25,[40][41][42][43][44]. This will result in some strategic benefits such as customer satisfaction, financial enhancement, higher productivity and satisfaction of employees, and more efficiency in manufacturing processes [12,27,[45][46][47][48][49][50].…”