Corporate Lean Programs: Practical Insights and Implications for Learning and Continuous Improvement

Abstract

Since Lean Production was popularized in the 1990s, many manufacturers have developed and deployed corporate lean programs across their global factory networks. However, research reports that up to 90% of lean programs fail to succeed. Drawing on practical insights gained from the deployment of one such program spanning multiple locations of a Norwegian multinational organization that has achieved quantifiable improvement over a five year period, this paper provides guidelines that may foster the sustainable deployment of corporate lean programs across an organization’s international operations. We frame the investigation through the lens of Action Learning Research, making reflections around the implications for learning and continuous improvement in such an approach to lean deployment.