Critical Success Factors in Lean Implementation – A Maltese Context

Abstract

For the past 30 years, Lean has become popular throughout organisations across the globe. Based on the Toyota Production System (TPS), Lean is a proven systematic methodology to reduce waste in processes, optimise efficiency and ensure quality in the end products. Although Lean has been proven to be a successful methodology, it also has a high failure rate. Research has identified a range of critical success factors (CSF) that are crucial towards the successful implementation of Lean. This research endeavour takes a qualitative approach, using Grounded Theory (GT) to investigate Lean implementation in Maltese organisations and to determine whether established CSFs are applicable to the Maltese context. Participants from the manufacturing, catering, and logistics industries are interviewed, with the data coded and analysed using MAXQDA2020. The findings suggest the importance of leadership as a catalyst in driving change within an organisation to foster a culture of continuous improvement.