Employees’ Perception on Lean Production System Implementation: A Case of Malaysia Automotive Component Manufacturer

Abstract

Stiff competitions, fluctuation in demand and changes in customer preferences have prompted the automotive component manufacturers worldwide to enhance their manufacturing system. Lean Production System (LPS) is a proven method used by many automotive component manufacturers to maintain their competitiveness. Although research on lean implementation has been conducted extensively, there is still a limited number of studies on the LPS implementation from the employees’ point of view. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the LPS implementation from the employees’ perspectives in an automotive component manufacturer in Malaysia. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in this study. A survey questionnaire was developed from previous literature and distributed to 50 middle and lower level employees. The questionnaire was pilot-tested by the employees and also verified by the industry experts. Structured interviews with 25 employees were conducted to determine their perceptions and problems encountered during the LPS implementation. The result of the study revealed that majority of the employees in this company were only aware of 5S and Kaizen although there are many other LPS tools which are also useful to them. However, the employees agreed that the LPS give many benefits in the workplace. Another finding was Employee Involvement (EI) in the LPS was mostly in the form of sharing responsibility with their co-workers. Problems were due to the lack of knowledge and training in the LPS among the employees. Greater effort should be taken by the company to ensure successful LPS implementation and its sustainability over time.