Identification of internal dynamics of Türkiye’s furniture industry in the context of lean manufacturing integration maturity

Abstract

This study's objective was to investigate lean manufacturing knowledge, awareness, and integration maturity in one of Türkiye's most significant furniture manufacturer clusters and discover the extent of tapped and untapped potential offered by lean manufacturing for the furniture industry. This study developed a survey-based data collection methodology consisting of five sections with different features. Seventy-five small to large enterprises were invited to participate in the study. Out of seventy-five, twenty-seven furniture manufacturers participated in the study. The study revealed that lean manufacturing awareness and integration maturity vary significantly. This variation could prove lean manufacturing is still far from becoming a mainstream modern management technique for members of the furniture manufacturing cluster in Bursa, Türkiye. According to 92.59% of the study participants, reducing manufacturing costs is the most common internal motivation that either triggered or has the potential to trigger lean manufacturing integration. Moreover, the amount of investment required (66.67%) to deploy lean manufacturing is the primary barrier encountered by the organizations, followed by a lack of training opportunities for workers with a percentage of 62.96%. This study was expected to serve as a valuable resource for academics and professionals intrigued by the extent of the relationship between lean manufacturing and Turkish furniture industry members.