Implementation of Lean Management as a Tool for Decrease of Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions in the Fast Food Restaurant

Abstract

The manuscript presents the possibilities of using selected Lean Management tools at a fast food restaurant located at the international airport terminal in Poland. Observations in other points of the company lasting for five years, made possible fair proposals for improvement of selected elements of production and work organization. The research part presents the results of application of such tools as value stream mapping (VSM), Kaizen, and 5S. The Lean Management method, chosen after careful analysis of the work system in the facility, contributed to the increase of work efficiency. Production times were shortened. Additionally, the possibility of reducing energy consumption, and thus the reduction of CO2 emissions associated with production, achieved without interfering with product quality was demonstrated. The timetable for device work was proposed. It was selected based on the analysis of the daily number of transactions compared with energy consumption. It should be emphasized that properly selected Lean tools allow for practical increase of work efficiency, reduction of production cycle times, and a decrease of energy consumption, which, in turn, leads to the decrease of CO2 emissions. It is demonstrated that, concerning the large number of enterprises of that type, introducing appropriate changes in work organization is able to facilitate large changes in emissions on a global scale. The presented solutions were tested in practice, however, due to the nature of the place, it should be considered individually.