Influences of the Different Organizational Performances on Application and Effects of Lean: Case of Serbian Food Companies

Domestic pharmaceutical industry has been identified by the Malaysian government as an industry to be developed under its 11th economic development plan. Most homegrown pharmaceutical companies fall under the category of small and medium enterprises (SME) and therefore need to be highly efficient in their operations to compete with the multinationals. Though lean manufacturing is a well-known methodology to achieve an efficient operation, only a small percentage of the local SMEs implement it. The study aims to determine the real success factors in lean implementation through systematic review of relevant literature on lean manufacturing implementation in local companies, onsite observation of a selected SME company, Global Factor Sdn. Bhd. (GFSB), that successfully implemented lean manufacturing followed by actual implementation of lean project at IKOP Sdn. Bhd., a small startup pharmaceutical company. Lean tools like Gemba, value stream map (VSM) and spaghetti diagram were used to analyze and improve a process at IKOP Sdn. Bhd. The literature review showed that the implementation of lean manufacturing at Malaysian SMEs involved in pharmaceutical industry is at its infancy. Study at GFSB indicated that successful implementation of lean manufacturing stems from management support, employee’s commitment, government support and knowledge on lean among employees. Application of lean tools in IKOP Sdn. Bhd. to improve the process cycle efficiency of hand sanitizer, i-Hand 4.0, has shown that the GMP guidelines are not jeopardized. The Kaizen improvement project resulted in 46.3% reduction in lead time. It may be concluded that implementing lean manufacturing in any small local startup pharmaceutical company is beneficial in reducing operational costs and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness and does not conflict with the existing GMP guidelines.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate the role of management support in a lean implementation. The impact the lean implementation made on communication within the organization is also examined.Design/methodology/approachQualitative methods were used to study the relationships between management support, organizational communications, and a lean manufacturing implementation. A case study was conducted in an electronics manufacturing company in the northwestern USA. Data were collected over a three‐month time period. The data were coded using an evolving coding scheme and analysis was performed on the resulting data set.FindingsEvidence was found to support the supposition that management support does play a role in driving a lean manufacturing implementation. Management support impacted the lean manufacturing implementation both negatively and positively. The research also found moderate support for improved communication in the organization attributable to the lean implementation.Research limitations/implicationsThe organization studied was in the early stages of implementing lean manufacturing practices and principles. Future research should include multiple organizations with a longer history of lean manufacturing.Practical implicationsThe research findings identified management support and communications as important variables in a lean manufacturing implementation. Furthermore, there is evidence that these variables are critical in not only the implementation of lean manufacturing practices and principles, but also in the ongoing planning and deployment efforts of organizational leaders.Originality/valueThis research provided empirical evidence for the role of management support and communication in an organization's lean implementation. The findings highlight the importance of studying organizational phenomenon within real‐world settings. As a result of the methodology used, both positive and negative implications were identified. The research design has enabled the uncovering of a complex set of relationships that existed between two sociocultural variables and an organization's effort to improve performance through the implementation of lean practices.

The Malaysian public sector has implemented many programs to enhance service performance. One of them is lean management. Since the 2000s, lean management has been popular among the public sector to improve service quality and reduce operating costs. However, adequate lean knowledge to strengthen lean implementation is essential. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to address the role of lean knowledge management for effective lean management implementation in the Malaysian public sector. This cross-sectional quantitative survey has collected 131 responses from public organisations in Malaysia selected through a stratified random sampling technique. The data were analysed using the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach with SmartPLS 4.0. Findings show that lean knowledge management significantly affects lean management implementation. Theoretically, this study will aid academics and practitioners in choosing the best road forward in achieving a successful lean management implementation that will lead to a competitive advantage. From a practical standpoint, the findings of this study provide several recommendations to practitioners. They can comprehend and assess the potential benefits of implementing lean management on Malaysia's public sector performance.

Purpose Implementation of Lean in higher education institutions (HEIs) is relatively unexploited space. Although barriers are identified in general, they have never been quantified and prioritised to the best knowledge of the authors. In addition, combined quantified evaluation of the ease and the benefits of the Lean implementation in the HEIs functional areas, as a potential guide to sequence of Lean implementation, is also missing. Last but not least, research on this issue in less developed countries is almost absent. The purpose of this study is to address these gaps. Design/methodology/approach A Delphi study was conducted, in three cycles, with 20 university professors, all of whom have knowledge in Lean and experience in managing higher education institutions at middle to top management levels. Findings The study proved that, as expected, lack of top management support was perceived as the most influential barrier to Lean implementation, followed by the lack of Lean knowledge and several other barriers like complex and diverse customer structure. Administrative and operational processes were considered the easiest for implementation, with operational processes also seen as offering the highest benefits; in contrast, academic processes were viewed as the least favourable on both dimensions. However, all functional areas were rated above 3 on a five-point scale in both ease and benefit. Originality/value This study’s uniqueness lies in the facts that (i) it contributes original findings on Lean application within the South-Eastern Europe context, a region underrepresented in scholarly literature, (ii) draws conclusions on the specialised expertise of academics familiar with both Lean methodologies and HEIs management in the region, (iii) quantifies the barriers for Lean implementation and last, but not least (iv) identifies functional areas that could serve as effective starting points for Lean adoption in HEIs (based on combined evaluation of the ease of implementation and benefits from implementation among the functional areas).

Purpose: The study aim is an in-depth investigation of a Lean tools implementation sequence in an organisation as an expression of a Lean journey within that organisation. The success factors of Lean tools implementation and the relationship between them are studied. A model of Lean tools implementation in an organisation is aimed to be developed. Design/methodology/approach: A case study method is employed in this study. It is conducted in a manufacturing company from the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. The employed method allows exploitation of a variety of techniques in the investigation process: in-depth interviews, observations, documents and data analysis. The study takes into consideration a systematic literature review and bibliometric network analysis supported by the Vosviewer software tool. Findings: The implementation of Lean Manufacturing approach, along with accompanying tools and methods, is aimed at efficiency and/or quality results of the processes within a company. Selected tools, to be successfully implemented, should support the elimination or reduction of losses related to current process flows. There are many Lean tools available, but most do not fit all organisations and all the kinds of manufacturing processes. Therefore, proper preparation before implementation is an essential issue for any organisation striving for Lean outcomes. The available Lean tools, along with their implementation sequences, are not studied comprehensively in the literature. Originality/value: An organisational-development-driven model of Lean tools implementation is elaborated, based on the literature and empirical investigations. The decision to choose the appropriate Lean tool should be guided by general organisational development. Several factors need to be considered before the implementation process, namely, capabilities, resources, gains and return on expenditure. Top management engagement, appropriate communication and listening to line employees look to be key success factors in Lean tools implementation. Keywords: Lean Manufacturing, Lean tools, Lean implementation. Category of the paper: Research paper, Case study.

Lean Management is a method that emphasizes reducing waste and increasing added value in healthcare service processes. Through a systematic literature review, this study identifies various aspects of Lean implementation in hospitals, such as reducing patient waiting times, optimizing resource utilization, and improving patient satisfaction. The findings reveal that Lean Management implementation not only supports operational efficiency but also enhances service quality and patient experience. The success of this method heavily depends on management support, active staff involvement, and adequate training. This study also highlights challenges such as resistance to change and budget constraints. These findings have significant implications for hospital managers and policymakers in formulating strategies to improve healthcare service effectiveness. Recommendations for future research include empirical studies examining Lean implementation in various hospital contexts, particularly in developing countries. This study aims to explore and analyze strategies for improving hospital operational efficiency through the Lean Management approach.

PurposeLean manufacturing has the potential for simultaneously improving the competitiveness and the social sustainability of the apparel industry in developing countries. However, there is limited research on the ways to a successful lean implementation in developing countries and with an emphasis on occupational health and safety (OHS) improvement.Design/methodology/approachThe paper investigates four cases of lean implementation in garment factories and uses the design science research strategy, building on the context-intervention-mechanism-outcome (CIMO) framework to identify explanatory mechanisms that can be used for designing future action.FindingsThe study identifies tangible mechanisms that can lead to successful lean implementation. The most important mechanisms relate to practical top management support, worker involvement, application of lean tools and training.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can guide better lean implementation for the many garment factories in developing countries.Originality/valueWhile the lean literature provides general recommendations for lean implementation, knowledge about the transfer mechanisms in developing countries as well as the connections between lean and OHS is limited. This paper contributes to lean implementation theory and to the discourse of positive lean by integrating efficiency and working conditions. In addition, the paper identifies transfer mechanisms for lean implementation in the garment industry in a developing country.

The mediating influence of organisational cultural practices in successful lean management implementation.

Research ObjectiveLean implementation assessment is needed to understand the depth and breadth of Lean deployment and guide organizations in strengthening Lean implementation and its potential to improve organizational performance. To assist health care leaders to understand the extent to which Lean management has been implemented in their organizations, we developed the Lean Healthcare Implementation Self‐Assessment Instrument (LHISI), a 34‐item survey instrument that assesses Lean implementation across six dimensions.Study DesignFollowing a review of extant measures of Lean implementation, an initial list of 101 items was compiled and reviewed by Lean implementation experts, reflecting behaviors linked to 14 principles of Lean management from the Shingo and 4P models of Lean. Two rounds of item selection surveys were completed by health care managers and clinicians to identify the most important items, which were included in LHISI version 1 (V1). Managers and clinicians in 7 different organizations completed two rounds of V1 pilot testing used to perform test‐retest analyses, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and other statistical tests to develop V2. Finally, managers and clinicians at two large teaching hospitals pilot tested V2, and their responses were divided into half and used for EFA and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), respectively.Population StudiedItem selection and pilot testing surveys were completed by managers and clinicians in seven health care organizations currently implementing Lean management. The two rounds of item selection included 36 and 39 respondents; V1 pilot testing included 232 respondents (including 34 retests); and V2 pilot testing included 914 respondents.Principal FindingsExpert review and two rounds of item selection testing reduced the number of survey items from 101 to the 48 items included in V1. Each item reflects an important core principle of Lean (eg, In my unit/department, work processes are standardized; across my hospital/clinic, leaders at all levels create a safe environment for exposing problems; and in my unit/department, frontline staff use visual displays to understand their unit’s performance). V1 pilot testing analyses suggested removal of 5 items: 2 items did not load on a factor in exploratory factor analysis, and 3 items had insufficient test‐retest reliability (the remaining items had Pearson’s r 0.72‐0.85). Consequently, LHISI V2 included 43 items, and the 914 responses were randomly divided and used for EFA and CFA. EFA demonstrated six underlying factors encompassing 34 items (9 items did not fit well with any factor): organizational culture (10 items), commitment to Lean (7 items), standard work (5 items), huddles (4 items), unit culture (4 items), and visual management (4 items). Each of the subscales demonstrates good internal consistency, with Cronbach alphas ranging from .89 to .97. CFA model fit comparisons supported the above six‐factor model over single factor and seven‐factor models.ConclusionsThe 34‐item LHISI demonstrates good content validity, internal consistency, test‐retest reliability, and appropriate factor clusters.Implications for Policy or PracticeThe LHISI provides an accessible way for health care leaders to assess Lean implementation in their organization and to identify targets for improvement. Ongoing research will further explore the characteristics of the instrument, including the relationship between LHISI scores and performance.

BackgroundDespite the growing interest in transformational performance improvement among nearly all countries, international benchmarking has rarely been used. Cross-comparative research could allow an appreciation of the extent of Lean’s use in healthcare and a better evaluation of possible cultural influences on Lean implementation. This study provides a comparative international benchmarking of Lean adoption, implementation, and outcomes of hospitals in the US and Italy.MethodsThe National Survey of Lean, developed in 2017 in the US and adapted in Italy in 2019 was used to compare the two healthcare systems along three dimensions: the maturity of adoption, the implementation approach, identifying both strategic and operational activities and tools, and the Lean performance, investigated through patients, employed, and affiliated staff, costs, and service provision areas. Descriptive statistics including T-tests were used to examine differences between the two countries on the study variables.ResultsLean has been adopted less by Italian public hospitals (36%) than US public hospitals (53%). Each country averages 4 years of experience with Lean. Italian hospitals reported being at a higher maturity stage while the US implemented a more system-wide approach, developing Lean in more operational units. The daily management system, leadership commitment, education and training indexes were higher or the same in the US while in Italy, hospitals had a higher self-reported performance index.ConclusionThis exploratory work is one of the first international benchmarking studies on Lean implementation in healthcare systems using a standardized survey with a common set of definitions and questions. The study identifies different forms of Lean implementation that can be adopted, both at strategic and operational levels, with related perceived outcomes. Despite the US public hospitals being more likely to report a higher number of units using Lean, a higher daily management system index and use of Lean tools, Italian hospitals report more achievements primarily due to Lean. Further research can build on these findings by examining the relationship between Lean adoption/implementation and independent, objective performance measures.

Traditional Chinese governance based on “information islands” has negatively affected e-government evolution. E-government has been a mostly debated concept in the domain of public management in recent years just as what has happened to lean supply chain in the field of business management. Yet, there has been few discussion of the relationship between the two in the past. This paper studied this gap from the perspective of lean management by reference to lean supply chain principles. The aim was to identify the determinants for the efficient provision and delivery of public services to realize flexible governance reform as per public demand. Therefore, an explorative and deductive study was conducted to identify the determinants. A case about Jiangmen municipal service hotline was provided to analyze the lean implementation based on cross-network integration. Through analysis of the process and key points of the cross-network lean management, the determinants for lean public management were identified from distinct dimensions. Future efforts and direction for implementing lean management in public sector were pointed out. This paper contributed to identifying framework, determinants and criteria of cross-network lean management for public sector, and, was essential for ensuring the successful practices of lean public management in future. It provided a new insight for lean implementation in public sector, and contributed to public management research as well as business management study.

This study investigated the association between Lean and performance outcomes in U.S. public hospitals. Public hospitals face substantial pressure to deliver high-quality care with limited resources. Lean-based management systems can provide these hospitals with alternative approaches to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Prior research shows that Lean can have positive impacts in hospitals ranging in ownership type, but more study is needed, specifically in publicly owned hospitals. We performed multivariable regressions using data from the 2017 National Survey of Lean/Transformational Performance Improvement. The data were linked to publicly available hospital performance data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. We examined 11 outcomes measuring financial performance, quality of care, and patient experience and their associations with Lean adoption. We also explored potential drivers of positive outcomes by examining Lean implementation in each hospital, measured as the number of units using Lean tools and practices; leader commitment to Lean principles; Lean training and education among physicians, nurses, and managers; and use of a daily management system among C-suite leaders and managers. Lean adoption and implementation were associated with improved performance in U.S. public hospitals. Compared with hospitals that did not adopt Lean, those that did had significantly lower adjusted inpatient expenses per discharge and higher-than-average national scores on the appropriate use of medical imaging and timeliness of care. The study results also showed marginally significant improvements in patient experience and hospital earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization margins. Focusing on these select outcomes, we found that drivers of such improvements involved the extent of Lean implementation, as reflected by leadership commitment, daily management, and training/education while controlling for the number of years using Lean. Lean is a method of continuous improvement centered around a culture of providing high-value care for patients. Our findings provide insight into the potential benefits of Lean in U.S. public hospitals. Notably, they suggest that leader buy-in is key to success. When executives and managers support Lean initiatives and provide proper training for the workforce, improved financial and operational performance can result. This commitment, starting with upper management, may also play a broader role in the effort to reform healthcare while having a positive impact on patient care in U.S. public hospitals.

Research Question: This article identifies the most prominent lean wastes in the education process in primary schools in Serbia and the most efficient lean tools for their reduction. Objective: Lean management has been recognized as a valuable strategy suitable for application in various fields. Its implementation in the field of education has shown a rather slow progress, and the Serbian education system is not an exception. Idea: The idea of the research was to investigate the possible outcomes of the lean management implementation in primary schools in Serbia, and its possible benefits. Data: For this purpose, a specialized questionnaire concerning lean wastes and lean tools was designed intended for class and subject teachers. Tools: Statistical data analyses were used to determine the relationships between variables, and the Weighted Scoring method was applied to identify the most represented lean wastes in the education process, as well as the prioritization of lean tools. Findings: According to the results, the factor of the lean tools impact in regard to the lean wastes reduction was evaluated as “higher than 3” (on a scale of 1-5), which confirmed the efficiency of the considered lean tools in the lean wastes reduction. Also, the significant differences between the public and the private education sectors in terms of the lean application are shown, especially regarding the type of curriculum present (national or international). Contribution: The research has shown that lean management could be successfully applied in primary schools, in order to improve school organization and the teaching process flow, which highly contributes to the school's overall competitiveness. The guidelines for the lean management implementation are given as well as the recommendations to the creators of education policies. Certain limitations should be taken into account, regarding the restricted number of schools involved and specific sample group.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution to improving the efficiency of the focal firm made by lean management at the internal and supply chain levels.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study was conducted of 285 Spanish focal companies from industrial sectors that occupy an intermediate position in the supply chain. The data gathering method consisted of a telephone survey using computer-assisted telephone interviewing. A structural equation was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicate that there is an improvement in efficiency of the focal firm when lean management extends throughout the supply chain, in line with the resource-based theory and integrated supply chain management. In addition, lean management at the internal level is observed to impact positively on the focal firm's efficiency only when it contributes to enhancing the implementation of lean supply chain management.Practical implicationsTo achieve the best operational performance derived from lean management, managers should pay attention to the transfer to their supply chain members of knowledge, competencies and cultural change linked to the level of internal lean implementation of the focal firm. Moreover, this paper provides a way to assess the operational aspects of lean supply chain strategy implementation and lean supply chain planning.Originality/valueThis study uses a holistic focus on lean supply chain management, to which it applies a validated instrument. It underlines that lean on the internal level should be complemented with lean on the supply chain level to provide a better understanding of the drivers of the efficiency of the focal firm.

PurposeThis paper proposes, that without acknowledging that lean adoption needs to reach beyond the shop floor, it cannot be sustained, and neither is the transformation into a truly lean enterprise possible. The purpose of this paper is to address the gap in the scientific knowledge regarding the challenges of lean adoption in manufacturing organizations. The underlying assumption is that successful and sustainable adoption of lean should be approached from the perspective of business process change (BPC). By applying the logic of BPC to manufacturing environments, and by exploring the opportunities for lean implementation that reach far beyond manufacturing, the study is expected to contribute to the development of the existing knowledge.Design/methodology/approachThe research objectives were achieved by conducting the qualitative case study. Two case companies were chosen based on their differing approaches to the introduction and implementation of lean initiatives. Data were collected through in depth, semi-structured interviews supported by shop-floor observations.FindingsThe paper provides insights into how can lean implementation be facilitated while a systematic, BPC is utilized. By contrasting the two cases, meaningful conclusions were drawn and certain managerial implications outlined.Originality/valueThis paper presents a new approach to lean implementation and aims to bridge both the theoretical and empirical gaps between the concepts of lean implementation and business process management.