Sawhney lean educational maturity model at the University of Tennessee

Abstract

Lean manufacturing has been the key initiative in production for many years. In practice, many organizations have not been able to sustain it due to a misunderstanding as a cost-reduction project and not as a cultural transformation. Industry and academia play an important role in changing this approach. In this chapter, we discuss the academic role with the educational model followed at the University of Tennessee’s Industrial and Systems Engineering program, in pursuit of developing mature professionals in the field. Within this model, we address Lean manufacturing beyond the tools with a strategic deployment approach, understanding the interconnectedness between critical problem-solving skills, systems thinking and leadership. Lastly, we discuss the subjects that provide the platform that supports this model.