Lean manufacturing: Trends and implementation issues

Abstract

Many manufacturing cost reduction initiatives have been introduced over past three decades including lean manufacturing. Waste reduction and efficiency improvement are the main objectives of this initiative. It is developed from a set of tools and techniques and can fit nicely in cost focus or cost leadership competitive advantage strategies. But, keeping competitive advantage under the market circumstances are getting harder with growth of production quantity and product diversity. Therefore, paper's focus is lean manufacturing implementation trends and issues within the various manufacturing sector. Successes and failures of implementation of lean manufacturing in some industries are discussed. It was found that lean principles are good source of competitive advantage, it is applicable for many industries and its expansion and discussion are significantly progressing. The biggest threat in implementing lean is lack of understanding the concept but those who engage consultants were more successful.