Lean management adoption level in middle eastern manufacturing facilities

Abstract

Lean manufacturing (LM) process, also known as Toyota Production System (TPS) or lean management, provides tools and methods that focus on eliminating waste and adding value to assembly and manufacturing operations. The success achieved by Toyota Motors through the implementation of lean has fascinated every company in the world and inspired it to follow its footsteps. This paper focuses on examining the degree of lean production implementation in Middle Eastern manufacturing plants and its impact on operational metrics. In addition, it shows the relationship between lean dimensions and operational outcomes. This research has utilized a questionnaire that is based on a similar research conducted on US, Chinese, and Indian industries. The survey was altered to fit the Middle Eastern industry. The companies surveyed are located in three different Middle Eastern countries, namely, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The survey was given to 318 manufacturing companies out of which 96 responses were considered usable. The lean dimensions that the survey examined include” the 7 wastes, 5S’s, standardization, total productivity maintenance (TPM), supplier related (performance), problem-solving, statistical process control (SPC), Total quality management (TQM), setup time improvement or reduction, pull system (based on demand), and customer requirement or need. The result for implemented dimensions of lean indicates that while most of the respondents have scored between 40-59% levels, only very few are above 60% levels, and none of the companies has scored above 89% implementation levels. The study indicates that the operational performance has improved in all metrics except for space reduction. In addition, respondents have indicated that cost conversion reduction, productivity increase, and inventory reduction are the three main drivers of lean implementation