Critical Success Factors of Lean Thinking Implementation in Estonian Manufacturing Companies

Defended on January 22, 2013 at the Tallinn University of Technology.The thesis is available digitally http://digi.lib.ttu.ee/i/?822Supervisors: Maksim Saat (Ph.D, Professor Emeritus), Tallinn University of Technology, EstoniaEne Kolbre (Ph.D, Professor Emeritus), Tallinn University of Technology, EstoniaThe field of lean thinking is one that has been extensively studied in recent decades. Along with different aspects under the loupe, numerous studies have focused on the question of defining lean, another considerable part is trying to clarify which tools to employ and how should lean be implemented and used to achieve the status of a lean company However, almost none of the research has attempted to create a clear lean implementation process path. In other words, a defined, step-by-step guideline for successful lean implementation is absent. The consequence is an unwillingness to start the lean journey and anxiety about the results.Based on current research and statistics, the low productivity and efficiency of Estonian manufacturing companies should be improved and an appropriate way for that should be found. Along with the supply chain, many aspects and parts of that supply chain are contributing to productivity and efficiency, but the current thesis focuses on production. In production, lean thinking ideas are one of the ways used in the global economy for improving efficiency and productivity.The objective and the main aim of this research was to develop a lean thinking implementation process model that could be adapted to manufacturing companies in order to secure the desired results of lean implementation. The gaps identified in the literature helped pose the following research questions: how should companies perform the process of lean thinking implementation? Why do companies fail with lean thinking implementation? Based on a review of available literature, the author constructed a process of lean thinking implementation which incorporates the important steps and which leads to successful lean implementation. The steps regarded as critical are: process quality, lean knowledge acquisition, lean house development, lean house training, lean thinking implementation process planning, execution of the plan and, as a result, successful lean thinking implementation. The developed process of lean thinking implementation was used further in the study for assessing the lean implementation of companies in order to identify which step in the process influences successful lean thinking implementation more and could therefore be regarded as a critical success fac1 tor in lean thinking implementation. For the empirical part of the research, the author chose twelve manufacturing companies that are implementing lean. All of them are from different industries but they represent the batch type of manufacturing process. The multiple case study method was used for selection of the companies due to the qualitative nature of this study. Companies from different industries were benchmarked against each other and the findings replicated. …