Proposed lean sustained factors

Abstract

Many organizations around the world have implemented or in the throes of implementing Lean or Toyota Production System. Organizations that have successfully implemented a few years of TPS may face challenges to continue and sustain their efforts in the long term. The problem of sustainability in every new initiative including TPS, Lean Six Sigma, TQM, and Business Excellence needs urgent attention by researchers. This paper addresses some of the issues surrounding how to sustain lean and TPS in companies. It has been observed in literature and practice that two major approaches have been used by consultants, researchers, and practitioners on the adoption of TPS/Lean. Many have adopted the first approach which gives heavy emphasis and focus on tool and techniques; while the second method provide a much more 'people based' approach. The tool based approach is important but should not be used as the prime vehicle for continued successful implementation. The people based approach is believed to be the key to the continued sustenance of TPS or lean implementation. In trying to support this argument, interviews were held with Toyota experts, ex-Toyota employee, academics, and consultants to seek their opinions regarding sustaining lean and to further provide details of the lean excellence factors for sustaining lean. At the end of this paper, the authors have proposed a set of factors that can be used to determine sustainability of lean for companies.