An exploratory study on relationship between Lean Supply Chain Practices during the Lean implementation

Abstract

The competitive pressure for reduced processing time, cost and improved quality has resulted in the implementation of lean manufacturing principles in supply chain management. The purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the relationships between lean supply chain management practices during projects of implementation of Lean approach in the supply chain. Based on a survey involving 113 companies, the results were analyzed through multivariate data techniques. The results show that the relationship between practices may not always be synergistic, since there are pairs of practices that, when implemented simultaneously, tend to conflict, diluting their benefits. The research also provides tools to managers and practitioners to better understand how practices interact with one another in specific contexts.

Keywords

• Lean
• Enablers
• Process improvement
• Partial correlation