Article

Lean Manufacturing Tools In Job Shop, Batch Shop and Assembly Line Manufacturing Settings

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Abstract

Lean manufacturing implementations have been very popular based on the promise of improving the economic advantage of manufacturing organizations while attaining better outcomes using less of everything. this study addressed the differing challenges faced by those organizations undertaking a lean implementation in different manufacturing settings. the levels of applicability of sixteen lean tools were examined using an electronic survey generated through social media mechanisms of those in charge of manufacturing in three different manufacturing settings: a job shop, a batch shop, and an assembly line. one hundred eighty nine usable surveys were analyzed for the purposes of this research. the results revealed that different lean tools are used at different levels in the three manufacturing settings, and the lean tools contributing most to the group differences between job shop and batch shop settings were Heijunka (heiJ), Just in Time (Jit) and Kaizen (KaiZ). Recommendations for each of the three types of manufacturing settings are provided. suggestions for future research: a replication of this study should utilize discriminant analysis combining job shop and batch shop as one group, and comparing the level of implementation of the lean tools with an assembly line setting. an effort that compares the level of implementation of the lean tools between an assembly line and continuous flow manufacturing setting is suggested as well.

Keywords: Lean Six Sigma, manufacturing, research

How to Cite:

Todorova, D. & Dugger, J. C., (2015) “Lean Manufacturing Tools In Job Shop, Batch Shop and Assembly Line Manufacturing Settings”, The Journal of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering 31(1).