Title: Lean manufacturing system implementation barriers: an interpretive structural modelling approach

Authors: Nitin Upadhye; S.G. Deshmukh; Suresh Garg

Addresses: College of Business, University of Modern Sciences, Al Twar 3, 7A Street, PB No. 231931, Dubai, UAE ' ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior, Morena Link Road, Gwalior, 474010, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Delhi Technological University, Bawana Road, Delhi, 110 042, India

Abstract: Organisations all over the world are seeking new templates for change to remain competitive in the face of globalisation. Lean manufacturing system (LMS) is a total business approach designed to identify and eliminate forms of waste in the process of producing goods, service or combination of both. Few factors (barriers) adversely affect the implementation of LMS. The objective of the paper is to develop a relationship among the identified barriers, selected through literature review and questionnaire survey by using the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) methodology. The paper also highlights the mutual influence of barriers over other barriers and identifies driving barriers (those barriers which aggravate other barriers) and dependent barriers (those barriers which are affected by other barriers). It is observed that lack of top management's commitment and lack of employee involvement is at the bottom of the ISM, indicating their strong driving power in the implementation of LMS.

Keywords: lean manufacturing systems; LMS; barriers; interpretive structural modelling; ISM; MICMAC analysis; kaizen; total productive maintenance; TPM; total quality management; TQM; top management commitment; employee involvement.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLER.2016.078232

International Journal of Lean Enterprise Research, 2016 Vol.2 No.1, pp.46 - 65

Received: 13 Nov 2015
Accepted: 25 Feb 2016
Published online: 09 Aug 2016 *

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