Article: Lean in the food sector: strategy to implement lean tools in micro and small enterprises in Quito, Ecuador Journal: International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management (IJPQM) 2023 Vol.40 No.2 pp.218 - 242 Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic changed the scenario for all types of enterprises by incorporating new routines to maintain personnel safety, which contributed to increased production time. Micro and small enterprises, which represent 97.89% of the Ecuadorian business network, are not exempt from this situation. Therefore, they need an easy-to-implement strategy to reduce production time, due to their limited resources. This study aims to establish a strategy to implement lean tools in micro and small enterprises in the food sector in Quito. The first step in this process includes a survey to assess the problems related to the eight types of waste. Then, several training sessions were carried out to implement the strategy, based on lean management. Finally, in the monitoring and control phases, the impact of the tools in the short-term is analysed. The effectiveness of this strategy is validated by the elimination of the enterprises' common waste, excessive inventory. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Lean in the food sector: strategy to implement lean tools in micro and small enterprises in Quito, Ecuador

Authors: Kenya Cristina Velasco-Tapia; Sonia Valeria Avilés-Sacoto

Addresses: Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial and Instituto de Innovación en Productividad y Logística CATENA-USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, USFQ, Diego de Robles s/n y Via Interoceánica, Quito, 170901, Ecuador ' Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial and Instituto de Innovación en Productividad y Logística CATENA-USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, USFQ, Diego de Robles s/n y Via Interoceánica, Quito, 170901, Ecuador

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic changed the scenario for all types of enterprises by incorporating new routines to maintain personnel safety, which contributed to increased production time. Micro and small enterprises, which represent 97.89% of the Ecuadorian business network, are not exempt from this situation. Therefore, they need an easy-to-implement strategy to reduce production time, due to their limited resources. This study aims to establish a strategy to implement lean tools in micro and small enterprises in the food sector in Quito. The first step in this process includes a survey to assess the problems related to the eight types of waste. Then, several training sessions were carried out to implement the strategy, based on lean management. Finally, in the monitoring and control phases, the impact of the tools in the short-term is analysed. The effectiveness of this strategy is validated by the elimination of the enterprises' common waste, excessive inventory.

Keywords: lean tools; micro and small enterprises; food sector; Ecuador.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2023.134274

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2023 Vol.40 No.2, pp.218 - 242

Received: 06 Aug 2021
Accepted: 20 Nov 2021
Published online: 17 Oct 2023 *

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Title: Lean in the food sector: strategy to implement lean tools in micro and small enterprises in Quito, Ecuador

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