PROPOSAL FOR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN OF THE LEAN PHILOSOPHY IN AN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Abstract

LEAN PRODUCTION HAS BEEN CONSIDERED AN EVOLUTION OR AN ALTERNATIVE TO PREVIOUS PRODUCTION MODELS, ESPECIALLY MASS PRODUCTION. MANY COMPANIES IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES WOULD LIKE TO ABANDON THEIR TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION MODELS AND ADOPT THE LEAN MODEL, BUT THERE ARE OBSTACLES TO THE INTRODUCTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PHILOSOPHY. IN THIS WAY, THIS WORK AIMED TO HIGHLIGHT WHICH ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS MUST BE PRESENT FOR LEAN MANUFACTURING TO BE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED. FOR THIS, AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE WAS CARRIED OUT IN ORDER TO COMPILE THE INFORMATION OBTAINED BY OTHER RESEARCHERS AND IDENTIFY WHAT COULD BE PROPOSED STRUCTURES TO IMPLEMENT LEAN IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES. IT WAS FOUND THAT MANY ORGANIZATIONS FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTING THE TOOLING PART OF LEAN, NEGLECTING THE HUMAN, OR SOFT, PART OF THE PHILOSOPHY, CAUSING FAILURES. THEREFORE, KEY ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIORS FOR THE SUCCESS OF LEAN IMPLEMENTATION WERE IDENTIFIED, SUCH AS TOP MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT, EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, CHANGE MANAGEMENT, AMONG OTHERS, TO ENSURE THAT THE CULTURAL CHANGE INHERENT IN LEAN IMPLEMENTATION IS BETTER. INTERNALIZED BY ALL COMPANY MEMBERS. A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK WAS THEN PROPOSED IDENTIFYING THESE CHARACTERISTICS AND IT IS HOPED THAT, FROM IT, THE CHALLENGES THAT COMPANIES THAT WANT TO IMPLEMENT THIS PHILOSOPHY MUST FACE AND WHICH SOFT ASPECTS OF LEAN SHOULD BE WORKED ON WILL BECOME CLEARER TO INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF SUCCESS.