Laying foundation for successful implementation of lean manufacturing through the elimination of non-value adding activities in conventional engineering products manufacturing companies

Abstract

During the past two decades, an enormous number of case studies reporting successful implementation of lean manufacturing in the literature arena have been reported, However, lean manufacturing seldom finds smooth implementation in conventional engineering products manufacturing companies. These conventional engineering products manufacturing companies are infected with non-value-adding activities which have been preventing the reaping of the authentic benefits of implementing lean manufacturing. In this context, a model named as Spotting and Eliminating Non-value adding activities In Manufacturing engineering organizations (SENIM) has been contributed to this article. The SENIM model has to be implemented through several cycles for spotting and eliminating non-value-adding activities in conventional engineering products manufacturing companies. In order to check the practicality of the SENIM model, the same was implemented in a conventional engineering products manufacturing company. While implementing a cycle of the SENIM model, 26 non-value-adding activities were spotted in this company. Out of them; two non-value-adding activities could be eliminated in this company. Thus the foundation for successfully implementing lean manufacturing in this conventional engineering products manufacturing company was laid.