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Although lean thinking is deemed to be a gold standard of modern production management, a lot of scepticism still remains regarding its applicability in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this paper is to understand the perception of lean in SMEs and establish the relationship between lean adoption and operational performance.

With the help of a survey, data were collected from 425 SMEs in India and analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Operational performance of the firms was found to be positively related to lean implementation.

This study also furnishes practitioners with a better understanding of lean thinking in SMEs and its impact on performance.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of lean practices on performance improvement of process industries in India.

Based on a survey of Indian process industries, this paper proposes two sets of hypothesis to examine if there is any statistically significant impact of lean practices on certain specific performance metrics. First, the sample is classified into two classes of process industries: the adopters of lean and those who have not yet adopted the lean practices in their manufacturing operations. Then statistical tests are conducted to measure the differences in the level of performance between the two classes of Indian process industries with respect to nine performance measures. The survey results are augmented by two in-depth case studies. Case studies include one from lean adopter firms (a refinery) and another from the firms that have not yet adopted the lean practices (a primary metal manufacturing unit).

A survey result of 121 Indian process industries shows that adoption of lean practices results in a positive impact on inventory control, waste elimination, cost reduction, productivity, and quality improvement in process industries. On the other hand, based on the sample data on Indian process industries, no statistically significant improvement could be found on the lot size or space utilization between lean adopters and their counterparts.

This research provides guidance to the managers on how adoption of lean practices results in better performance in process industries in several operational areas.

To the knowledge, this study is the first attempt to analyze the impact of lean practices on a set of specific performance metrics in Indian process industry. Although this study focuses on the Indian process industry, the authors believe that findings of the research can inform other practitioners and researchers who are considering implementing lean in process industry sector in other developing countries like India.

Information systems are often developed to introduce new technology or to overcome severe maintenance problems rather than to improve fundamental business practice. In today′s manufacturing environment, any attempt to develop effective information systems must benefit the organization as a whole and reflect the strategic needs of the business. The goal is the development of systems that help produce constructive change in business operations to achieve a competitive edge. For most organizations, this means defining a strategy or plan for moving from their current position to the desired goal. Emphasizes the importance of effective information systems planning, details its requirements in today′s manufacturing environment and outlines a planning methodology that helps identify and rank opportunities to develop information systems to meet business needs.

To investigate the opportunities provided by proximate supply to support build‐to‐order (BTO) capability and to provide empirical analysis to identify the extent to which supplier parks as a means of facilitating proximate supply can improve supply chain performance and enhance BTO capability in the automotive sector.

A case‐based approach was employed to analyse the relationship between proximate supply and BTO.

The key results of the research demonstrate how proximate supply in the automotive sector achieved through the presence of supplier parks situated adjacent or close to vehicle assembly plants, has provided the means for moving the customer‐order decoupling point upstream and, therefore, increase the percentage of a vehicle that is BTO. BTO is generally regarded as a qualitative concept yet the results are demonstrated by adopting measures that act as a proxy for building to a unique order. In addition, first‐rate performance is seen to be achieved in inventory levels and lead time with the proximate supply arrangement.

The research presented in this paper considers day‐to‐day, transactional supply chain performance. No attempt is made in this work to cost the implications of setting up a supplier park or to evaluate such arrangements on a life‐cycle basis.

The results have practical implications for the future of supply chain design and location strategies in the automotive and other industries.

To date, the relationship between proximate supply and BTO capability has not been documented.

This paper seeks to evaluate the implications of operations flexibility in industrial supply chains and the effect it has on supporting initiatives designed for build‐to‐order (BTO) manufacturing.

An industrial case study is used to investigate operations flexibility and its impact on industrial supply chains. Tools used in the analysis include value stream mapping (VSM) and a scorecard for performance measurement. The scorecard tool comprises daily utilisation figures, product demand and responsiveness measures such as supply chain cycle times and pipeline inventory.

The results of the analysis confirm that supply chain VSM and scorecarding are effective tools that can be used to measure the performance of supply chains through the identification of inefficiencies associated with supply chain integration/design. The analysis shows the duration of value‐adding and non‐value adding activities in the entire chain. Also, the analysis has revealed the close relationship between operations flexibility and the supply chain flexibility dimensions of people and information systems.

The research presented analyses the operations and the supply chain of one industrial case study. The analysis does not cover the life cycle of the products mentioned in the study.

The study addresses the need, in the manufacturing industry, for tools that can be used in the analysis of manufacturing operations and supply chains, ultimately providing guidelines that can be used in the design of policies focused on performance improvement.

BTO initiatives are growing in importance in the manufacturing industry. The flexibility of operations and the supply chain are closely related to the concept of BTO in manufacturing.

This paper provides an empirical illustration of the potential of a cross‐supply chain information system (CSCIS) in an automotive industry setting. Whilst dramatic reductions in downstream finished goods, work‐in‐progress and raw materials inventories have taken place in many automotive supply chains, this paper looks at how demand information can be made more transparent in order to improve the efficiency of upstream operations. The paper concentrates on the findings from a case study that used a prototype Internet‐based system to convert original equipment manufacturer (OEM) demand into second and third‐tier component requirements. A computer‐based value analysis illustrates how this information might be used to significantly improve supply chain synchronisation in the lower tiers. The research demonstrates how information systems can be used to improve supply chain performance and provides further motivation for the development of more holistic supply chain planning information systems.

To critically review business trends and drivers affecting the performance of supply chains and build‐to‐order initiatives.

This is a comprehensive review of the potential implications of two inbound logistics solutions: supplier parks and the notion of full‐service‐vehicle supply in addition to developing technologies such as web services interoperability, radio frequency identification (RFID) and collaborative product commerce (CPC).

It is expected that the wide adoption/consolidation of supplier parks and full‐service‐vehicle supply and technologies such as web services interoperability, RFID and CPC will facilitate/promote the adoption of build‐to‐order initiatives.

The business models and technologies presented in this paper have been developed and exploited mainly in the automotive sector. Their success could have a big impact if transferred to other industries. Only a handful of technologies/business models affecting supply chain management have been reviewed.

The widespread use of the technologies and inbound logistics solutions presented in this paper might require the development of sophisticated measurement tools to assess the performance of the entire supply chain. The developed tool has to capture the state of the supply chain in terms of synchronisation, bullwhip effect, pipeline inventory, cycle times, stockout and backorder incidents plus other metrics associated to the operation of the firm including sunk costs, invested capital and ROI.

This paper provides a sound review on technologies and business models critical for supply chains developing build‐to‐order capabilities.