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This study aims to analyze lean wastes for the poultry sector in Turkey and link lean tools to this study, focusing on identifying each lean waste that affects poultry production and proposing solutions for preventing these lean wastes in the sector. The proposed solutions aim to improve processes by suggesting different lean tools and their applications for the poultry sector.

The study consists of two different applications. First, the waste relationship matrix (WRM) was created to reveal the relationship between seven lean wastes and their importance order. Then, after determining lean tools for eliminating lean wastes, the optimum weight ranking and consistency ratio of the most suitable lean tools were calculated for these wastes and ranked with the best-worst method (BWM).

Results showed that overproduction is the most critical waste that impacts other wastes, followed by defect waste. Due to the nature of the sector, these wastes not only result in economic loss for the company but also in food waste and loss and issues related to animal welfare. Furthermore, the Kaizen approach and 5S implementation are the methods to eliminate these wastes. Detailed discussion on the link between lean tools and lean wastes is provided for the poultry sector.

This is the first study that theoretically and empirically identifies the potential lean waste affecting the poultry sector and provides lean tools for eliminating these wastes. Sector-specific explanations and discussions are presented in the study to show the applicability of lean approaches in the poultry sector to eliminate waste. In addition, this study is the first to integrate the WRM and BWM.

The purpose of this paper is (1) to review, analyze and assess the existing literature on lean tools selection studies published from 2005 to 2021; (2) to identify the limitations faced by previous studies; and (3) to suggest future works that are necessary to facilitate the selection of lean tools.

A systematic approach was used in order to identify, collect and select the articles. Several keywords related to the selection of lean tools were used to collect articles from different Scopus indexed journals. Next, the study systematically reviewed and analyzed the selected papers to identify the lean tools' selection method and discussed its features and limitations.

An analysis of the results showed that previous studies have adopted two types of methods for selecting lean tools. First, there are various traditional methods being used. Second, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods were commonly used in previous studies, such as the multi-objective decision-making method (MODM), single multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) methods and hybrid (MCDM). Moreover, the study revealed that the lean tools' selection methods in previous studies were based on evaluating the relationship between either lean tools and performance metrics or lean tools and waste, or both.

In terms of its theoretical value, the study is considered as an extension of the previous researches performed on this topic by determining and analyzing the features of the most selection methods of lean tools. Unlike previous review papers, this review had considered discussing and analyzing the characteristics and limitations of these methods. Section 2.2 of this paper reviewed some of the categories of MCDM methods as well as some of the traditional methods used in the selected previous studies. Section 2.1 of this paper explained the concept of lean management and its application benefits. Further, only three sectors were covered by the previous studies in this review paper. This study also provided recommendations for future research. Therefore, it provided researchers with a good conception of how to conduct the studies on lean tools selection. Besides, knowing the methods used in previous studies can help researchers develop new methods to select the best set of lean tools. That is, this study provided and advanced the existing knowledge base for researchers concerning lean tools selection, especially there is limited availability of review papers on this topic. Moreover, the study showed researchers the importance of the relationship between lean tools and indicators or/and performance indicators to determine the appropriate set of lean tools so that the results of future studies will be more realistic and acceptable.

Practically, manufacturers face a significant challenge when selecting proper lean tools. This study may enhance managers, manufacturers and company's knowledge to identify most of the methods used to choose the best set of lean tools and what are the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of these methods as well as the latest studies that have been adopted in this topic. That means this study can direct companies to prioritize the application of lean tools depending on either the manufacturing performance metrics or/and manufacturing wastes so that they avoid incorrect application of lean tools, which will add more non-value added activities to operations. Therefore companies can decrease the time and cost losses and enhancing the quality and efficiency of the performance. Correctly implementing the best set of lean tools in companies will lead in general to correctly applying lean management in corporations. Therefore, these lean tools can boost the economic aspect of companies and society through reducing waste, improving performance indicators, preserving time and cost, achieving quality, efficiency, competitiveness, boosting employee income and improving the gross domestic product. The correct lean tool selection reduces customer complaints and employee stress and improves work conditions, health, safety and labor wellbeing. Besides, the correct lean tools selection improves materials usage, energy usage, water usage and decreases liquid wastes, solid wastes and air emissions. As a result, the right selection of lean tools will have positive effects on both the environment and society. The study may also encourage manufacturers and researchers to adopt studies on lean tools selection in small- and medium-sized companies because the study referred to the importance and participation of these kinds of companies in a large proportion of the economy of developing countries. Further, the study may encourage some countries that have not previously adopted this type of study, academically and industrially to conduct lean tools selection studies.

As mentioned previously, the correct lean tool selection reduces customer complaints and employee stress and improves work conditions, health, safety and labor wellbeing. The proper lean tools selection improves materials usage, energy usage, water usage and decreases liquid wastes, solid wastes and air emissions. As a result, the right choice of lean tools will positively affect both the environment and society.

The study expanded the efforts of previous studies concerning lean management features. It provided an accurate review of most lean tools selection studies published from 2005 to 2021 and was not limited to the manufacturing sector. It further identified and briefly described the selection methods concerning lean tools adopted in each paper.

Existing studies suggested that there is a nonlinear relationship between lean production adoption and organizational performance. Lean production adoption is a gradual process, and the application status of lean tools will affect enterprise performance. The existing literature has insufficiently explored the nonlinear relationship of the lean tools application status on operational performance and environmental performance using the same theoretical framework. A combination approach of interpretative structural modeling (ISM) and Bayesian networks was proposed in this paper, which was used to analyze the complex relationship between lean tools application status with operational and environmental performance.

ISM was used to analyze the inter-relationship of 17 lean tools identified from the lean literature and construct the lean tools structure model providing reference for building Bayesian network. By calculating the prior and conditional probabilities within the lean tools and between the lean tools with the operational and environmental performance, a Bayesian simulation model was constructed and used to analyze the performance outcomes under different lean tools application status.

The performance simulation result – representing by the probability of three performance levels as good, average and poor – shows inconsistent changes with the changing of lean tools application status. By comparing the changes of operational performance and environmental performance, it can be found that environmental performance is less sensitive to the change of lean tools application status than operational performance.

Using the integrated ISM–Bayesian network approach, the results indicated a nonlinear relationship between lean tools with operational and environmental performance and provided a reference for the exploration of the nonlinear relationship between lean tools and performance. This research further calls for exploring the S-curve relationship between lean tools and environmental performance.

This paper aims to explore the level of implementation of Lean tools in companies of metalworking and automotive industry in R. Macedonia compared with the global experiences and to explore the relationship between certain dimensions that determine the leanness and the company’s success.

Based on the analysis and synthesis of the literature, the theoretical research model was developed. Structured interview was used to collect data. The analysis of the first goal was performed using benchmarking with some prior global research and the analysis of the second goal was undertaken with multiple linear regression.

The distribution of the lean tools through ISO 9001 requirements in this sample generally follows the global experiences. However, most used tools in the companies with solely domestic capital are the basic Lean tools which show certain lack of understanding of the importance of Lean management and strategic commitment to Lean management, in such companies. Dimensions like customer satisfaction, teamwork and motivation, condition and maintenance of equipment and tools, supply chain integration and commitment to quality have significant positive correlation with the company’s success.

The foreign investments can foster implementation of contemporary management approaches in developing countries. These countries have to find mechanisms to foster acceptance and implementation of Lean management.

This paper is one of the rare attempts to explore the implementation of Lean tools through ISO 9001 requirements and relationship of particular Lean dimensions and the company’s success, in metalworking companies in small developing countries, additionally exploring the differences in the Lean management acceptance considering the ownership of the companies.

Adopting lean principles can unleash several opportunities for firms seeking to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their product development (PD) process. This study aims to investigate the implementation paths of lean tools in the innovation process of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

A set of 47 lean tools are identified from the literature and ascribed to the five lean thinking principles, i.e. Value, Map, Flow, Pull and Perfection. Their practical adoption – in terms of “when” and “how” – is then explored in a multiple case study of three SMEs in the manufacturing industry.

SMEs adopt multiple lean tools in different phases of their innovation process. They are still at the beginning of the holistic adoption of lean PD, but some core lean tools, such as A3 reports and visual management, are adopted systematically. Results reveal that specific sets of lean tools and supporting principles are more valuable in certain phases of SMEs innovation process. Specifically, the lean tools concerning the principle of Value and Map can enable the phases of Innovation inputs, Concept development and Solution implementation; the ones ascribed to Flow and Pull the phases of Concept development, Testing and experimentation, and Solution implementation; the Perfection tools to the final phases of Testing and experimentation, Solution implementation and Market introduction.

Results provide a reference for SMEs already adopting lean tools in their production process to be extended to the PD process, especially when the delivery of new products is pivotal. Innovative SMEs could evaluate the introduction of specific lean tools in one or more definite phases of their PD process.

The study contributes to the literature on the complementarity between lean and innovation by studying the context of SMEs with a process perspective, thus unveiling the potential paths of a widespread application of lean innovation in SMEs.

Lean management is a suitable methodology for companies that want to improve their productive performance and competitiveness. This study aims to research levels of implementation and internalisation of Lean production tools in Spanish manufacturing companies, and explores differences in behaviour between SMEs and large companies based on data gathered over three time periods. The correlation between Lean adoption and company performance is also analysed.

Company survey data for the years 2012, 2015 and 2018 collected from 354 respondents were used to conduct a longitudinal study on the level of lean tool adoption and internalisation in manufacturing companies.

Over the years, the use of Lean tools has increased, whereas levels of internalisation have remained stable. Lean tool use in SMEs and large companies show significant differences in 2012 and 2015, but this is no longer the case 2018. Results also show that higher Lean tool use helps increase return on sales (ROS), and higher levels of internalisation of tools helps reduce the number of products rejected.

To date, there are no known studies on the use and internalisation of Lean tools or their correlations with business performance indicators in Spanish manufacturing companies.

This paper empirically examines the implementation pattern of different types of lean management (LM) techniques on the shop-floor. Based on the socio-technical systems framework, LM techniques are classified as social improvement tools and technical process standardization and stability practices. This categorization facilitates investigating their implementation relationship in a complex production system.

Based on the survey data from managers of the three major US auto-manufacturers and their suppliers (n = 137), measurement scales are developed using confirmatory factor analysis for the LM process improvement, stability, and standardization constructs. Hypotheses are tested by applying the Sobel test technique for mediating regression.

Statistical results confirm the mediation role of LM improvement tools between standardization and stability goal practices, indicating that technical process-oriented practices are not directly related and that their association is impacted by the corresponding implementation of social tools on the shop-floor.

The results indicate that LM practices should not be randomly implemented on the shop-floor but rather adopted and executed based on a systematic pattern. In LM systems, the implementation of process stability, standardization, and improvement practices on the shop-floor are more tightly integrated than traditionally assumed.

This study establishes a new categorization of specific LM tools based on social and technical characteristics. The conclusions highlight the importance of adopting a social emphasize of continuous improvement to establish a technical focus of process standardization and stability for LM implementation success.

Most successful companies have adopted some type of improvement methodology to achieve optimum performance, high quality, lower costs and productivity. Some of the structured methodologies employed indiscriminately are total quality management, quality control, agile, lean and Six Sigma which yield varied results. The purpose of this paper is to explore how to harness the power of an integrated system of quality tools and techniques to create operational excellence. An integrated framework involves matching quality tools and techniques to the multi-phases (input, transformation and output) of lean manufacturing or service ecosystem.

Current research of lean quality systems provides a conceptual understanding of core tools employed by manufacturing and service organizations. Interviewing domain experts from a series of manufacturing and service organizations highlighted a common challenge. The challenge was lean tools and methodologies were selected and employed arbitrarily for the different operational phases, which resulted in selective synergies of tools between operational phases. This limitation resulted in rework and duplication of quality efforts through the diverse phases of the transformation system. This study is based on the hypothesis that all phases of an operational system must be linked by common tools and methodologies which enables harnessing quality benefits and synergies throughout the entire operational system. The study methodology trailed through cooperative inquiry using a case study approach to design an integrated framework of tools that facilitates a common platform for manufacturing or service ecosystems.

This study suggests that quality systems in a complex competitive environment must consider an integrated iterative approach. An iterative development of lean quality tools for multiple phases produces an integrated quality system. Such systems employ blending and extending of lean quality tools to multiple phases of the transformation system to synthesize agile and versatile quality system.

A limitation of this study is that the research of integrated framework is based on repertory grid technique only; it should be supplemented by other methods. Second, the proposed framework does not consider the complexity added by the internal and external stakeholders as they interface with the integrated system at different points with reference to phases of the system.

One of the advantages of this method is its generality, instead of delivering a monolithic system at the culmination of long transformation process we rely on smaller quality sprints which are implemented sequentially at each stage or phase of the transformation system. The phenomena of incremental clustering of time-series of quality sprints for different phases results in true integration from end to end for a transformation system.

This study helps investigate the personal constructs that users and managers employ to interpret and select quality tools or methodologies for the different phases of lean transformational system.

This study aims to understand the impact of blending quality and business process improvement tools and methodologies to enhance outcomes. The basis of this study is “the power of multiplicity” through which a diverse collection of improvement paths is pooled into an integrated framework of quality tools for lean and efficient operations.

The lean production system and world class manufacturing (WCM) have been prominent in recent studies due to their conceptual synergy. However, although the number of studies is increasing, the research is immature, especially regarding the interaction between topics. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to rank the tools of the lean production system, indicating how they help organizations achieve WCM, using the theory of grey systems.

Therefore, the authors conducted an initial survey to collect data to determine how the lean production tools are related to the WCM pillars. These data were analyzed by the grey relational analysis statistical method, which passes through the construction of four stages.

The results show that of the lean production tools, stream mapping, kaizen, total productive maintenance, Six Sigma, standardized work and 5S stand out for their use and implementation in the organizational environment and facilitate organizations’ transitions to world-class performance through the WCM pillars.

The results achieved guide organizations to use the tools of the lean production system to help them reach world class status.

This paper stands out in the field of operations management, specifically in the research on lean production, by making use of the theory of grey correlation system in an innovative and original way. In addition, it promotes the consolidation of information on two of the main administrative strategies currently employed in the organizational environment.

Worldwide, companies are interested in improving processes and reaching high levels of quality through the adoption of various systems. For example, they implement quality management methodologies, such as Lean, with the aim of reducing waste and cost. In the food sector, however, companies also adopt food safety management systems, such as BRC (British Retail Consortium), destined to comply with the standards of hygiene, food safety and quality systems. Interestingly, both Lean and BRC seek to boost quality. Thus, both should be able to work as a single system and cooperate to add value to a company without duplicating efforts. By solving the problems in the bag sealing process of an Ecuadorian company through the implementation of Lean tools incorporated in the steps of the DMAIC methodology (define-measure-analyze-improve-control), and then framing a cooperation matrix of Lean tools and BRC clauses, this paper seeks to demonstrate their feasible cooperation.

One of the most well-known methodologies for process improvement is the DMAIC methodology. Through the sequence of the DMAIC steps, the main problem of an Ecuadorian company that produces flexible packaging for food was identified. With the voice of the customer (VOC) from historical customer surveys of the company, the common issues were found. Similarly, historical data of non-conformities required by ISO-9001: 2015 provided insightful information for this phase. In order to measure the current quantitative state of the processes, a VSM (value stream map) was jointly employed with an operator balance chart. Data was collected during the whole operational month. Having this quantitative data, and with the ideas generated from the Kaizen events, improvement initiatives were analyzed and proposed. The proposed solutions involve production and maintenance teams. After some tests, it was verified that all these improvements had had a positive impact on the company. Finally, it was analyzed that Lean tools can collaborate and also be used as proof for BRC requirements. Thus, a correlation matrix between them was built, which demonstrates cooperation between both systems.

The results of this study indicate that Lean can cooperate in the pursuit of the BRC Standard for food packaging companies. This is shown through the case study of the Ecuadorian company, which implemented Lean tools and reduced its costs by shortening lost time and reducing set up time in the machines employed to cut and seal bags. Additionally, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) from machines 1 and 2 rose their values considerably. Since BRC is a certifiable standard, it contains clauses that must be achieved in order to get the certification. By using Lean tools, it was possible to comply with some of the clauses of the BRC standard. A matrix was built so that it could be identified that Lean tools can work together with BRC, and thus, reduce costs and waste, while simultaneously complying with the safety and quality standards that the standard guarantees.

This research had two limitations. The first limitation is related to time. The data was collected in a month due to the project's deadline. For further research, it is recommended to increase this period of time to at least three months of production. The second limitation is related to the processes studied, which are associated with the time period. This study encompasses two major processes, which present major problems. For further investigations, longer periods of time can allow to include more processes from the company.

The implications of this project rely on the fact that the company achieved a better level of efficiency. The application of Lean tools reduces waste in the company. Basically, the waste was associated with lost time in machines 1 and 2 from the cutting and sealing processes, which was mainly produced by mechanical malfunction and inefficient maintenance. These problems had a direct relationship with the bad quality of the bags since the machines operate almost fully automatically. Additionally, mechanical problems caused by inefficient maintenance have a direct impact on quality aspects of the bag, like correct dimensions or a proper seal. Moreover, these problems generate a loss of time since the operator must stop the machine during production time in order to fix it. Machines 1 and 2 reduced their lost time drastically. Furthermore, by using Lean tools alongside the BRC methodology, the company can now reduce the resources that are destined for Lean projects and the BRC certification. Specifically, as a result, Lean tools and their documents can serve as proof of compliance with certain BRC clauses.

These improvements impact the company's profits, and therefore the workers. Since there is a significant reduction in the company's costs, and also an increment in the company's production, the company will probably require hiring new employees. In this way, more job opportunities will be generated.

The originality of this work relies on the nature of the research and the type of production facility. Previous studies have examined Lean tool applications in many settings. There are a few studies regarding the adoption of BRC standards. However, and definitely, the merge between Lean tools and a food safety management system is novel, since there are few to almost no articles that have been published using such a merge. The positive outcomes that were obtained not only prove that both methodologies are compatible, but they can also encourage further research on the applicability and functionality of merging two methodologies similar to the ones used during this research. Regarding the production facility, very few articles have been published about flexible packaging companies, and this article will help further research in this field.