House of lean for food processing SMEs

Research has shown that lack of understanding of sector-specific contextual factors and organizational factors such as leadership, culture, employees training and resources lead to failure in lean implementation. There is limited research on the implementation aspects of lean manufacturing, such as where to get started or how to address the contextual factors. There is no evidence of a framework which includes contingency factors and caters the need of the food processing SMEs. We addressed these issues in our research by using a mixed method (survey and case study) in last four years. We found that the implementation of lean manufacturing has not been easy for many food processing SMEs. The key contribution of this paper is the development of a house of lean that takes into consideration the needs and characteristics of food processing SMEs. The framework provides a structured and step by step approach for implementing lean manufacturing in a food processing SME environment. The proposed framework aims to present a structured approach to understanding contextual factors and aid food processing SMEs to flourish and reach their full improvement potential. It is not only imperative to drive improvement from implementation of lean manufacturing initiatives but also to sustain the gains over the long-term. The practical applicability of the framework will be further tested by conducting case studies in food processing SMEs and by seeking suggestions for improvement from organizations, academics, and practitioners.