What factors facilitate or inhibit the successful implementation of Lean Manufacturing

Abstract

Although many Norwegian companies have the Lean Culture with success but a large number has failed when attempting this goal. As companies try to implement and apply Lean in response to competitive pressures, they often become one-dimensional in their approach. As the main purpose, this document seeks to study and analyse the underlying reasons surrounding companies' failures in their Lean initiatives and how to implement them in a successful and sustainable way. This document is based on a thorough literature research concerning the success and failure of Lean implementations, enriched through an assortment of individual interviews with Lean experts, acting as a precursor for the development of a novel roadmap as a practical guide to open up a window of opportunity for managers, who want to become Lean in an effective and sustainable way. Lean implementation, Manufacturing systems, Failure reasons, Critical success factors, Strategic management of Lean