Adoption of Lean production: preliminary evidence from Lithuania

Preliminary results of a survey of adoption of lean production show consistent results for adoption motives, most frequently internalized practices and perceived effects of adoption of lean production. Lithuanian companies adopt lean production mostly expecting to increase efficiency, to develop problem solving and housekeeping capabilities. They internalize employee training on lean principles and practices, integration of quality control into work processes, work standardization, Gemba, 5S more frequently than other practices. Finally, they perceive increased efficiency, accomplishment of order, service delivery on time, and decreased unnecessary movements, defectiveness as the most important effects of adoption. Results of the survey show that lean production is used to increase leanness of operations in terms of increased efficiency, delivery speed, decreased costs and defects. However, lean production is intended to support leanness together with agility, constituted by capabilities of fast introduction of new products and cost effective mass customization. Results illuminate that Lithuanian companies adopting lean production are becoming leaner but the full potential of lean production allows being lean and agile at the same time. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.