How to implement Lean successfully in Chinese SMEs

The term “Lean” was first described by Womack et al. (1990) in The Machine That Changed the World. In this book, the author described the Lean program implementation at VTCL based on documents including Lean implementation project reports and Lean meeting minutes in the organization. The author discusses the CSFs of Lean implementation in SMEs based on survey, interview, and on-site observation data. The author makes seven propositions and discusses the evidence from three data sources that contribute to the conclusions. Proposition 1: Leadership is the most significant factor in Lean adoption in SMEs. Proposition 2: LSS technology and tools will not significantly impact the Lean implementation results in SMEs. Proposition 3: Employees’ involvement significantly impacts the LSS implementation results. Proposition 4: Integration of LSS in the strategy and alignment of all Lean practices to company strategy is not the critical factor in Lean adoption in SMEs. Proposition 5: Organizational culture will significantly impact Lean adoption in SMEs. Proposition 6: The performance of the steering office will significantly impact Lean adoption in SMEs... ...