Title

Industrial Application of Lean Manufacturing

Author
Wan Hasrulnizzam Wan Mahmood and Mohd Razali Muhamad
Abstract
Global competition has led many manufacturing organisations to focus on
productivity and
quality improvement. One of the effective approaches used to achieve this is
through lean
manufacturing. Lean manufacturing is defined as a system based on the
philosophy of waste
elimination, the removal of all non-value added activities from the process of
delivering a
customers requirement in a manner that delights the customer and ensures
they maintain orders.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the related issues in implementing
lean manufacturing and
the development strategy of improvement. The results of the study carried
out on a company
which had implemented lean manufacturing showed that many challenges
were faced in their
operation in order to establish lean manufacturing. The company has their
own solution to
manage the challenges while improve productivity.
Keywords: Lean Manufacturing, Wastes, Challenges, Solutions

Definition
Lean manufacturing is a system based on waste elimination, the removal of all non-value added
activities from the process of delivering a customers demands.
Wastes from Islamic perspective, the al-Quran tells humans that they may use Gods gifts for
their sustenance in moderation, provided that they commit no excess therein:
O Children of Adam! . . . Eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for God loves not
the wasters. (Al A'raaf : 31)

Do not squander (your wealth) wastefully. Surely the squanderers are the fellows
of the Devils. (Al Israa' : 26)

In addition, the Prophet forbade waste even in conditions of seeming plenty when he said
"Do not waste water even if performing ablution on the bank of a fast-flowing (large)
river. (Hadith Al-Tirmidhi : 427)

Issue (Problem statement)

A case study was conducted to identify the common problems faced at initial stage
and current
stage implementation of lean manufacturing. The chosen company is one of the
composite
technology leading companies in Malaysia.

Objectives
- to identify on how the company ruin its manufacturing process
- to investigate the challenges faced at the initial stage of lean manufacturing implementation the
solutions for the company.
- to analyse the preventive methods or approaches used by the company to manage predictable
and unpredictable problems.
- to examine the factors that could support lean manufacturing practices in the company

Findings
1) Top management perspective on company production system
Problems : - problems on delivery products to customer
- work in progress products delayed due to limited space
Solutions : - improving communication internally and discussion with the customers.
- production only focused on quality of product development strategies
- established programs via quality, cost, delivery, accountability and continuous
improvement targets through lean manufacturing
 2) Challenges at the initial stage of lean manufacturing implementation
Problems : - staff uncomfortable to accept new manufacturing system and never heard
about lean manufacturing
- lack of trainining group discussion and communication techniques,
improvement skills, problem identification.

3) The solutions used by company

- new department developed strategic development department (SDD) to organize
awareness and organize internal lean manufacturing training and workshop
- organized Lean Convention for staffs as a platform to discuss implementation of lean
Manufacturing.
4) The factors that supported lean manufacturing practice in the company
- top management commitment
Top management commitment in the company is considered the
master mind of the lean
manufacturing implementation. Its influenced other staffs to have
clear view of lean
manufacturing and the implementation. The commitment is showed
that the implementation of lean manufacturing in the company is
not for fun but all staffs member must pay attention and implement it.

- SDD
SDD is a department that is responsible to monitor the journey of lean
manufacturing
implementation in the company. SDD conducted all of lean activities based
on the lean
manufacturing policy. SDD is considered as a Lean Facilitator and the
medium of
communication between top management and the organization. Besides,
SDD becomes the
 internal auditor to represent the management in order to evaluate the lean
manufacturing
implementation at the shop floor and has the authority to decide the best
SMT for rewarding.

- Employee involvement and commitment to change towards

improvement.
Since management has introduced lean manufacturing, most of the staffs
refused to comply.
However, after campaign, lean convention and other promotion
strategies were conducted by
management; the results show the positive acceptance by staffs and
become committed to
change towards improvement through lean manufacturing.

- Effectiveness of lean tools used by company.

Effectiveness of lean tools used in the company are also influenced a lot
of improvement in
the company. The tools that were used focus on eliminating wastes
which adds cost and
hidden problems. However, the company still struggling to ensure the
staffs understand and
able to use the lean tools in order to eliminate wastes and improve the
shop floor. In addition,
the company is also tried to explore the others lean tools which are useful
and easy to use for
decision making and improvement from time to time.