Implementation of lean tools and techniques in footwear industry a case study

Abstract

The principle of Lean is to eliminate the waste from the system. The purpose of this study is to explore Lean implementation in manufacturing sector, especially in footwear manufacturing sector, by focusing on Lean tools and techniques, as well as critical success factors and challenges of Lean implementation.The work presented here is done in a large scale industry which engaged in making of shoes. The company produces variety of shoes according to the customer requirement. As the customer’s demand is high quality with shorter delivery time, the firm has to increase productivity. This work takes initiative to implement lean tools and techniques to improve the work process in order to meet the customer demand. The study examined the problems associated in the shoe production in the perspective of work study which can reduce the production time, operation time and eliminate different types of wastage in the production process. Improvement in the production procees, reduction of the production cost, and controllable production lead times are the expected result. Thus, the focus question was; “how could lean tools and techniques be applied to solve the manufacturing process problems of the footwear indstries ?”Relevent data were collected via observations and interviews. Production processes and process mapping were identified. Detailed production activities were analyzed and categorized into three groups: value added, non-value added, and non-value added but necessery activities. The non-value added activities were removed from the production process through a proposed a new production layout, with consequent lower production cost and controllable production lead times. The results indicate that lean manufacfuting concept could be efficient and efficiently solve the production problems of the footwear industries.