A Case Study on Lean Implementation in Northwestern Pennsylvania Manufacturing Companies
Open Access
- Author:
- Chwatek, Gracie
- Area of Honors:
- Industrial Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Paul Carl Lynch, Thesis Supervisor
Paul Carl Lynch, Thesis Honors Advisor
Julia Zhao, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Lean Manufacturing
Manufacturing Operations
Industrial Engineering
NWPA
Northwestern Pennsylvania - Abstract:
- With the manufacturing industry being an integral part of Northwestern Pennsylvania’s economy, it is vital for manufacturers in this region to be efficient and remain competitive in the global marketplace. The use of lean manufacturing plays a key role in companies being able to do this. As technology and tools continue to evolve, it makes it difficult for companies that have existed for decades to keep up and remain competitive. This paper aims to quantify the leanness of manufacturing companies in the Northwestern Pennsylvania region and surrounding areas while helping to identify areas where the companies are lacking. Specifically, the areas of value stream mapping, pull systems, waste elimination, continuous improvement, and employee involvement are analyzed to identify leanness level and weaknesses. After collecting data from 10 small/medium sized Northwestern Pennsylvania manufacturing companies, it was found these companies are in fact struggling with the implementation of lean. The results show an average overall lean score of only 5.33/10 with a standard deviation of 1.72 for companies in this region. Additionally, the main weaknesses identified are within employee involvement, as this category has a mean score of 4.53/10 with a standard deviation of 2.54. With the culmination of results from the study, Northwestern Pennsylvanian companies can focus their process improvement efforts on these areas of lean manufacturing and increase efficiency to stay competitive with the ever- evolving global economy.