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.
