The proceedings contain 24 papers. The special focus in this conference is on Challenging the Future with Lean. The topics include: A Confrontation Between Lean Thinking and Postmetaphysical Philosophy; barriers and Enablers of Lean Industry 4.0; how Organizations Can Harness Continuous Improvement Practices to Develop Their Data Analytic Capability: A Conceptual Paper; Introducing DACAR: A Process Mapping Tool to Uncover Robotization Implications in Manufacturing; toward 1+1 = 3 with Lean Robotics: The Introduction of a Human-Centered Robotization Method; digital Tools Supporting Lean Program in a Multinational Enterprise; lean Planning & Control in a High-Variety/Low-Volume Environment; sustainability Struggles: Investigating the Interactions of Lean Practices and Barriers to Environmental Performance in Manufacturing; Investigating the Relationship Among Lean Manufacturing Practices to Improved Eco-Efficiency Performance: A Fuzzy DEMATEL Analysis; The Contribution of SMED to the Sustainability of Organizations; hoshin Kanri for Social Enterprises - Co-visualizing Values-Based Strategic Plans; integration of a Robot Solution in a Manufacturing Environment: A Serious Gaming Approach; using Games and Simulations to Facilitate Generative Conflict; the Influence of Learning Styles on the Perception of Lean Implementation Effectiveness by Employees; current State of Practice in Developing Lean Six Sigma Training and Certification Programs -an Irish Perspective; improving the Success Rate of Lean-Themed Internships; serious Games as a Lean Construction Teaching Method - A Conceptual Framework; The Impact of SMED on Productivity and Safety; a Systematic Literature Review on the Use of Lean Methodologies in Enterprise Sales Processes; the First Chapter of a Regional Deployment of a Continuous Improvement Program in a Medical Device Company.
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In pursuit of competitive advantage in an increasingly globalized and complex environment, organizations are turning to continuous improvement and digitalization to achieve operational excellence. Viewed through the lens of Dynamic Capabilities Theory, the similarities complementarities, and synergies of continuous improvement capability and data analytic capability are examined. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, continuous improvement routines and practices that can be harnessed to accelerate the implementation of data analytical capability are identified. These include Hoshin Kanri to link digitalization projects to organizational strategic, training to develop organizational knowledge of digitalization, problem solving teams to break knowledge silos, and the use of PDCA-type processes for adopting and monitoring the performance of digital technologies.
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Social enterprises (SEs) can play an important role in addressing societal problems. SEs are businesses whose primary objective is to generate social impact (e.g. well-being, social wealth and cohesion, and ecology) through a market-based model. SEs achieve this through a hybrid business model, trading-off financial and social value creation objectives. SEs typically face higher costs, for example because of ethical sourcing principles and/or production processes centering around the needs of workers who are vulnerable or hard-to-employ. This results in SEs’ struggling to scale-up due to their relatively costly operating model. Traditional management techniques are not always appropriate, as they do not take into account the tensions between financial and social value creation objectives of SEs. Our project examines how continuous improvement, and in particular the philosophy and tools of Lean can be harnessed to improve SEs competitiveness. Lean organizations share many values with SEs, such as respect for people, suggesting a good fit between the values and principles of Lean and those of SEs. The consortium for this project is a cooperation between the research groups Improving Business and New Marketing of the Center of Expertise Well-Being Economy and New Entrepreneurship and the minor Continuous Improvement of AVANS Hogeschool, and the SME companies Elliz in Company and Ons Label. The project consists of two phases, an exploratory phase during which the question “in what ways can the philosophy and tools of Lean be used by Social Enterprises?” will be addressed. Interviews and focus groups will be conducted with multiple SEs (not only partners). Participant observation will be conducted by the students of the minor Continuous Improvement at the partner SEs. During the second phase, the implementation of the identified principles and tools will be operationalized through a roadmap. Action research will be conducted in cooperation with the partner SEs.
