Special Issue "Advances in Sustainable Technology: The Lean 6S Methodology"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2021).

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. María del Mar Espinosa Escudero
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ingeniería del Diseño, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), 28015 Madrid, Spain
Interests: design engineering; lean 5S/6S methodology; sustainable design; 3D printing design
Prof. Dr. Manuel Domínguez
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ingeniería del Diseño, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), 28015 Madrid, Spain
Interests: concurrent engineering; lean 5S/6S methodology; sustainable design; computer-aided design

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, 5S methodologies have undoubtedly been of great help in the development of sustainable technologies. Lean 5S methodologies are evolving towards lean 6S, and even beyond, involving factors such as safety, productivity, etc.

The main objective of the lean tool is to improve working conditions, safety, working climate, personal motivation, and efficiency. As a result, quality, productivity, and competitiveness are improved.

The 5S refers to the initials of five Japanese words beginning with the letter “S”. These are represented – and can solely be represented – by the five tasks that follow, in their given order, to make an organization more effective and efficient: SEIRI (classify), SEITON (order), SEISO (clean), SEIKETSU (standardize), and SHITSUKE (discipline).

With this tool, the intention is to eliminate all those tasks, instruments, transfers, waits, etc., which do not add value to the final product or service and are, therefore, considered waste. Thanks to this tool, an organized, orderly, and clean work position is achieved and, consequently, an environment of greater safety and quality.

6S adds a new element, that is in many environments, safety; although, in other environments, other alternatives have been proposed. This Special Issue of Sustainability was launched, under this premise, to study the relevant advances in various fields and how the implementation of these methodologies is being addressed.

The aim of this Special Issue “Advances in Sustainable Technology: The Lean 6S Methodology” is to gather results from the most advanced work currently being developed in the field of lean 6S methodologies. This compilation will undoubtedly be a great step forward in fostering and disseminating academic knowledge in the field of lean 6S methodology.

Prof. Dr. María del Mar Espinosa Escudero
Prof. Dr. Manuel Domínguez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lean 5s/6s methodology
  • sustainable design
  • design engineering
  • concurrent engineering
  • computer-aided design
  • 3D printing design

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

Article
Linking Lean Adoption and Implementation in Healthcare to National Cultures
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8855; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168855 - 08 Aug 2021
Viewed by 435
Abstract
Lean Healthcare (LHC) is a widely accepted approach to improve the quality of care around the world. This research compares two studies, which evaluated the adoption/implementation of LHC in Finland and Mexico, to understand how cultural similarities/differences influence LHC implementations. Data were gathered [...] Read more.
Lean Healthcare (LHC) is a widely accepted approach to improve the quality of care around the world. This research compares two studies, which evaluated the adoption/implementation of LHC in Finland and Mexico, to understand how cultural similarities/differences influence LHC implementations. Data were gathered from previous questionnaire-based studies administered to healthcare professionals in both countries. Statistics (X2, p, and Wilcoxon tests) are used to compare both studies across topics related to adoption, introduction, integration, success, and barriers of LHC projects, and results are linked to cultural dimensions. Driven by economic savings, LHC has been more adopted in Finland than in Mexico (75/13%). Upon introduction, similarities are found in the way LHC projects are conducted, high project success rate, poor level of integration, and enabling/disabling factors. Conversely, differences were mainly found in the objectives of implementing LHC. These similarities/differences are linked to national factors involving culture, social structure, uncertainty management, time orientation, and indulgence level. In particular, uncertainty avoidance, equal rights’ structure, and a feminine culture are positive for implementing Lean. These findings can be a benchmark to evaluate cultural practices. Thus, this study provides insight into how national cultures relate to LHC and determined distinctive sociotechnical aspects that influence its adoption/implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Technology: The Lean 6S Methodology)
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