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Human Factor in Lean Production
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Human Factor in Lean Production

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 28522

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Beata Mrugalska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering Management, Poznan University of Technology, Poznań, Poland
Interests: lean manufacturing; human factors; Industry 4.0; process control; remaining useful life; robust design and control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will comprise a selection of papers addressing investigations on lean production and its impact on a wide range of manufacturing-related systems where a human being can play an evitable role in effective and efficient operation. Its aim is to show the relation between common practices associated with lean production, such as bottleneck removal (production smoothing), cellular manufacturing, competitive benchmarking, continuous improvement programs, cross-functional work force, cycle time reductions, focused factory production, just-in-time/continuous flow production, lot size reductions, maintenance optimization, new process equipment/technologies, planning and scheduling strategies, preventive maintenance, process capability measurements, pull system/Kanban, quality management programs, quick changeover techniques, re-engineered production processes, safety improvement programs, self-directed work teams, and total quality management (Shah & Ward, 2003) and human resources as one of the factors influencing the implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of these tools, techniques, and approaches. All the papers referring to the misusage of lean tools, techniques, and approaches which can lead to overlooking health-related issues are also welcome. The awareness of the relationship between worker health and lean production among lean practitioners is not always visible, but worth further investigation and discussion.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to deepen the knowledge about the role of human resources in a lean environment.

This Special Issue addresses a spectrum of theoretical and practical topics. It provides an excellent forum for exploring frontiers between researchers and practitioners from academia and industry.

Dr. Beata Mrugalska
Guest Editor

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 submissions that pass pre-check are 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 2400 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

  • 5S
  • Andon
  • Bottleneck Analysis
  • Continuous Flow
  • Gemba (The Real Place)
  • Heijunka (Level Scheduling)
  • Hoshin Kanri (Policy Deployment)
  • Jidoka (Autonomation)
  • Just-In-Time (JIT)
  • Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)
  • Kanban (Pull System)
  • KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
  • Muda (Waste)
  • Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
  • PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act)
  • Poka-Yoke (Error Proofing)
  • Root Cause Analysis
  • Single-Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED)
  • Six Big Losses
  • SMART Goals
  • Standardized Work
  • Takt Time
  • Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
  • Value Stream Mapping and Visual Factory

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 1801 KiB  
Article
Human Lean Green Method—A New Approach toward Auditing Manufacturing & Service Companies
by Beata Starzyńska, Mariusz Bryke and Jacek Diakun
Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10789; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910789 - 28 Sep 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3289
Abstract
The article presents the method of assessing the sustainable development of enterprises implemented in the form of an audit, dedicated to manufacturing and service companies. Modern organizations are heading towards the idea of sustainable development. Its essence lies in the belief that the [...] Read more.
The article presents the method of assessing the sustainable development of enterprises implemented in the form of an audit, dedicated to manufacturing and service companies. Modern organizations are heading towards the idea of sustainable development. Its essence lies in the belief that the chances of a specific economic entity for survival are possible by harmonizing economic, environmental and social aspects. Emphasizing the essential role of the human factor within the Lean Green concept and the growing popularity of the idea of CSR encouraged the authors to propose a Human Lean Green approach, on which the developed method of assessing the sustainable development of the company is based. The assessment of the company’s sustainable development is carried out by measuring the indicators obtained from the analysis of answers to questions concerning the use of good practices in manufacturing and/or service processes. The study is conducted in three areas: process improvement (Lean), environmental impact (Green) and quality and safety of the workplace (Human). The innovative elements of the method, compared to those proposed so far, are: singling out a Human module, laying emphasis on good practices that guarantee the effectiveness of operations and the possibility of assessing both manufacturing and service companies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Factor in Lean Production)
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21 pages, 5526 KiB  
Article
Lean Manufacturing and Ergonomics Integration: Defining Productivity and Wellbeing Indicators in a Human–Robot Workstation
by Ana Colim, Rita Morgado, Paula Carneiro, Nélson Costa, Carlos Faria, Nuno Sousa, Luís A. Rocha and Pedro Arezes
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 1931; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041931 - 11 Feb 2021
Cited by 63 | Viewed by 7665
Abstract
Lean Manufacturing (LM), Ergonomics and Human Factors (E&HF), and Human–Robot Collaboration (HRC) are vibrant topics for researchers and companies. Among other emergent technologies, collaborative robotics is an innovative solution to reduce ergonomic concerns and improve manufacturing productivity. However, there is a lack of [...] Read more.
Lean Manufacturing (LM), Ergonomics and Human Factors (E&HF), and Human–Robot Collaboration (HRC) are vibrant topics for researchers and companies. Among other emergent technologies, collaborative robotics is an innovative solution to reduce ergonomic concerns and improve manufacturing productivity. However, there is a lack of studies providing empirical evidence about the implementation of these technologies, with little or no consideration for E&HF. This study analyzes an industrial implementation of a collaborative robotic workstation for assembly tasks performed by workers with musculoskeletal complaints through a synergistic integration of E&HF and LM principles. We assessed the workstation before and after the implementation of robotic technology and measured different key performance indicators (e.g., production rate) through a time study and direct observation. We considered 40 postures adopted during the assembly tasks and applied three assessment methods: Rapid Upper Limb Assessment, Revised Strain Index, and Key Indicator Method. Furthermore, we conducted a questionnaire to collect more indicators of workers’ wellbeing. This multi-method approach demonstrated that the hybrid workstation achieved: (i) a reduction of production times; (ii) an improvement of ergonomic conditions; and (iii) an enhancement of workers’ wellbeing. This ergonomic lean study based on human-centered principles proved to be a valid and efficient method to implement and assess collaborative workstations, foreseeing the continuous improvement of the involved processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Factor in Lean Production)
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21 pages, 800 KiB  
Article
Real-Time Data Utilization Barriers to Improving Production Performance: An In-depth Case Study Linking Lean Management and Industry 4.0 from a Learning Organization Perspective
by Henrik Saabye, Thomas Borup Kristensen and Brian Vejrum Wæhrens
Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 8757; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218757 - 22 Oct 2020
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4541
Abstract
This study presents empirical evidence for the ongoing discussion about the link between Lean Management (LM) and industry 4.0 (I4.0) by exploring a non-technical perspective on how manufacturers can capitalize on their technological investments. The paper, therefore, studies the link between LM and [...] Read more.
This study presents empirical evidence for the ongoing discussion about the link between Lean Management (LM) and industry 4.0 (I4.0) by exploring a non-technical perspective on how manufacturers can capitalize on their technological investments. The paper, therefore, studies the link between LM and I4.0 from a learning organization (LO) perspective by examining the implementation, commissioning, and utilization of a real-time operational data gathering system at a Danish building material manufacturer. This six months in-depth case study finds that for the manufacturer to utilize real-time operational data from a LO perspective, several barriers must be addressed: problem solving that is not initiated by operators, operators who do not have second-order problem-solving abilities, operators who perceive the new real-time data technology as coercive, poor learning environments and processes, and a lack of leadership that supports learning. This study can help practitioners understand the importance of balance, the prevalent technocentric focus when implementing new I4.0 technologies with a LO focus. Furthermore, the study provides practitioners with a list of specific barriers from a LO perspective to be mindful of when aiming to combine LM and I4.0 to improve production performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Factor in Lean Production)
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22 pages, 6079 KiB  
Article
Work Standardization and Anthropometric Workstation Design as an Integrated Approach to Sustainable Workplaces in the Manufacturing Industry
by Arturo Realyvásquez-Vargas, Karina Cecilia Arredondo-Soto, Julio Blanco-Fernandez, Joanna Denisse Sandoval-Quintanilla, Emilio Jiménez-Macías and Jorge Luis García-Alcaraz
Sustainability 2020, 12(9), 3728; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093728 - 4 May 2020
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 11733
Abstract
Poor workstation designs represent a risk factor for operators in assembly production lines. Anthropometric design of workstations facilitates the sustainable development of the workplace. This paper proposes a novel integrated approach about work standardization and anthropometric workstation design as a strategy to increase [...] Read more.
Poor workstation designs represent a risk factor for operators in assembly production lines. Anthropometric design of workstations facilitates the sustainable development of the workplace. This paper proposes a novel integrated approach about work standardization and anthropometric workstation design as a strategy to increase human factor performance as well as the productivity index in manufacturing companies. The integrating approach is presented through a case study in a publishing press company with operators who perform manual and mechanical tasks in production lines in the box assembly department. Currently, the company’s production capacity is below demand, and in order to satisfy customers’ requirements, the company pays a lot of overtime to operators. In order to solve this problem, the integrated approach was applied. The findings indicated that inefficient movements and body postures in operators decreased from 230 to 78, and the standard time was reduced from 244 to 199 s for each assembled box. In addition, the production rate increased by 229 units per assembly line per day, and overtime was eliminated. Therefore, the novel integrated approach allows the increase of sustainability in the company and the operators’ well-being by making a better use of the human factor, eliminating overtime, and increasing production capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Factor in Lean Production)
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