ARTICLE CRITIQUE: LEAN ADOPTION IN SMALL MANUFACTURING SHOPS:

ATTRIBUTES AND CHALLENGES

Article Critique: Lean Adoption in Small Manufacturing Shops: Attributes and Challenges
Pramukh Shekhar
Trine University,
Eng 502
December 12, 2016

ARTICLE CRITIQUE: LEAN ADOPTION IN SMALL MANUFACTURING SHOPS:

ATTRIBUTES AND CHALLENGES
Article Summary:
In the journal of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering
article, Lean Adoption in Small Manufacturing Shops: Attributes and Challenges, Djassemi
states that the lean manufacturing processes and implementations which enable to minimize the
waste, reduce the lead times, achieve the efficiencies through the elimination of waste are
documented, studied, researched, and presented only for big corporations but not much work has
been done for the implementations, procedures and practices for small manufacturing shops
which leads to a dilemma whether lean manufacturing is meant only for bigger corporations
(Djassemi, 2014). The author observes that the small manufacturing shops generally have under
fifty employees and weathered the global competition better than larger firms have suffer
challenges like competition from the near and far, tax burden, environmental regulations,
downward pressure on prices and narrow margins creating an essential necessity for such
organizations also to benefit from the savings and efficiencies which accrue through the lean
manufacturing methods.
The small manufacturing shops have limited negotiation power and
limited financial leverage but can benefit much faster from the lean manufacturing methods due
to the factors such as the organizational employees by nature are multifunctional workers already
working under the limitations of resources, time, working hands and the limitation of shorter
deadlines. The challenges for the organizations include the mismatch of the principles that are
evolved for the large high volume environment with the small enterprises, the scarcity of
employees to attach a full time employee to focus on lean technologies, the employees of such
enterprises are more cross-over between disciplines than in a large, tightly-structured
organization and also restricted resources & budgets (Djassemi, 2014).

ARTICLE CRITIQUE: LEAN ADOPTION IN SMALL MANUFACTURING SHOPS:

ATTRIBUTES AND CHALLENGES
The author has presented a three phase implementation strategy which consists of training phase,
kaizen phase which consist of the exploration of the opportunities for process improvement and
implementation of pilot projects, and the implementation phase which consists of the
identification of the appropriate performance metrics, measuring the current system,
implementing and monitoring the identified actions, measuring the improved system and
continuing the cycle for continuous improvement. The author has also presented the managerial
issues which are characteristic of the small manufacturing shops which need to be considered
and overcome towards the successful implementation. The author has used the direct observation
method which minimizes the likelihood of any bias within the research findings.
Strength and Validity of claims:
The small manufacturing shops are constrained by different factors like
the funds and resources working with limited number of workers who are already multitasking
and working on lean principles. Djassemi (p.3) states that firms with less than fifty workers
probably suffer from restrictions that impede implementing lean practices and need a well
planned introduction of lean manufacturing technologies which evidences the essential
differences between the larger mammoth firms and the small manufacturing shops. The small
manufacturing shops also need to be benefitted through the lean manufacturing methods and
there need to appropriate methods to implement such methodologies in the smaller shops.
Djassemi (p.9) states that Considering these limitations, a strategy for lean implementation by
small manufacturers was outlined, encompassing the formation of diverse teams of employees,
training by external consultants, and the exploration of process improvement opportunities
evidencing the need for the serious consideration of the issues which impede the implementation
of the lean manufacturing within small manufacturing shops and identify the appropriate

ARTICLE CRITIQUE: LEAN ADOPTION IN SMALL MANUFACTURING SHOPS:

ATTRIBUTES AND CHALLENGES
methods. The author has also presented a practical implementation of the three phased strategy
which was observed to provide positive impact on the organization paving the way for the
smaller organizations to follow such implementations.
Recommendation of the article:
The present article is recommended for the business leaders, managers,
students, researchers, policy makers, practitioners who are working in the small manufacturing
sector, which provides a clear overview of the differences of small manufacturing shops with the
larger manufacturing shops, the constraints and the necessity to implement the lean methods. The
author has also provided the practical implementation steps followed in one sample site which
can be utilized by the small manufacturing managers to implement and benefit from such action
plan.

References:
Djassemi, M. (2014). Lean Adoption in Small Manufacturing Shops: Attributes and Challenges.
The Journal of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering, VOLUME 30, NUMBER 1 ,
2-10.