Title: A combined AHP and ISM-based model to assess the leanness of a manufacturing company

Authors: Tharun Thomas; P.G. Saleeshya; Priya Harikumar

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita University, Coimbatore, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita University, Coimbatore, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita University, Coimbatore, India

Abstract: Our prime objective in the present study was to explore the unidentified lean enablers of manufacturing companies and form a suitable model to assess the leanness of a manufacturing company. A comparative study was also conducted between lean followed in industries and actual lean practice which revealed a fact that, a wide gap persists between the lean followed in industries and actual lean practice. Suitability of the model for leanness assessment was tested with the help of an industrial study using analytical hierarchy process. Percentage wise results of lean enablers were obtained as output of the study, which helped in lean assessment. For further study, interpretive structural modelling (ISM) was used to identify different wastes in a lean manufacturing company. The study also helps to discover how ISM tool can be used to find the interconnectivity between the different wastes in a manufacturing company.

Keywords: analytic hierarchy process; AHP; interpretive structural modelling; ISM; lean manufacturing; enablers; inhibitors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBPM.2017.087106

International Journal of Business Performance Management, 2017 Vol.18 No.4, pp.403 - 426

Received: 13 Mar 2015
Accepted: 27 May 2016
Published online: 06 Oct 2017 *

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