| Abstract: | Lean is a system all about the reduction of wastes which are significantly contributing to the
ineffectiveness and inefficiency of the business entities if not systematically studied, analysed
and long term solutions are taken. Waste could come in many different forms. Companies that
have not previously been exposed to lean manufacturing tend to have a lot of wastes in their
manufacturing processes. The case company, which is a bottled water manufacturer on which
this research dealt with was not an exception. This research was conducted to identify the
significance of the eight manufacturing wastes and their impact on operational performances
of the case company, such as, on quality, delivery time and costs. To validate data through
cross verifications, a triangulated measurement systems were employed including survey
questionnaire, archival data collection and focus group discussions.
To investigate the magnitude of wastes in processes, the research was conducted in two
categories. Category 1 was representing the manufacturing and associated processes and
category 2 the support process. A total of ninety five (95) responses were collected and the
analysis of data demonstrated significant results on manufacturing wastes. Analysis made on
the archival data collected in a period of twelve months has also revealed that significant
amount of wastes were existing in the case company in different forms. The third instrument
used was focus group discussions. It was designed to identify the root causes of manufacturing
wastes and determine their significance to pose risks to the case company. The results obtained
were also remarkable in that root causes were multidimensional and significant. The data
analysis and conclusions made on these triangulated methods have shown consistency in that
wastes were significantly present in both manufacturing and support processes and these
wastes were also significantly negatively impacting on the operational performances of the
case company. With these significant wastes, it will be very difficult for the case company to
ensure business success in a sustainable manner. The researcher, therefore, has proposed
short-term and long term solutions that will significantly reduce the eight manufacturing
wastes and consequently improve operational performances. |
