Manufacturing excellence using lean systems – a case of an automotive aggregate manufacturing plant in India

Purpose - The paper aims at fulfilling two purposes: (1) to enrich young production shop floor managers to understand and appreciate the different dimensions of manufacturing excellence and (2) to provide a comprehensive industry-based case study to a faculty involved in the teaching-learning process of Lean systems to the Business school management students. Design/methodology/approach - Imparting learnings through a real-life case study from a manufacturing industry, which successfully doubled its delivery capacity using the project management and Lean systems approach. Value flow techniques have been utilised in the production shop floor. Findings - Effective implementation of lean thinking can significantly facilitate enhancing plant capacity within the original shop floor area and without hindering the delivery to the customers with growing demand. Outcomes of the plant transformation re-emphasised that effective leadership, a well-constituted project team, project management tools, applied knowledge of lean enablers and its metrics and management's engagement are the critical success factors. Research limitations/implications - The case has been automotive industry driven. Practical implications - This real life industry case study is expected to enrich not only the management graduates who would be industry leaders tomorrow but also the practising young shop floor managers who aspire to achieve manufacturing excellence through lean enablers and metrics. Originality/value - Useful real-life industry-based Lean manufacturing case study to be utilised by the business school faculty members in their class to enrich students/young practising managers.