Critical success factors for implementing lean production: the effect of contingencies

To facilitate the implementation of lean production, practitioners and researchers have suggested an array of critical success factors (CSFs). However, despite a broad consensus about what needs to be done, companies still struggle to implement lean. Contingency theory posits the explanation that the common advice is not universal but is instead contingent on the situation. This paper investigates how contingency variables influence what practitioners see as success factors for implementing lean. A survey asked 432 practitioners from 83 factories belonging to two multinational companies for their opinions about what managers should do to ensure the success of the factory-level implementation of lean production. The survey responses were grouped into general success factors, which were then tested for differences across four contingency variables: corporation, factory size, stage of lean implementation and national culture. In general, the analysis supports a generic list of CSFs, but with some minor exceptions. For example, the stage of lean implementation in a factory influences to a slight extent which factors are perceived as more effectual than others. The paper contributes to the literature on lean production and offers several recommendations for managers striving to implement lean in their firms.