Integration of knowledge management and change management to implement Lean Manufacturing

Abstract

[EN] Nowadays organizations are worried about getting better and better results with fewer resources, in order to survive and overcome the high competition, globalized markets, economic downturns and cost effects that obligate them to follow this policy. In this sense, there are many proposed solutions to face those challenges (methods, strategies and techniques) available on internet portals, consulting sectors, books and many other sources. One of these is the well-known strategy Lean Manufacturing, a popular Japanese production method that was mainly developed in Toyota as the Toyota Production System. Many companies have tried to implement it as a whole system or have adopted a portion of the strategy, in order to improve their internal processes. Lean Manufacturing is a way of production that achieves the challenge of getting more with less through the elimination of waste or activities that do not add value to the production process. It also increases customer satisfaction, improves the organizational performance and results in general. The Lean thinking specifies value, line up that value with the creation of actions in the best structure, conduct these activities without interruption, and perform them in a more efficient manner. To implement this philosophy a big effort is required from the organization and its members to adapt themselves to new ways of performing, thinking and improving procedures. In this process there is a lot of knowledge sprouting out and changes provoked, and if it is not managed properly it can affect the development of Lean methodology and delay the positive results. In that sense, there are other models that can complement the implementation of the strategy explained before; these are Knowledge and Change Management. The first one can create the mechanisms to identify, capture and share the knowledge needed to launch Lean Manufacturing and the second one make the transition from the current state to the desired future state, attacking points such as the resistance to change that comes naturally while facing any transformation environment. According to what has been explained and based on the popularity of Lean among the organizations, we propose to integrate knowledge and change management to implement Lean Manufacturing concept.