Measuring the effectiveness of lean thinking （测量精益思想的有效性）.pdfVIP

Measuring the effectiveness of lean thinking activities within maintenance C. DAVIES, R.M. GREENOUGH E-mail: chris@davies71.fslife.co.uk Abstract Maintenance has become a management issue, with its function as a contributor towards profit. This indicates the need for the maintenance operation to align with the business objectives and increase value for the enterprise. As a contributor to current management techniques, lean thinking approaches are now more commonly used. Without strong evidence to support the presence of generic lean thinking strategies especially in maintenance, a lean practice template needs to be developed, representative of activities possible within a company and maintenance in particular. The use of performance measurements and their strategic importance to organisations have been well documented. However, lack of research in their implementation and use, relation to the organisation, and satisfaction of the decision-maker’s requirements needs further consideration. Keywords: Lean thinking, Maintenance, Performance measurement, Lean maintenance Introduction This paper discusses the combined issues of lean thinking, maintenance, and measures of performance, in particular performance indicators to identify the impact of lean thinking within maintenance. Specific attention focuses on the contribution of lean thinking within an organisation, the need for maintenance to align itself with the business objectives of the organisation, and the need for performance measures to inform of improvement within the organisation, and maintenance in particular, through lean activity.