Lean Practices in Mexico: An Analysis of Adoption in Multinational Plants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54167/tch.v19iEspecial.1975Keywords:
Lean Manufacturing, Manufacturing Performance, Multinational Companies, Toyota Production System, Sector AnalysisAbstract
The concept of Lean manufacturing is a methodology for optimizing companies' production processes. The objective was to analyze the adoption of lean techniques in multinational manufacturing plants (MMPs) in Mexico. A non-probability sampling was used to select participating companies, and a survey was administered to 316 managers and engineering-level personnel in the automotive, aerospace, electrical/electronic, and medical sectors. A questionnaire was designed with 13 items, and the study variable was the adoption of lean techniques based on the level of implementation and type of adoption (partial or full). Statistical analysis used a five-level Likert scale. The results reveal that the lean techniques most commonly implemented by companies are related to operational stability, such as 5S, standardized work, and total productive maintenance (TPM). It was also observed that the core pillars of the Toyota Production System, such as just-in-time and Jidoka, have low levels of adoption. Furthermore, although percentage differences were observed between sectors regarding the types of adoption (partial vs. comprehensive), these were not statistically significant. It is concluded that the adoption of Lean techniques does not strictly depend on the industrial sector, but rather on internal organizational factors, contributing to an understanding of the fragmented implementation of Lean in Latin American contexts.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54167/tch.v19iEspecial.1975
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