 Investigating the main problems in implementing Lean in supply chains of service companiesAlberto Portioli-Staudacher and Marco Tantardini International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2012, vol. 11, issue 1, 87-106 Abstract: In order to embrace the Lean principles, supply chains of service companies (SCSCs) likely have to modify how they manage operations. In this paper, we investigate which could be the main problems that managers of SCSCs may encounter in modifying how they manage operations to be more in line with the Lean approach next to presenting a new framework for the defining characteristics of Lean in service companies. This study generates theory from observations in supply chains of service companies, exploiting the process of inductive construction of theory (Handfield and Melnyk, 1998). The methodology in this paper is the analytical conceptual research (Wacker, 1998). The study highlights four main areas of problems within the supply chains of service companies and some messages for managers willing to implement Lean in such environment. Keywords: lean approach; SCM; supply chain management; service companies; theory building; inductive construction; Steven Melnyk; Robert Handfield; analytical conceptual research; services management; operations management. (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijsoma:v:11:y:2012:i:1:p:87-106 Access Statistics for this article More articles in International Journal of Services and Operations Management from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd |
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