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The lean manufacturing champion: reducing time and risk by encouraging risk‐taking
Author(s) -
Stewart Steve,
Adams Mel
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
strategic change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.527
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 1099-1697
pISSN - 1086-1718
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1697(199809/10)7:6<357::aid-jsc388>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - champion , lean manufacturing , business , product (mathematics) , process management , lean laboratory , operations management , key (lock) , risk analysis (engineering) , marketing , computer science , engineering , political science , computer security , software construction , geometry , mathematics , software , software system , law , programming language
This paper documents how a general manager encouraged risk‐taking to strategically reposition a leading manufacturer from a focused facility making a narrow product line for a few domestic customers to a flexible, lean manufacturer making a wide product line for many global customers. Specifically, we: review research on management perspectives on risk and change champions; summarize key leadership strategies and behaviours of champions; suggest ways to promote change and develop time‐based infrastructure; present benefits of encouraging risk‐taking, and suggest actions to become a lean manufacturing champion. Use of lean manufacturing at Copeland/Hartselle doubled production in the same floorspace, and changed the culture of the organization. Based on experience in transferring the Copeland model, we provide specific recommendations for implementation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.