Less for More: Enhancing Sustainability through Lean Operations

Recently, the increase in resource consumption, climate change, biodiversity, water scarcity, and demographic changes and instability triggered the society to consider sustainability issues by taking the triple bottom line dimensions (or otherwise noted as 3BL) (Elkington & Rowlands, 1999) into organizational activities, namely economy, social and environment. Malaysia is committed to pursuing sustainable development based on three pillars, namely high income, inclusivity, and sustainability, which mirrors the 3BL dimensions of sustainable development goals. One of the operational initiatives that appear to have a link to sustainability is lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing focuses on the elimination of waste in the entire supply chain networks, including transportation, excess inventory, unnecessary motion (of operators, machines/equipment, materials), waiting (of operators, machines/equipment, materials), over-processing, overproduction, defects (including scraps), and under-utilized skills. This study provides empirical evidence about the structural effects of lean manufacturing implementation on sustainability among manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia. This book introduces the study, its methodology, data analysis results, alongside the discussion and recommendations to strengthen the implementation of lean manufacturing and heighten its effects on the sustainability of manufacturing SMEs