How to Make Lean Cellular Manufacturing Work? Integrating Human Factors in the Design and Improvement Process

There are three components involved in lean implementation at any institute, and only when considered cooperatively, they can guarantee a sustainable deployment: technical components, human factors, and the organizational elements. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive model of these components to assist managers in transitioning from a traditional manufacturing facility to a cellular lean manufacturing unit. This model can also be employed to enhance the performance of a lean cell. We integrate the mechanical factors including the number of processes, types of tasks, and demand levels with the human behavioral factors including learning, forgetting, and motivation levels, to enhance productivity. The role of organizational and cultural change is also discussed within this transformation process