Assess the lean performances in Vietnamese companies – a multi-case study in manufacturing firms

Abstract

This study is conducted to assess the Lean performances of 10 Vietnamese manufacturing companies in terms of 13 factors proposed by Hirano (2009). Managers of 6 large companies and 4 small and medium ones are invited to participate in semi-structured interviews to assess their own company’s Lean performances and raise the ideas for their assessments. The research results show that large companies perform better than the small and medium ones in all 13 factors. As a whole, the studied companies apply Lean at acceptable levels for their operations in terms of awareness revolution, the 5S’s, multi-process operations, labor cost reduction, visual control, quality assurance, standard operations, maintenance and safety. These companies have to effort much more in flow production, Kanban, leveled production, change-over, and human automation. To survive in the context of today Vietnam economy, these companies should focus on long-term strategies to take advantages of Lean philosophy for their future development.