Implementierung von Lean-Prinzipien zur Reduzierung von Verschwendung und Steigerung der Effizienz in der Produktion von Maschinenbauunternehmen

Abstract

Increasing globalization offers companies new opportunities and markets, but it also brings challenges such as cost pressures from international competitors. Especially in the machine-building industry, characterized by high export quotes and innovation strength, the efficient design of production processes is essential to remain competitive in the long term. Lean Management is a helpful management approach to reduce waste and increase efficiency. This background motivates this master's thesis titled "Implementation of Lean Principles to Reduce Waste and Increase Efficiency in the Production of Machine-Building Companies," which was created as part of the Master's program in Operations Management at FH Steyr. To support machine-building companies in implementing Lean Management in production, an implementation model for Lean Management in the production of machine-building companies was developed based on a literature review. Initially, the fundamentals of Lean Management and key concepts such as the Toyota Production System and the principles of Lean Production are defined. The basics and characteristics of the machine-building industry are also explained. Change Management is an essential component of Lean implementation, which is why this topic, including the phases of change and strategies for overcoming resistance, is addressed. Building on this foundation, a systematic procedural model for successful Lean implementation was designed. This procedural model predominantly consists of parts of Change Management approaches by Kotter and Lewin as well as existing models for Lean implementation. This model, which aims to support companies in introducing Lean Management, was evaluated and subsequently adjusted through expert interviews based on general and content-specific criteria. The results of the work show that the application of Lean principles leads to a significant reduction in waste and an increase in efficiency when specific methods and tools are applied correctly. Key success factors are the involvement of employees, continuous improvement and the adaptation of Lean methods to the individual requirements of the companies.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Patrick Pöchlauer (Supervisor)