An interpretive hierarchical model for lean implementation in machine tool sector

Manufacturing organisations the world over have been witnessing a phenomenal transformation in the industrial paradigm. The machine tool sector gives an impetus to the industrial growth of any economy. This sector has been striving hard for the last few decades in India to turn the tide in its favour. The lean concepts have been used across industries and regions to improve value chain performance of the producing units. One of the key tasks of top management is to identify and exploit the criteria of lean implementation to ensure survival and sustained growth of the organisation. The aim of this study is to develop a framework for analysing the interaction among the major criteria of lean manufacturing in machine tool industry. This paper utilises the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) to understand the mutual influences among the lean criteria and then classify these criteria on the basis of their driving and dependence powers.