Lean production system and the human resource aspects

Abstract

Doingmorewith less in today’sworld of ever increasing scarceresources is themoving force behind Lean Production System. Lean creates value by optimizing the use of scarce resources and by eliminating waste in the form of overproduction, waiting, transportation, unnecessary inventory, inappropriate processing, excess motion and defects. All these are intellectually mapped out and executed by the invaluable genius of theHuman Resource. This paper looks at the unique role of the human resource in the lean production paradigm which is gradually being undermined in the silent but unending quest for total automation in lean production system. The methodology adopted involved a combination of real case study and extensive literature review on Lean and human resource management. The observable finding showed that to be able to achieve the continuous improvement benefit of lean all that was needed was a committed and dedicated leadership but most importantly a fully involved and participatory human resource with the prerequisite ability to propel the entire system to achieve the goals of the organization at the optimum level. Optimizing this human resource factor that propels the system involves motivating it in a way that encourages the development of its dynamic learning capability and its ingenuity.