Lean Transformations for Small and Medium Enterprises: Lessons Learned from Italian Businesses

Lean Transformations for Small and Medium Enterprises: Lessons Learned from Italian Businesses summarizes two decades of research, teaching, and practice on lean thinking.

Based on quantitative analysis of 100 cases of Lean transformations and 20 in-depth case studies of successfully transformed SMEs, it explains how to undertake lean transformations that lead to operational and financial performance improvement, and uses the Lean Transformation Framework --conceptualized by John Shook at the Lean Enterprise Institute―as a practical approach to design and de-risk the transformation process.

SMEs’ leaders wishing to undertake and sustain a lean transformation must:

• Make a serious and lasting commitment to transform, avoiding the temptation to change course of action;
• Choose accurately the value streams that require improvement as defined by strategy deployment;
• Build capabilities to sustain the transformation;
• Lead by example by going to gemba and creating a culture of respect for people that goes beyond the visible devices and artifacts of Lean tools.

Arnaldo Camuffo, PhD, MBA , is full professor of management at Bocconi University, where he teaches lean management, and is director of ICRIOS, the Invernizzi Center for Research in Innovation, Organization, Strategy & Entrepreneurship. He previously taught at the Universities of Padova and Venice, Italy, and held visiting professor positions at the Industrial Performance Center at MIT; the School of Management of the University of Michigan, Dearborn; and the Universidad Deusto, San Sebastian. After getting his MBA at MIT and his PhD at the University of Venice, he collaborated with the International Motor Vehicle Program at MIT and the GERPISA–Groupe d’Etudes et de Recherches Permanent sur l’Industrie et les Salariés de l’Automobile, Université d’Evry-Val d’Essonne. As the author of several books (in English and Italian), essays, and articles in international journals, such as Organization Science , Strategic Management Journal , Research Policy , MIT Sloan Management Review , International Journal of Operations and Production Management , Journal of Business Ethics , Industrial Relations , Industrial and Corporate Change , Industry and Innovation , European Management Review , International Journal of Human Resource Management , International Journal of Management Reviews , Entrepreneurship and Regional Development , Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management , Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management , and International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management , he has consulted extensively with the most important Italian Industrial Groups. He is president of Istituto Lean Management, affiliate to the Lean Global Network, scientific director of the Lean Experience Factory, and a mem- ber of the board of directors of the Lean Global Network. Has served and serves as independent director of Italian listed and nonlisted companies. His work has been widely publicized.