From Toyota Production System to Lean Retailing. Lessons from Seven-Eleven Japan

摘要

In order to face their global competitors, one solution consists for manufacturing companies around the world to implement the Toyota Production System (TPS). Lean manufacturing evolved from TPS. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate that lean principles and concepts can be successfully applied in a company from the retail industry, such as Seven-Eleven Japan. Lean retailing is now a reality that has forced manufacturers to build standard products on-demand using build-to-order techniques. The retail markets are characterized by a strong competition, short product life cycles, long product development lead times, and highly volatile demand. Today's powerful retailers insist on low prices and refuse to carry inventory. The main objectives of the paper were achieved by using an extensive review of the literature and a case study.