Performance Improvements through Implementation of LeanPractices: A Study of the U.K. Red Meat Industry

摘要

Lean’ is an established industrial paradigm with proven track record in varioussectors of the industry (Womack & Jones, 1996). World-class Companies such asToyota (second biggest global car manufacturer), Porsche’ (most profitable globalOEM), Boeing (largest global aerospace business) and Tesco (third largest globalretailer) have adopted Lean at the corporate level. This paper reports on theintroduction of ‘Lean Thinking’ to a new sector – the ‘Red Meat Industry’ (FoodChain Centre, 2004). This contribution highlights the benefits of lean productiontechniques in different stages of the red meat value chain and reports 2- 3%potential cost savings at each stage of the chain.