Kartläggning och effektivisering av administrativa processer : En fallstudie på ett tillverkande företag

Sammanfattning: Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine how Lean can be applied to create moreefficient administrative processes. Based on this purpose, two research questions have been formulated. 1. Which types of wastes can be identified using Lean in administrative processes?2. How can wastes be eliminated in administrative processes to achieve a higher efficiency using Lean? Method – The design of the study is a case study where the data collection consists mainly of qualitative data. Firstly, a pilot study was conducted to evaluate data collection methods. The study’s data collection methods consist of interviews, observations and a document study. Collected data were analyzed by transcribing and reviewing documents. Findings – The findings of the study indicated that the wastes defects, waiting, overprocessingand excess inventory was identified in the administrative process. The most common causes of the wastes were lack of information, documentation and standardization. Based on the Lean tools 5S and standardized work, improvement suggestions could be presented to eliminate the wastes. Implications – The implications of the study is that Lean can be applied to administrative processes in manufacturing companies to identify and eliminate wastes. However, it requires prior knowledge about the concept of Lean in order for other companies to apply the results to their own context. Currently, there is a knowledge gap in literature and therefore this study contributes to closing this gap by adding knowledge within the area. Limitations – The study’s limitations are that administrative processes can vary which means that different types of wastes can be identified in different cases. Since the study was conducted at a single case company, it is more difficult to generalize the findings. In addition, the identified wastes could not be quantified and therefore for example the resource aspect could not be determined in order to rank the different wastes.