Critical factors when implementing Lean practices and Lean distribution for a micro company in the start-up phase

Sammanfattning: The aim for this study is to identify the critical factors for an implementation of Lean for a micro company in the start-up phase, as well as to identify which Lean practices that are most applicable for a distribution strategy in a micro company. The aim was divided into two research questions: • RQ1: Which factors of a Lean implementation is critical for a producing micro company in the start-up phase? • RQ2: How applicable are lean tools and practices for a micro company’s distribution strategy? The research approach used to answer the aim and research questions were a literature review and a case study. A solid literature review was performed to understand the subject in a broader context as well as to compensate for the empirical findings. The case study was conducted at a micro company in the construction industry in Sweden, which currently has no distribution strategy. Since there is limited information related to micro companies, the study has been expanded to also include SMEs. Several factors were identified as critical for an implementation for a micro company. The factors were categorized as critical, favorable, hindering and driving. The identified most relevant critical factors for micro companies was the leadership and management as well as financial capabilities. This was found to be in line with the theoretical framework. Furthermore, an identification was that the Lean tools and practices that were the most applicable for a micro company were those that focus on the internal processes and the involvement of the workforce, such as 5S, PDCA and visual management. These tools were the most applicable because of the financial aspects as well as the lack of influence that a micro company has over its supply chain. It is recommended to perform a similar case study in a micro company with a higher level of maturity and has started their distribution of goods to further analyze tangible empirical data. Lean concerning micro companies need further research if it should become attractive and achievable for micro companies.