This paper recommends a stepwise method, named sustainable-setup-stream-mapping (3SM), to improve manufacturing setup time and its sustainability impacts. The recommended method is developed based on an extensive literature review, in-depth explorative research in discrete manufacturing, and lean manufacturing tools: value stream mapping (VSM) and Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED). 3SM uses VSM in a novel way to break down setup operations, and employs SMED techniques to improve them. 3SM also recommends a list of criteria, for environmental, social, and economic pillars of sustainability, to assess the setup impacts against them within the setup workstation and in its relevant processes. This research implements 3SM in a real-life case, where the outcomes prove the practicality of 3SM and its improvements in setup times and sustainability criteria.Given the lack of well-established methods to analyze sustainability in setup improvement, this research enhances the existing ideas around sustainable manufacturing to a more specific level, showing what/how sustainability criteria are influenced by setup activities/tasks at setup work station and factory-wide levels. This paper also expands the scope of SMED to sustainability improvement. The extended view of 3SM to setup and sustainability criteria, and its visualanalytical approach help managers to improve their operations more holistically.

Purpose This paper aims to propose a stepwise method to improve the sustainability of manufacturing processes. Design/methodology/approach The proposed approach is based on an extensive literature review and research around the environmental, economic and social pillars of sustainability in manufacturing firms. Considering the lean approach, the manufacturing processes are mapped in a value stream and analyzed through the extensive identified sustainability criteria. Findings The findings reveal the consumption and waste of natural and nonrenewable resources, through going beyond the existing boundaries and focusing on relevant derived production pieces and tracing to their origins. The findings also present the effect of the time value of money on sustainability by using the cost–time profile as a sustainability criterion. This research finds out the employees’ impacts on sustainability improvement through an effective focus on technical, cultural and personal aspects. Practical implications The research outcomes provide operations managers and decision-makers in the field of sustainability with a practical platform to comprehend and assess the factors contributing to the manufacturing process sustainability and to plan relevant corrective actions accordingly. Originality/value The extended view of sustainability criteria in this research as well as its visual-analytical approach will help practitioners to assess and improve sustainability in their operations in a more holistic way.