Effect of lean manufacturing tools on sustainability: the case of Mexican maquiladoras

Abstract

The Mexican maquiladora industry is applying Lean Manufacturing Tools (LMT) in its production lines; however, few studies have investigated its relationship with sustainability (social, economic, and environmental). This paper presents a second-order structural equation model (SEM) relating 8 LMT integrated into three independent latent variables: continuous improvement (Kaizen and Gemba), supporting tools (Andon, visual management, and Poka-yoke), and machinery and equipment (total productive maintenance, overall equipment effectiveness, and Jidoka) that are related to social, economic, and environmental sustainability as dependent variables. The model is validated with information obtained from 249 companies using partial least squares. Findings show that the application of LMT in the Mexican maquiladora industry avoids the generation of waste and reprocessing. Likewise, the improvement of production processes reduces the waste emitted into the environment and reduces energy consumption. Also, when companies have environmental programs, the work environment is safe, and labor relations are improved, increasing morale and the commitment to work for the company, gaining economic and ecological benefits. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-022-18978-6.

A Proposed Framework for Identifying the Impact of Adopting Lean Tools on Enterprise’s Environmental Sustainability Performance

“…Only the direct link between lean implementation and environmental performance is investigated in this study. The results of this study showed that adopting lean tools directly impacts environmental performance in a positive or negative way, which is consistent with studies by Galeazzo et al (2014), Hopp and Spearman (2004), Taucean et al (2019), Hassan andPasha (2022), andGarciaAlcaraz et al (2022), but not Thekkoote (2022).…”

“…On the contrary, lean allegedly accidentally enhances environmental performance, according to Galeazzo et al (2014), Hopp and Spearman (2004), Hassan andPasha (2022), andGarciaAlcaraz et al (2022). In other words, the use of lean tools causes lean implementation to have direct, positive, or negative effects on environmental performance.…”

Relationship between lean manufacturing tools and their sustainable economic benefits

“…In general terms, Shafiq and Soratana [ 48 ] indicate that LM implementation represents an economic investment that managers do not want to risk; however, they point out that the main problem is ESU preparation. Specifically, García-Alcaraz et al [ 15 ] relate 8 LM tools to Mexican maquiladora companies’ industrial sustainability and indicate that ESU requires high investments and LM.…”

“…Also, it has been observed that many studies have been conducted in different countries, such as Brazil [ 9 ], Spain and Italy [ 10 ], Thailand [ 11 , 12 ], Spain and Portugal [ 13 ], and India [ 14 ]. However, few studies have been carried out on this topic in Mexico, and those that exist are limited to analyzing isolated LM tools [ 8 , 15 ]. However, the LM implementation implies that several tools are applied simultaneously in a production line and that there is a sequence and dependence between them; for example, OEE depends on the efficiency of the implemented TPM programs.…”

Machinery Lean Manufacturing Tools for Improved Sustainability: The Mexican Maquiladora Industry Experience

“…More recently, Arredondo-Soto et al [24] analyzed how machinery and equipment calibration can reduce costs and increase economic sustainability. Recently, García-Alcaraz et al [25] reported the relationship between improvement techniques such as kaizen, Gemba, and some visual LM tools with economic sustainability in maquiladoras established in Ciudad Juarez (Mexico). In conclusion, there is evidence that LMTs are related to sustainability, but the experience of Mexican maquiladora is not reported in depth.…”