Cezary Kolmasiak
Częstochowa University of Technology, Faculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology, Department of Production Management, Armii Krajowej 19A, 42-201 Częstochowa, Poland
The article concerns the application of Lean Management tools in a household appliances manufacturing company in order to reduce resource waste and improve process efficiency. The starting point is the need to increase competitiveness by eliminating activities that do not add value and implementing solutions that support sustainable development. The analysis presented in the paper consists of several stages, the most important of which are: the process of identifying inefficient areas of work, determining the key sources of losses, and the stage of implementing improvements and their evaluation. A review of the literature revealed a lack of detailed empirical analyses describing the actual implementation of Lean in Polish companies in this sector. The study used a case study method, including an analysis of the production processes of household appliances and their components, measurements of operation times at assembly stations, an assessment of material flow, and the identification of sources of waste. An assessment of the effectiveness of the implemented improvement measures using performance indicators was also planned. The results should make it possible to determine the impact of the Lean tools used, such as 5S, work standardization, and logistical improvements, on reducing losses, increasing productivity, and improving work organization. The results confirm that even minor organizational and technical improvements can significantly increase a company’s productivity, reduce waste of time, energy, and materials, and improve the environmental impact of its operations.