Developing a lean-based holistic framework for studying industrial systems

Abstract

The lean philosophy comprises a group of revolutionary concepts and a set of innovative tools for visualizing and improving the system. However, its integration within the various areas of industrial engineering, as a core base, needs to be wider explored. This study builds further on the lean philosophy through focused reviews of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics what has allowed the derivation of analogies and conceptual adaptations. The study adopts the system view and orients itself as a conceptual study leading to the development of a Holistic framework for studying industrial systems. The outcomes of the study provide a structured procedure along with supporting tools and guiding schemes for studying industrial systems and open wide future research opportunities in the direct implementation as well as in the system analysis, system optimization and system design.

Keywords:

• Industrial systems
• lean philosophy
• holistic framework
• industrial systems study approach
• spatial value stream map
• multi-stream system modelling scheme

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Dr. Sherif Fahmy at The American University in Cairo, Egypt, for his feedback on the initial drafts of the work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Amr Nounou

Amr Nounou is the Industrial Engineering Department Chair at American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. He earned B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from The American University in Cairo and M.Sc. in Textile and Clothing Engineering (at the faculty of Mechanical Engineering) as well as Dr.-Ing. in Mechanical Engineering from The Technische Universität Dresden. His research interests are in the areas of thermal ergonomics, facilities planning, strategic management, lean and Six Sigma. He has more than ten years of industrial experience in the fields of strategic management, change management, project management, product development and production planning.