Exploring effective ways to implement strategic lean innovation management

Abstract

This thesis analyzes and discusses how to implement strategic lean innovation management (SLIM) to an organization from the perspective of cultural change, business strategies, and management tools and practices. Lean concepts focus on the reduction and identification of waste, variability, and cost while adding value to the customer. Literature has shown that applying lean enterprise management strategies to an organization may lead to reduced effectiveness of some innovation efforts, especially if “value” is not defined appropriately. The ability to be lean while remaining innovative is important for companies to stay competitive. Little is known about how lean enterprise management and innovation management can be effectively applied together to an organization. The combination and implementation of these management strategies to an organization were analyzed and proposed at three levels: cultural transformation, business strategies, and business tools and practices. At the cultural level, three critical phases were identified and analyzed to provide solutions and ideas in achieving SLIM. At the business strategy level, product platform and innovation pipeline were identified as two strategies to achieve SLIM. At the tools and practices level, the value stream mapping tool and new product design process were improved by tradeoff analysis and combining concepts and advantages from both lean and innovation management philosophies. The findings and proposed ideas provide a guidance for organizations to effectively utilize the core concepts and benefits found in lean and innovation management.