Critical Success Factors for Lean Implementation: A Systematic Literature Review

Companies have increasingly acknowledged the strategic value of lean philosophy and the potential for developing a competitive edge via rigorous lean implementation. However, many companies have struggled to establish and sustain lean. Considering this opportunity, the purpose of this paper is to thoroughly and systematically review the development of lean literature focused on the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for lean adoption in contemplation of identifying what CSFs have been addressed since the genesis of the lean concept through the assessment of secondary data from the literature published during the period 1990 – 2021. The findings of this study will assist companies in making more mature and prudent judgments on how their resources and capabilities can be configured for a successful lean initiative deployment. To the author's best knowledge, this study advances existing knowledge by being perhaps one of the most comprehensive systematic literature reviews covering three decades of lean literature on manufacturing and service industries.