Implementing visual management for continuous improvement: barriers,success factors and best practices

Visual management (VM) has become an important lean management practice for continuous improvement and has gained increasing attention from academics and practitioners. While operations management scholars have studied its benefits and functions, the factors that enable or hinder VM implementation have not been systematically investigated. Against this background, our study analyses qualitative case study data from Swiss manufacturing firms to reveal important barriers and success factors that are relevant for the implementation of VM. Moreover, for each success factor, we present several best practices observed in the case companies to overcome the associated barriers. The results contribute to the emerging field of VM within the lean management literature and provide insights for practitioners how to implement VM more effectively.     

A study on the critical factors of ISO 9001:2000 and organizational performance of Indian manufacturing firms

This study explores the critical factors of ISO 9001:2000 and investigates the effect of ISO certification on organizational performance, as perceived by the management. In order to gain more insight into the investigation, the study also analyses the relationship between the firm attributes and the critical factors, as well as the relationship between firm attributes and the indicators of organizational performance.     

Reengineering of the Laundry Service at a University Campus: A Continuous-Improvement Quality-Management Methodology

The Department of Auxiliary Services of the University of Miami had been the recipient of numerous anecdotal complaints by resident students regarding the service of the laundry system offered at the residential on-campus dormitories (students often complained about nonworking and/or busy machines). In this paper we present a holistic systems approach that utilizes total quality management and quantitative decision-making tools in a seamless fashion to improve the students' satisfaction and perception related to the laundry system. At the same time, other departmental important objectives, such as the implementation of an ongoing in-house procedure that supports its continuous-improvement program, are taken into account. Results that document the improved system performance are further presented.