Application of the lean manufacturing approach in an Italian firm: the case of the IMAB GROUP S.P.A.

The purpose of the paper is to present a study on the successful application of the lean manufacturing model by a firm in Italy. Lean manufacturing or lean production is a production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of the value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. Lean manufacturing involves the production of goods using less of everything: less waste, less human effort, less manufacturing space, less investment in tools and less engineering to develop a new product. This model implies a strategic, proactive and global approach that could prove effective in a turbulent and changing environment, such as the one businesses are currently facing. The case of the IMAB GROUP s.p.a. presented herein is a good example of how a firm has managed to implement the lean manufacturing model. The case study furnishes an example of a well-designed lean method application. The IMAB GROUP's excellent results and growth have attracted the attention of industry rivals in Italy and internationally, and the authors highlight how the principles of TQM and lean manufacturing can help a firm to be successful and to maintain that success.