| According to Murman, Allen, Bozdogan, Cutcher-Gershenfeld, McManus, Nightingale, et al., Lean enterprise value: Insights from MIT's lean aerospace initiative, (2002), Lean enterprise initiatives (LEIs) have been applied to commercial large volume manufacturing processes with minimal variation, such as those found in the automobile and aerospace industries, with continued success. This study showed that there was some correlation achieved by applying LEIs such as: (a) value stream analysis, (b) supply chain management, (c) total quality management, (d) Six Sigma, (e) ISO certifications, (f) continuous improvements, and (g) process reduction initiatives to low volume-manufacturing processes with multiple variations typically found in the defense industry. The study also determined the impact of applying these LEIs by defense contractors and investigating the changes they have on key performance measures (KPMs) such as: (a) financial, (b) manufacturing methods, (c) quality management, and (d) environmental management. It also determined differences in the viewpoints of senior leadership and middle management in the areas of (a) quality management systems, (b) lean manufacturing, and (c) environmental management. The results from this research, in the defense industry, were compared to findings from a previous automobile study to determine if a statistically significant difference existed between the two industries. These research findings could provide information useful to the senior leadership of defense contractors, the Department of Defense (DoD), and other organizations by discovering if a correlation to KPMs exists when LEIs are implemented by defense contractors. |
