LEAN MANAGEMENT IN THE HOTEL SECTOR – OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS

Abstract

The lean concept has been identified with large companies, serial production, and the automotive industry. The approach is growing in popularity and the SME sector is increasingly using it. It is also gaining ground in the service sector. An ever-accelerating world does not always provide opportunities for understanding the principles of lean prior its introduction; consequently, the expected results rarely materialize. During my research in the service industry SME, the in-depth interviews, questionnaire queries, and on-site crawls (gemba walks) I have completed confirmed the existence of an illusory lean that originates from a misinterpretation of the principles. Lean is used as a tool and not as a philosophy. For this reason, it does not bring the expected results. Through hotel industry examples in my research, I present the development possibilities of the process and the potential dangers of misinterpreting lean use.