Lean readiness of organizations – A systematic scientometric review

This study identifies the lean readiness themes, factors/attributes, methodologies, frameworks & sectors of the study of lean readiness assessment. A systematic literature review (SLR) methodology was adopted. Fifty-three research articles indexed in the Scopus & Web of Science database were selected for review. The Zotero software tool was used to consolidate a unified list of articles. The identified articles were further processed and a scientometric review was conducted in the VOSviewer software. Ninety-three attributes of lean readiness within nine themes were identified. Training & Education, Top Management Commitment, and Leadership were found to be the most important lean readiness attributes. Fuzzy logic, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), DEMATEL, and Likert Scale Surveys have been largely adopted for the design of the Lean Readiness Assessment Frameworks. Studies relating to service industries are presently lacking and need to be taken up on a larger scale. Although there have been literature reviews on the subject, this is the first study holistically investigating the attributes of ‘lean readiness’ and summarizing research gaps. The findings of this paper shall benefit the organizations in their readiness assessment and shall also pave the way for further research in many service organizations, with easily implementable and scalable methodologies.