From Micro to Macro: A Comprehensive Study of Lean Manufacturing Tools in Tanzanian Industries

The study aimed to establish the adoption status of tools and practices, drivers, and barriers for Lean Manufacturing (LM) for the Tanzanian context based on the industry size. The study adopted a survey research design. A purposeful sampling technique was deployed to collect responses from micro, small, medium, and large manufacturing industries. A total of 256 responses were received. Upon data cleaning, a total of 243 responses remained for further analysis. SPSS version 27 was used to analyze descriptive statistics such as mean and inferential statistics such as ANOVA. The results indicate the growing adoption of Lean Manufacturing across industries, from micro to large industries. The adoption of Lean Manufacturing for large industries is 75.1%, for medium industries is 66.7%, for small industries is 54%, and 50% for micro industries. The average adoption for all industries is 61.5%. The specific Lean practices vary by industry size; common practices include 5 s, visual management, and concurrent engineering with larger industries using more complex lean practices like cellular manufacturing. Moreover, the study indicates that drivers and barriers for Lean Manufacturing vary based on the size of the manufacturing industry. The study will guide those who wish to implement Lean Manufacturing in Tanzania and other countries with similar characteristics and challenges.