Green and lean implementation: an assessment in the automotive industry

Purpose: The purpose of this research work is to propose an assessment framework to evaluate businesses in terms of the implementation of a green and lean organization’s supply chain. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual framework was developed for the assessment of green and lean implementation. The framework was designed using key criteria to identify green and lean initiatives. This led to the development of guidelines for each criterion, and the development of a scoring method. A multiple case study of five different organizations in the automotive industry was conducted to validate the conceptual framework. Findings: The study reveals that high scores are derived from a good interaction between green and lean implementation in these companies. The results confirm that the initiatives considered in the conceptual framework were appropriate to represent the green and lean assessment framework. Research limitations/implications: The case study was developed in five organizations. Validation of the model is not based on quantitative techniques. The sample size is too small. More study is need in different industry sectors. Practical implications: The proposed model can be the basis for further research on green and lean concepts, contributing to the understanding of green and lean implementation. With this assessment method, managers can evaluate their business in relation to the implementation of green and lean supply chain initiatives. Originality/value: To the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first to provide an assessment framework to evaluate an organization’s supply chain in terms of green and lean implementation.