Track: Supply Chain Management

Abstract

Due to an increasing competitive pressure for shorter lead times, lower costs and better quality, the principles of Lean Manufacturing have been incorporated into the supply chain integrative approaches. The adoption of Lean Supply Chain Management (LSCM) entails a different business model, in which improved profits arise from the cooperation rather than bargaining or imposing power over supply chain partners. This paper aims to examine the relationship between LSCM practices and the performance of the supply chain. The literature about LSCM is scarce and only suggests a positive association between LSCM and supply chain performance, but without testing empirically. The comprehension of the relationship between the implementation of LSCM practices and their effect on supply chain performance helps to anticipate occasional difficulties and sets the proper expectations along the lean implementation. In this sense, we postulate four bundles of inter-related and internally consistent LSCM practices, which have been conceptually proposed in previous researches. Base on a survey carried out with 89 Brazilian companies, we empirically validate these bundles and further investigate their simultaneous effects on supply chain performance. Results indicate that the effect of each bundle may not always happen as expected.