Lean Maturity Assessment in ETO Scenario

The obligatory path towards a lean manufacturing organization requires assessment and monitoring. However, a lean assessment framework is not yet available for the engineer to order (ETO) scenario. This work explored ten lean ETO maturity principles-identified from the literature-that take insight from three formally defined sets (Toyota Way, lean construction, and lean product development principles). A practical assessment model was proposed based on the evaluation of ten lean ETO objective criteria (four with mathematical formulation) and was validated on a real industrial case. A problem-solving tool, including a new lean tool, called the Problem Focus Matrix (PFM), was also presented; this tool was aimed toward development of an integrated framework that would include the organization mission, management, and continuous improvement.