Application of interpretive structural modelling for analysis of lean adoption barriers in heavy industry

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to depict a study on analysis of barriers to lean adoption in fabrication industry using interpretive structural modelling (ISM). Design/methodology/approach: From the literature review, 22 barriers to lean adoption in fabrication industry have been recognized . Self-structure interaction matrix has been developed based on expert opinion. Computational steps of ISM are being done to develop the structural model. cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis is being done to group the barriers into four types. Findings: Based on the study, it has been found that “lack of knowledge about lean (philosophy, principles, tools)”, “lack of top management support and commitment” and “poor leadership” are found to be the principal barriers. MICMAC analysis indicated that number of driving, dependent, linkage and autonomous barriers are 9, 8, 4 and 1, respectively. Practical implications: The study has been executed based on the inputs from industrial practitioners and hence the inferences are found to have practical relevance. Originality/value: The study is an attempt to analyze the barriers for lean concepts adoption in fabrication kind of industry.