An empirical study of the lean concept at a Maltese building services contractor

Abstract

This study explores how the Lean concept can be applied to a service-oriented industry. Having noticed that very few international researches have been performed on the Building Services Industry, it was deemed appropriate to try to examine this particular local sector. The report was built on both primary and secondary data sources. Existing literature was needed to obtain a theoretical background onto which to develop an effective primary data gathering technique. A number of options were thus evaluated in this regard, resulting in the decision of conducting one-to-one interviews, together with the documentation of personal observations. Upon terminating the field research, it could be concluded that the most important issues companies must address are Value, Quality, Creative Thinking and their respective Lean Implementation. These findings suggest that firms should always avoid falling prey to a complacent attitude. Continuous improvement and innovation should be at the basis of operations, if these do not want to end up obsolete and over-run by their direct competitors. Even though these conclusions can prove valid for all types of organisations, it must also be conceded that the entire discussion is specifically based on the case study. Implications like; the relationship between Lean Methodologies and Cost Effectiveness; the implementation of a Lean Culture; the adherence with Industry Standards, together with Best Practices Guidelines, should be viewed in light of the effected investigation. Should a completely extraneous company be interested in using this report as a basis onto which to launch a Leaner Corporate Philosophy, it is advisable to adapt its contents accordingly. An outright generalisation of the obtained findings should never be done, since every entity is unique, and should thus be treated as a distinct case altogether.