Abstract
Current research has exposed the fact that organisations in South Africa grapple with the implementation of lean systems. Lean systems affect the entire organisation and require strategies which link core and supporting processes from end-to-end. In many cases it requires the redesign of the supply chains’ supporting activities or processes that provide added value to the business processes of the organisation.
Contemporary research postulates that to be successful, an organisation should have specific objectives when implementing a lean system. The objectives would ensure a smooth, rapid flow of materials and or work through a system. Primarily it compels management to perform a health-check or business capability performance gap analysis before attempting to formulate a lean implementation strategy.
The objective of the paper based on topical research, is the development of a health-check. In developing a knowledge framework and measurement model, various tools were used for statistical analysis. The framework would assist organisations in identifying critical success factors during the implementation of lean. It addresses lean implementation strategy confirming the overall business improvement endeavour through value adding activities. An added advantage is that it would assist an organisation in performing a capability performance health-check before embarking on a lean or value adding project.