Lean Translated from a Manufacturing Industry Context to Municipality Service Production: A Case Study

Abstract

The expectations of Norwegian citizens with respect to the quality, availability, and effectiveness of public healthcare and welfare service provided by municipalities, are rising. Public resources are at the same time limited. This increased pressure is, however, an encouragement to optimize organizations and improve productivity and on delivering high-quality service. It is well known from the manufacturing industry that lean as an approach has achieved outstanding results regard to this. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore the translation process of new organizational idea of lean into the municipality, enabling to meet future increasing demand. The translation is carried out through a collaboration between a private actor and the municipality, where the private actor contributes with knowledge and skills about lean in a manufacturing industry context. An in-depth, exploratory single case study was carried out with the aim of understanding how the collaboration process takes place and the factors that drive the translation process. From how lean is rendered to fit the specific context to its meet in the recipient organization. The data material is made up of semi-structured interviews with key personnel from both actors and the analysis of written documentation from the collaboration process. The main drivers identified were being part of the same municipality, competent translation, internal translator to prepare the final translation, and solid anchoring and motivated leadership.