Reducing carbon emissions in precast concrete production through the lean production philosophy

Derived from the Toyota Production System, the lean production philosophy has been developed as a management strategy to satisfy customer needs by delivering the quality products and services when the customer needs them, in the amount required and at the right place. It focuses on eliminating non-value adding activities and improving the efficiency of value adding activities at the same time. Many studies have been completed on how the application of the lean production philosophy can lead to productivity improvement. However, studies that attempt to relate the lean production philosophy with sustainable development are still at an infancy stage, especially in the domain of carbon emissions. This research therefore aims to, for the first time, identify how the lean production philosophy can be applied in precast concrete factories to reduce carbon emissions. The findings suggest that the lean production philosophy has great potential to help precast concrete factories cut down on carbon emission levels and that the precasters should be prepared to apply the lean principles to meet regulations that support environmental considerations.