Lean production application in an example office furniture business

This thesis presents the lean consultancy process undertaken by a family-owned office furniture company to address its chronic operational problems. As the first step in this long-term initiative, the 5S technique—one of the lean manufacturing tools—was implemented. The decision to apply the 5S method was made based on a question-and-answer approach during preliminary interviews conducted as part of the consultancy process. The thesis details the implementation of the 5S steps across eight different sections of the company, supplemented with before-and-after visuals. In addition to 5S practices, Asakai meetings and the Yellow Pallet application were also implemented and discussed. The contributions of the 5S steps, Asakai meetings, and the Yellow Pallet application to the company and its operations are presented. The results reflect the individual and team-level impacts of the applications, the financial gains for the company, the newly established factory layout, and the shift in perspective among staff—all indicating that the efforts yielded positive outcomes. As a result of lean manufacturing implementations in the office furniture factory, three new dressing rooms were created to ensure suitable conditions for employees, staff motivation increased following organizational improvements, a total of 63 minutes were saved in material search time in the warehouse, 716 red-tagged items were eliminated, and a space gain of 271.24 m² was achieved. This study aims to contribute to the literature on the applicability and implementation steps of the lean production philosophy, especially in the furniture industry and more broadly in the Turkish forest products sector. In addition to a detailed presentation of the 5S practices in a well-established office furniture manufacturing company, the integration of the Yellow Pallet application adds a unique aspect to the study.