Testing the S-Curve Theory in OEM for Lean Operations: A Study on Organizational Transformation in the VUCA World

As the world is becoming more VUCA, only a few studies focus on exploring the plant performance and mapping its pattern in real time. The existing study shows that plant performance can be linked to an S-curve theory. This is mainly due to market turbulence, demand for continuous improvement, and the introduction of emerging technologies. Taking this idea, in this article, we focus on testing the S-curve in the lean deployment of an OEM. The study proposes integrating lean tools with decision-making techniques to achieve productivity benefits. The proposed method uses VSM to portray the changeover activities and standardize them using the SMED technique to reduce the changeover time alongside other continuous improvement suggestions. This provides real-time active solutions for decision making, prediction, and planning of resources. It also assists the industrial units in getting better insights into their productivity improvization and market evaluation trends. The study proposed an IoT-driven ecosystem for effective decision making in the OEM environment. Finally, the study is tested in an automotive OEM that has reduced changeover time by > 75% and an overall productivity increase of 27.31%. Such an ecosystem contributes to organizational transformation and promotes innovation in OEM.