Identifying and Prioritizing Obstacles to Implementing Lean Manufacturing in Iran's Printing Industry

The present study aims to identify barriers to implementing lean production, determine cause-and-effect relationships between barriers to implementing lean production, and prioritize or rank barriers to implementing lean production in the Iranian printing industry. The research is descriptive in nature and uses two field and library, and the statistical population includes 100 senior managers and production managers from 50 selected printing houses in Tehran. The data collection tool is a questionnaire. The Cochran formula was used to calculate the minimum required sample size, and the DEMATEL technique and the analytic network modeling process in Super Decision software were used to determine cause-and-effect relationships and rank barriers to implementing lean production in the printing industry. The research findings include: financial constraints, inadequate commitment and support of senior managers, insufficient knowledge and skills of senior managers, low understanding and awareness of lean production concepts and the benefits of implementing them, low quality of raw materials, and lack of expert consultants in the field of lean production in the field of printing and publishing. These are barriers of the cause type and affect other barriers. Lack of training and empowerment of employees, lack of proper motivation system in the organization, workers' resistance to change, old machinery and parts and technologies, old and underdeveloped layout and infrastructure, and incorrect selection and use of lean tools and methods are all handicapping barriers and are affected by other barriers. Insufficient knowledge and skills of senior managers are the most influential barrier. Workers' resistance to change is the most influential barrier. Financial constraints are most closely related to other barriers.