Lean integrated management system for sustainability improvement:An integrated system of tools and metrics for sustainability management

Abstract There is an unprecedented demand for adding sustainability to operations including design, manufacturing, and supply chains. However, there is a significant gap in how to assess and improve sustainability performance using an interdisciplinary approach. Consequently, to supply the demand for sustainability it is necessary to have a sustainability management system (MS) that allows organizations to include sustainability using its existing MSs. Here, we present an innovative model to manage and improve sustainability performance aimed at cleaner production; this model integrates quality, environmental, social responsibility (SR), and occupational health and safety (OHS) MSs with the lean manufacturing system. The model named Lean Integrated Management System for Sustainability Improvement (LIMSSI) is based on the rational use of resources and energy while engaging and empowering people. The LIMSSI model provides an innovative description of correlations of the quality, environmental, OHS, and SR requirements with the principles and tools of lean manufacturing; it also includes a structured description of how to create synergies. It was developed considering difficulties faced by organizations in improving sustainability, and aim to avoid loss of organizational efficiency due to waste, duplication, and bureaucracy. The LIMSSI have the potential to improve corporate sustainability performance and thereby render companies more sustainable and competitive by being economically profitable, ecologically correct, operationally safe, socially fair, and culturally accepted.