Lean implementation pathways at plant level: sequencing tools, dependencies, and a practice-based roadmap from an emerging industrial ecosystem

Lean implementations frequently stall when organizations deploy tools without an explicit sequencing logic and without understanding prerequisite capabilities. This paper proposes a practice-based roadmap for plant-level lean implementation that makes explicit the dependencies among core lean tools and routines. The roadmap is grounded in a longitudinal case study conducted in an anonymized motorcycle assembly plant in the Manaus Industrial Pole. Using temporal bracketing and process tracing, we document a staged deployment in which stability and visibility were established first (5S and visual management), followed by capability-building routines for continuous improvement (Kaizen and A3/PDCA problem solving), and then flexibility and flow-enabling practices (e.g., SMED, standard work, and line balancing). Evidence from the case indicates that the staged rollout supported measurable improvements in output, right-first-time (RFT), and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), alongside increased lean maturity (SAE J4000). The study contributes an actionable roadmap to guide managers in selecting, sequencing, and sustaining lean practices, extending the discussion beyond isolated tools toward an integrated view of capability accumulation and performance improvement.