Sustainable cost reduction by lean management in metallurgical processes

This paper focuses on the need for sustainable cost reduction in the metallurgical industry by applying Lean Management (LM) tools and concepts in metallurgical production processes leading to increased competitiveness of corporations in a global market. The paper highlights that Lean Management is a novel way of thinking, adapting to change, reducing waste and continuous improvement, leading to sustainable development of companies in the metallurgical industry. The authors outline the main Lean Management instruments based on recent scientific research and include a comparative analysis of other tools, such as Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, Sustain (5S), Visual Management (VM), Kaizen, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Single-Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED), leading to a critical appraisal of their application in the metallurgical industry.