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ENHANCING EFFICIENCY IN THE INNOVATION PROCESS WITH LEAN PERSPECTIVE

Year 2025, Issue: 48, 53 - 66, 31.07.2025
https://doi.org/10.18092/ulikidince.1577355

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the integration of Lean Thinking principles into innovation processes, identifying how organizations can enhance their efficiency. A workshop was organized to improve the innovation processes within a software company. In preparing for the workshop, participants were first provided with training sessions on lean thinking and innovation management. Following these training sessions, a workshop team consisting of volunteers from various departments was formed, and collaborative brainstorming took place in a modern OBEYA room. Participants utilized techniques such as value stream mapping to identify challenges in the innovation process, reduce waste, and accelerate decision-making. As a result, workshop participants obtained significant insights into enhancing efficiency by integrating lean thinking principles into their innovation processes. An action plan was developed to embrace a culture of continuous improvement and to demonstrate how this approach could be implemented within the organization. The findings of the study revealed that the integration of lean thinking into innovation processes contributes to organizations achieving a competitive advantage and offers ongoing development opportunities.

References

  • Bessant, J., Lamming, R., Noke, H., & Phillips, W. (2011). Managing Innovation Beyond the Steady State. Technovation, 25(12), 1366–1376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2005. 04.007
  • Bhamu, J., & Sangwan, K. S. (2014). Lean Manufacturing: Literature Review and Research Issues. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 34(7), 876–940. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-08-2012-0315
  • Biazzo, S., Panizzolo, R., & de Crescenzo, A. M. (2015). Lean Management and Product Innovation: A Critical Review. Understanding The Lean Enterprise: Strategies, Methodologies, and Principles for a More Responsive Organization, 237-260.
  • Brynjolfsson, E., & Hitt, L. M. (2003). Computing Productivity: Firm-Level Evidence. Review of Economics and Statistics, 85(4), 793-808. https://doi.org/10.1162/003465303772815736
  • Chesbrough, H. (2006). Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology. Harvard Business Press.
  • Chesbrough, H., & Bogers, M. (2014). Explicating Open Innovation: Clarifying an Emerging Paradigm for Understanding Innovation. In H. Chesbrough, W. Vanhaverbeke, & J. West (Eds.), New Frontiers in Open Innovation (ss. 3-28). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Czvetkó, T., Kummer, A., Ruppert, T., & Abonyi, J. (2022). Data-Driven Business Process Management-Based Development of Industry 4.0 Solutions. CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology, 36, 117-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirpj. 2021.12.002
  • Dombrowski, U., & Mielke, T. (2013). Lean Leadership–Fundamental Principles and Their Application. Procedia CIRP, 7, 569-574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2013.06.034
  • Du Plessis, M. (2007). The Role of Knowledge Management in Innovation. Journal of Knowledge Management, 11(4), 20-29.
  • Gallivan, M. J. (2001). Organizational Adoption And Assimilation of Complex Technological Innovations: Development and Application Of A New Framework. ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems, 32(3), 51-85.
  • Goldsby, T., & Martichenko, R. (2005). Lean Six Sigma Logistics. J. Ross Publishing Inc., USA.
  • Gunasekaran, A., & Nath, B. (1997). The Role of Information Technology in Business Process Reengineering. International Journal of Production Economics, 50(2-3), 91-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-5273(97)00035-2
  • Hargadon, A. B., & Bechky, B. A. (2006). When Collections of Creatives Become Creative Collectives: A Field Study of Problem Solving at Work. Organization Science, 17(4), 484–500. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1060.0200
  • Hino, S. (2006). Inside the Mind of Toyota: Management Principles for Enduring Growth. Productivity Press, USA.
  • Kalinowski, M., Romao, L., Rodrigues, A., Barbosa, C., Villamizar, H., Barbosa, S. D. J., & Lopes, H. (2025). Experiences Applying Lean R&D in Industry-Academia Collaboration Projects. arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.11774. 1-15.
  • Kim, J. S., & Chung, G. H. (2017). Implementing Innovations within Organizations: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda. Innovation, 19(3), 372-399.
  • Koska, A., Göksu, N., & Sünbül, M. B. (2016). Yalın Stratejinin Faaliyet Performansına Etkisi: Kahramanmaraş Tekstil İşletmelerinde Bir Uygulama. Kastamonu Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 13(2), 284-298.
  • Liker, J. K., & Meier, D. (2006). Toyota Way Fieldbook. McGraw-Hill Education.
  • Liker, J. K., & Morgan, J. M. (2006). The Toyota Way in services: The case of lean product development. Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(2), 5–20. https://doi.org /10.5465/amp.2006.20591002
  • Mathijssen, F. (2014). How Nike Created a Successful Lean IT Obeya. Retrieved from https://www.planet-lean.com/articles/lean-management-nike-obeya, viewed: 12/08/20 23.
  • May, M. (2005). Lean Thinking for Knowledge Work. Quality Progress, June 2005, 33-40.
  • Morgan, J., & Brening-Jones, M. (2012). Lean Six Sigma for Dummies (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons Ltd., United Kingdom.
  • Netland, T. H., & Ferdows, K. (2016). The S-Curve Effect of Lean Implementation. Production and Operations Management, 25(6), 1106–1120. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12539
  • Pan, W., Xie, T., Wang, Z., & Ma, L. (2022). Digital Economy: An Innovation Driver for Total Factor Productivity. Journal of Business Research, 139, 303-311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jbusres.2021.09.061
  • Paternoster, N., Giardino, C., Unterkalmsteiner, M., Gorschek, T., & Abrahamsson, P. (2014). Software Development in Startup Companies: A Systematic Mapping Study. Information and Software Technology, 56(10), 1200-1218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2014 .04.014
  • Poksinska, B. (2010). The Current State of Lean Implementation in Health Care: Literature Review. Quality Management in Healthcare, 19(4), 319–329. https://doi.org/10.1097/QMH. 0b013e3181fa07bb
  • Poppendieck, M., & Poppendieck, T. (2003). Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit. Addison-Wesley.
  • Reis, E. (2011). The Lean Startup. New York: Crown Business.
  • Saunila, M. (2019). Innovation Capability in SMEs: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, 5(4), 260-265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2019.11.002
  • Setiawan, F. (2022). Implementation of Lean Manufacturing with a Value Stream Mapping Approach to Improve the Efficiency of the Production Process. Jurnal AI-Azhar Indonesia Seri Sainsdan Teknologi, 7(3), 169.
  • Smeds, R. (1994). Managing Change Towards Lean Enterprises. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 14(3), 66–82. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443579410058 531
  • Spear, S. J. (2004). Learning to Lead at Toyota. Harvard Business Review, US.
  • Sultan, F., & Chan, L. (2000). The Adoption of New Technology: The Case of Object-Oriented Computing in Software Companies. IEEE transactions on Engineering Management, 47(1), 106-126.
  • Tan, A. B. C., van Dun, D. H., & Wilderom, C. P. M. (2023). Lean Innovation Training and Transformational Leadership for Employee Creative Role Identity and Innovative Work Behavior in a Public Service Organization. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-06-2022-0126
  • Tidd, J. (2023). Managing Innovation. IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society Body of Knowledge (TEMSBOK), 95-108.
  • Tidd, J., & Bessant, J. (2020). Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change. Wiley.
  • Tuna, Ö., ve Yıldız, M. (2022), Rekabet Üstünlüğü Sağlamada İnovasyon ve Rekabet Stratejileri Arasındaki İlişki, Çukurova Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 31 (2), 491-513.
  • Toppazzini, K. (2024). The New Lean: The Modern Approach to Continuous Improvement. CRC Press.
  • Tucker, R. B. (2002). Driving Growth Through Innovation: How Leading Firms are Transforming Their Futures. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
  • Vaněček, D., Pech, M., & Rost, M. (2018). Innovation and Lean Production. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 66(2), 595-603. doi: 10.11118/actaun201866020595
  • Wannakrairoj, W., & Velu, C. (2021). Productivity Growth and Business Model Innovation. Economics Letters, 199, 109679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2020.109679
  • Womack, J. P., Jones, D. T., & Roos, D. (1990). The Machine that Changed the World. Scribner; Reprint edition (March 13, 2007), USA.
  • Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (1996). Lean Thinking / Yalın Düşünce (Translation to Turkish: Oygur Yamak). Optimist Yayınları, Istanbul.
  • Yu, H., Yang, L., & Lee, H. (2022). Effective Practices for Improving Service Professionals’ Ethical Behaviors: A Multiple Method Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1042142. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1042142

YALIN PERSPEKTIFLE İNOVASYON SÜRECINDE VERIMLILIĞIN ARTIRILMASI

Year 2025, Issue: 48, 53 - 66, 31.07.2025
https://doi.org/10.18092/ulikidince.1577355

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Yalın Düşünce prensiplerinin inovasyon süreçlerine entegrasyonunu inceleyerek, organizasyonların verimliliklerini nasıl artırabileceklerini belirlemektir. Araştırma kapsamında, bir yazılım şirketinde inovasyon süreçlerinin geliştirilmesine yönelik bir atölye düzenlenmiştir. Atölyenin hazırlanmasında ilk olarak katılımcılara yalın düşünce ve inovasyon yönetimi konularında eğitimler verilmiştir. Bu eğitimlerin ardından, farklı departmanlardan gönüllü katılımcılardan oluşan bir atölye ekibi oluşturulmuş ve etkin bir beyin fırtınası gerçekleştirilmesi için modern bir OBEYA odasında çalışmalara başlanmıştır. Katılımcılar, inovasyon süreçlerinde karşılaşılan zorlukları belirlemek, israfları azaltmak ve karar alma süreçlerini hızlandırmak için değer akış haritalama gibi teknikleri kullanmışlardır. Sonuç olarak, atölye katılımcıları, yalın düşünce prensiplerini inovasyon süreçlerine entegre ederek, süreçlerdeki verimliliği artırma konusunda önemli bulgular elde etmişlerdir. Ayrıca sürekli iyileştirme kültürünün benimsenmesi gerektiği ve bu yaklaşımın organizasyonda nasıl uygulanabileceğine dair bir eylem planı geliştirilmiştir. Çalışmanın sonucunda, yalın düşüncenin inovasyon süreçlerine entegrasyonunun, organizasyonların rekabet avantajı sağlamasına ve sürekli gelişim fırsatları sunmasına katkı sağladığı görülmüştür.

References

  • Bessant, J., Lamming, R., Noke, H., & Phillips, W. (2011). Managing Innovation Beyond the Steady State. Technovation, 25(12), 1366–1376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2005. 04.007
  • Bhamu, J., & Sangwan, K. S. (2014). Lean Manufacturing: Literature Review and Research Issues. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 34(7), 876–940. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-08-2012-0315
  • Biazzo, S., Panizzolo, R., & de Crescenzo, A. M. (2015). Lean Management and Product Innovation: A Critical Review. Understanding The Lean Enterprise: Strategies, Methodologies, and Principles for a More Responsive Organization, 237-260.
  • Brynjolfsson, E., & Hitt, L. M. (2003). Computing Productivity: Firm-Level Evidence. Review of Economics and Statistics, 85(4), 793-808. https://doi.org/10.1162/003465303772815736
  • Chesbrough, H. (2006). Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology. Harvard Business Press.
  • Chesbrough, H., & Bogers, M. (2014). Explicating Open Innovation: Clarifying an Emerging Paradigm for Understanding Innovation. In H. Chesbrough, W. Vanhaverbeke, & J. West (Eds.), New Frontiers in Open Innovation (ss. 3-28). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Czvetkó, T., Kummer, A., Ruppert, T., & Abonyi, J. (2022). Data-Driven Business Process Management-Based Development of Industry 4.0 Solutions. CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology, 36, 117-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirpj. 2021.12.002
  • Dombrowski, U., & Mielke, T. (2013). Lean Leadership–Fundamental Principles and Their Application. Procedia CIRP, 7, 569-574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2013.06.034
  • Du Plessis, M. (2007). The Role of Knowledge Management in Innovation. Journal of Knowledge Management, 11(4), 20-29.
  • Gallivan, M. J. (2001). Organizational Adoption And Assimilation of Complex Technological Innovations: Development and Application Of A New Framework. ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems, 32(3), 51-85.
  • Goldsby, T., & Martichenko, R. (2005). Lean Six Sigma Logistics. J. Ross Publishing Inc., USA.
  • Gunasekaran, A., & Nath, B. (1997). The Role of Information Technology in Business Process Reengineering. International Journal of Production Economics, 50(2-3), 91-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-5273(97)00035-2
  • Hargadon, A. B., & Bechky, B. A. (2006). When Collections of Creatives Become Creative Collectives: A Field Study of Problem Solving at Work. Organization Science, 17(4), 484–500. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1060.0200
  • Hino, S. (2006). Inside the Mind of Toyota: Management Principles for Enduring Growth. Productivity Press, USA.
  • Kalinowski, M., Romao, L., Rodrigues, A., Barbosa, C., Villamizar, H., Barbosa, S. D. J., & Lopes, H. (2025). Experiences Applying Lean R&D in Industry-Academia Collaboration Projects. arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.11774. 1-15.
  • Kim, J. S., & Chung, G. H. (2017). Implementing Innovations within Organizations: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda. Innovation, 19(3), 372-399.
  • Koska, A., Göksu, N., & Sünbül, M. B. (2016). Yalın Stratejinin Faaliyet Performansına Etkisi: Kahramanmaraş Tekstil İşletmelerinde Bir Uygulama. Kastamonu Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 13(2), 284-298.
  • Liker, J. K., & Meier, D. (2006). Toyota Way Fieldbook. McGraw-Hill Education.
  • Liker, J. K., & Morgan, J. M. (2006). The Toyota Way in services: The case of lean product development. Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(2), 5–20. https://doi.org /10.5465/amp.2006.20591002
  • Mathijssen, F. (2014). How Nike Created a Successful Lean IT Obeya. Retrieved from https://www.planet-lean.com/articles/lean-management-nike-obeya, viewed: 12/08/20 23.
  • May, M. (2005). Lean Thinking for Knowledge Work. Quality Progress, June 2005, 33-40.
  • Morgan, J., & Brening-Jones, M. (2012). Lean Six Sigma for Dummies (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons Ltd., United Kingdom.
  • Netland, T. H., & Ferdows, K. (2016). The S-Curve Effect of Lean Implementation. Production and Operations Management, 25(6), 1106–1120. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12539
  • Pan, W., Xie, T., Wang, Z., & Ma, L. (2022). Digital Economy: An Innovation Driver for Total Factor Productivity. Journal of Business Research, 139, 303-311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jbusres.2021.09.061
  • Paternoster, N., Giardino, C., Unterkalmsteiner, M., Gorschek, T., & Abrahamsson, P. (2014). Software Development in Startup Companies: A Systematic Mapping Study. Information and Software Technology, 56(10), 1200-1218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2014 .04.014
  • Poksinska, B. (2010). The Current State of Lean Implementation in Health Care: Literature Review. Quality Management in Healthcare, 19(4), 319–329. https://doi.org/10.1097/QMH. 0b013e3181fa07bb
  • Poppendieck, M., & Poppendieck, T. (2003). Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit. Addison-Wesley.
  • Reis, E. (2011). The Lean Startup. New York: Crown Business.
  • Saunila, M. (2019). Innovation Capability in SMEs: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, 5(4), 260-265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2019.11.002
  • Setiawan, F. (2022). Implementation of Lean Manufacturing with a Value Stream Mapping Approach to Improve the Efficiency of the Production Process. Jurnal AI-Azhar Indonesia Seri Sainsdan Teknologi, 7(3), 169.
  • Smeds, R. (1994). Managing Change Towards Lean Enterprises. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 14(3), 66–82. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443579410058 531
  • Spear, S. J. (2004). Learning to Lead at Toyota. Harvard Business Review, US.
  • Sultan, F., & Chan, L. (2000). The Adoption of New Technology: The Case of Object-Oriented Computing in Software Companies. IEEE transactions on Engineering Management, 47(1), 106-126.
  • Tan, A. B. C., van Dun, D. H., & Wilderom, C. P. M. (2023). Lean Innovation Training and Transformational Leadership for Employee Creative Role Identity and Innovative Work Behavior in a Public Service Organization. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-06-2022-0126
  • Tidd, J. (2023). Managing Innovation. IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society Body of Knowledge (TEMSBOK), 95-108.
  • Tidd, J., & Bessant, J. (2020). Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change. Wiley.
  • Tuna, Ö., ve Yıldız, M. (2022), Rekabet Üstünlüğü Sağlamada İnovasyon ve Rekabet Stratejileri Arasındaki İlişki, Çukurova Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 31 (2), 491-513.
  • Toppazzini, K. (2024). The New Lean: The Modern Approach to Continuous Improvement. CRC Press.
  • Tucker, R. B. (2002). Driving Growth Through Innovation: How Leading Firms are Transforming Their Futures. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
  • Vaněček, D., Pech, M., & Rost, M. (2018). Innovation and Lean Production. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 66(2), 595-603. doi: 10.11118/actaun201866020595
  • Wannakrairoj, W., & Velu, C. (2021). Productivity Growth and Business Model Innovation. Economics Letters, 199, 109679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2020.109679
  • Womack, J. P., Jones, D. T., & Roos, D. (1990). The Machine that Changed the World. Scribner; Reprint edition (March 13, 2007), USA.
  • Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (1996). Lean Thinking / Yalın Düşünce (Translation to Turkish: Oygur Yamak). Optimist Yayınları, Istanbul.
  • Yu, H., Yang, L., & Lee, H. (2022). Effective Practices for Improving Service Professionals’ Ethical Behaviors: A Multiple Method Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1042142. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1042142
There are 44 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Innovation Management
Journal Section Articles
Authors

M. Paşa Gültaş 0000-0003-1215-3509

Early Pub Date August 4, 2025
Publication Date July 31, 2025
Submission Date November 1, 2024
Acceptance Date June 2, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Issue: 48

Cite

APA Gültaş, M. P. (2025). ENHANCING EFFICIENCY IN THE INNOVATION PROCESS WITH LEAN PERSPECTIVE. Uluslararası İktisadi Ve İdari İncelemeler Dergisi(48), 53-66. https://doi.org/10.18092/ulikidince.1577355

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