Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and Managemen
JIEM, 2018 – 11(3): 429-444 – Online ISSN: 2013-0953 – P in ISSN: 2013-8423
h ps://doi.o g/10.3926/jiem.2595
Lean App oach in Knowledge Wo k
Hanna K opsu-Vehkape a1, Ville Isohe anen1,2
1Uni e si y o Oulu (Finland), 2Ke u Saalas i Ins i u e (KSI) (Finland)
hanna.k opsu- ehkape a@oulu. i, ille.isohe anen@oulu. i
Recei ed: Feb ua y 2018
Accep ed: Ap il 2018
Abs ac :
Pu pose:
Knowledge wo k p oduc i i y is a key a ea o imp o emen o many o ganiza ions. Lean
app oach is a sus ainable way o achie e ope a ional excellence and can be applied in many a eas. The
pu pose o his no el s udy is o examine he po en ial o using lean app oach o imp o ing knowledge
wo k p ac ices.
Design/me hodology/app oach:
A sys ema ic li e a u e e iew has been ca ied ou o s udy how lean
app oach is ealized in knowledge wo k. The esea ch is concep ual in na u e and d aws upon ea lie
esea ch indings.
Findings:
This s udy shows ha lean s udies’ in knowledge wo k is an eme ging esea ch a ea. This s udy
documen s he me hods and p ac ices implemen ed in knowledge wo k o da e, and p esen s a knowledge
wo k con inuum, which is an essen ial amewo k o e ec i e lean app oach deploymen and o ame
u u e esea ch ocus in knowledge wo k p oduc i i y.
Resea ch limi a ions/implica ions:
This s udy s uc u es he concep o knowledge wo k and ou lines a
conc e e concep de i ed om ea lie li e a u e. The s udy summa izes he li e a u e on lean in knowledge
wo k and highligh s, which me hods a e used. Mo e esea ch is needed o unde s and how lean can be
implemen ed in complex knowledge wo k en i onmen and no only on he epe i i e knowledge wo k.
The limi a ions o his esea ch a e due o he limi ed a ailabili y o p e ious esea ch.
P ac ical implica ions:
To analyze he na u e o knowledge wo k, we implica e he a eas whe e lean
me hods especially apply o imp o ing knowledge wo k p oduc i i y. When applying lean in knowledge
wo k con ex he ocus should be using he people be e and imp o ing in o ma ion low.
O iginali y/ alue:
This s udy ocuses on adap ing lean me hods in o a knowledge wo k con ex and
summa izes ea lie esea ch done in his ield. The s udy discusses he po en ial o imp o e knowledge
wo k p oduc i i y by implemen ing lean me hods and p esen s a unique knowledge wo k con inuum o
ame p e ious esea ch and gi e ocus o u u e esea ch.
Keywo ds:
lean, knowledge wo k, knowledge wo k con inuum, knowledge wo k p oduc i i y, ope a ional
excellence
1. In oduc ion
Gi en inc easingly compe i i e wo kplace se ings, o ganiza ions a e seeking ways o imp o e hei wo k me hods.
The impo ance and challenge o imp o ing knowledge wo k p oduc i i y has long been discussed (D ucke , 1969;
D ucke , 1999b; Hol shouse, 2010), especially since o ganiza ions end o equi e knowledge mo e so han physical
-429-
Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and Managemen – h ps://doi.o g/10.3926/jiem.2595
wo k (Newell, 2015). Mo e complex p oduc ion sys ems demand labo ha is capable o handling, combining and
c ea ing new knowledge (Pyö iä, 2005).
The challenge o knowledge wo k p oduc i i y has inc eased (D ucke 1999a; Laihonen, Jääskeläinen, Lönnq is &
Ruos ela, 2012); his is u he enhanced by slow economic g ow h, pa icula ly in Eu ope. Many manu ac u ing
jobs ha e mo ed o China and Eas Asia in he las decade, and hese coun ies a e highly cos compe i i e, pu ing
mo e p essu e on highe -cos ones o de elop hei ope a ions. The p essu e o cos sa ings has now mo ed
owa ds knowledge wo k, and o ice wo ke s now ace he same challenges as ac o y wo ke s did a decade ago:
hei wo k can be done a lowe cos s a o eign companies who pay lowe wages. As such, knowledge wo k
p oduc i i y and e iciency is a key imp o emen a ea o many companies. Ope a ional excellence mus be
achie ed no only in ac o ies bu also in o ice se ings. Lean me hods a e a po en ial app oach o sol ing his
challenge (S one, 2012), and he numbe o s udies abou implemen ing lean me hods in di e en ields ha e
ecen ly inc eased (e.g. Hadid & A shin Mansou i, 2014; Gup a, Sha ma & Sunde , 2016). Howe e , he e is
cu en ly no s anda d me hod o applying lean alues, p inciples and ools o he knowledge-based wo k o ce,
lea ing many companies s uggling o implemen success ul lean p ojec s (S aa s & Up on, 2011). These p ojec s
o en ail o deli e alue o o ganiza ions’ pu sui s o p oduc i i y, ope a ional excellence and compe i i e
ad an age.
To employ lean hinking and app oaches, i is c ucial o unde s and he con ex o hei applica ion. Fo ins ance,
he he e ogenei y o he wo k o ce makes i di icul o ea all se ice ac i i ies alike (Hadid & A shin Mansou i,
2014) whe e knowledge wo k is only a pa o he wo k. The di e se na u e o knowledge wo k also a ec s lean
implemen a ion possibili ies. As such, he key objec i e is o unde s and he di e en cha ac e is ics connec ed o
he concep o knowledge wo k and how hese cha ac e is ics a ec lean implemen a ion. The concep o
knowledge wo k is o en ligh ly ouched upon in esea ch a icles when discussing he na u e o oday’s wo k;
ins ead, such esea ch o en ocuses on managing knowledge wo k, no managing he knowledge as a esou ce,
which is ypically he ocus o knowledge managemen discou se (Aa ons, Linge & Bu s ein, 2006). In his pape ,
we examine he de ini ion o knowledge wo k and iden i y possible lean applica ions o imp o ing knowledge
wo k p oduc i i y.
This pape is o ganized as ollows. The i s sec ion p esen s de ini ions o knowledge wo k and knowledge wo k
p oduc i i y wi h esea ch p oposi ions (Ps) ha a e consis en wi h he esea ch aims. This is summa ized and
au ho s p opose a new knowledge wo k con inuum o unde s and he na u e o knowledge wo k. The esea ch
app oach sec ion desc ibes how his s udy was conduc ed. Then he indings on lean implemen a ions in
knowledge wo k was s udied based on he analysis o seconda y da a. Finally, we conclude he implica ions and
discuss how lean app oaches imp o e knowledge wo k p oduc i i y.
2. Knowledge Wo k and P oduc i i y
The alue o knowledge has been widely ecognized in wha we know as “ he in o ma ion age”. Socie ies’ and
companies’ successes a e linked o hei use o ele an knowledge, hus making knowledge wo k c i ical in many
o ganiza ions (e.g. Hols house, 2010). Al hough we equen ly discuss “doing knowledge wo k”, he de ini ion o
knowledge wo k is complex and ague in na u e (e.g. Pyö iä, 2005); he ac ha all wo k demands knowledge o
some ex en poses a challenge in de ining knowledge wo k conc e ely (Ii a i & Linge , 1999). In his chap e , he
de ini ion o knowledge wo k is u he examined.
2.1. Knowledge Wo k De ini ions
D ucke (1969) was he i s au ho o de ine knowledge wo k as i is pe cei ed oday. The key ocus o his
de ini ion is ha knowledge wo k’s p ima y unc ion is managing in o ma ion. Ii a i’s and Linge ’s (1999) de ini ion
ag ees wi h his and u he mo e hei knowledge wo k concep emphasizes a deep unde s anding he wo k’s
con en and ou pu s whe e knowledge is as an essen ial ing edien . As such, Ii a i’s and Linge ’s (1999) de ini ion is
knowledge-cen ed. La e , Da enpo (2005) and Pyö iä (2005) ou lined a mo e p ocess-o ien ed app oach o
knowledge wo k. In hei de ini ions, he eal subs ance o knowledge wo k lies in i s p ocesses, no i s esul s.
Knowledge p ocesses and connec ions in said p ocesses a e also ega ded in isible and o en mo e dynamic in
-430-
Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and Managemen – h ps://doi.o g/10.3926/jiem.2595
na u e han manu ac u ing wo k (S aa s, B unne & Up on, 2011). Design wo k is an example o such wo k. Table
1 summa ies he key aspec s o he much-used de ini ions o knowledge wo k and hei key ocuses.
Key Focus o Knowledge Wo k De ini ion Au ho s
P ima y ask is managing in o ma ion. D ucke 1969
The wo k is based on he handling o he knowledge.
Deep unde s anding o he wo k’s con en .
Knowledge is an impo an ou pu ing edien .
Collabo a i e in na u e.
Ii a i & Linge 1999
P ocess-based iewpoin o handling knowledge. Da enpo 2005; Pyö iä 2005
Dynamic in na u e.
Knowledge p ocesses and hei connec ions a e in isible.
O en con ains design ac i i ies and explo a ion.
S aa s e al., 2011
Table 1. Key knowledge wo k de ini ions
Based on he abo e he ollowing p oposi ion was de eloped:
P1. In knowledge wo k, in o ma ion handling and p ocessing is a p ima y ask and knowledge is he main ou pu .
Knowledge wo k is in angible in na u e and some imes de ined as a se ice (Laihonen e al., 2012). Pa on (2009)
has assessed ha knowledge wo k canno au oma ically be associa ed o se ice wo k, made dis inc om manual
wo k, o desc ip i e o eme ging wo k o ms, al hough he e m “knowledge wo k” is o en used inco ec ly in
such con ex s. As such, in many s udies (e.g. Toussan & Be y, 2013; Gup a e al., 2016), he e ms “knowledge
wo k” and “se ices” a e used synonymously wi hou de ining he con ex o knowledge wo k, he eby c ea ing an
inaccu a e imp ession o wha knowledge wo k is. A ypical example is e e ing o simple o ice wo k, e.g. call
cen e wo k, as knowledge wo k e en hough i is mo e cong uen wi h he manu ac u ing p ocess (Bain, Wa son,
Mul ey, Taylo , & Gall, 2002).
2.2. Knowledge Wo k Con inuum
To de elop knowledge wo k p ac ices, we mus be e unde s and he na u e o knowledge wo k. The di icul y in
de ining he concep o s uc u e o knowledge wo k in gene al indica es ha he wo k is di e se a he han
uni o m; i includes asks ha a e di e en in e ms o b ead h and a ie y (Hol shouse 2010; Ma ga yan, Milligan
& Li lejohn, 2011). This is also no ed as a challenge in s udies ha seek ways o imp o e knowledge wo k
pe o mance (e.g. Laihonen e al. 2012; Wa e s & Be u ides 2012).
The knowledge wo k p ocess can be di ided in o di e en ypes o ac i i ies: inding, c ea ing, packaging,
dis ibu ing and applying knowledge (Da enpo , 2005). These ac i i ies a ec he na u e o wo k and wo k
managemen , whe he i in ol es epea ed ac i i ies o handling wo k wi hou s ic con ol o ask desc ip ions. On
he o he hand, a pe son doing knowledge wo k will ace a a ie y o ac i i ies whe e some asks a e mo e ou ine
whe eas o he s a e mo e c ea i e in na u e (Ii a i & Linge 1999; Aa ons e al., 2006; Rami ez & S eudel, 2008);
hese asks o en a y in hei in ensi y (Dahoiee, A azeh & Hosseini, 2011) and equi e mul i asking (May, 2005).
S aa s e al. (2011) clea ly s a es ha he desc ip i e cha ac e is ic o knowledge wo k is i s lack o epe i ion, which
posi s a decen de ini ion o knowledge wo k. In addi ion o wo k s uc u e ( o mal s. luid, consis ency o
ou ines, e c.), pe sonal judgemen and expe ise a e o he basic aspec s o knowledge wo k ha de e mine a
wo ke ’s con ol o e how an ac i i y is done (Da enpo , 2005; Rami ez & S eudel, 2008).
When de ining knowledge wo k, i is essen ial o ecognize he ole o knowledge i sel in he wo king p ocess.
How knowledge is used in wo k mus be unde s ood (Pa on, 2009). The e is a la ge di e ence be ween someone
applying in o ma ion (e.g. guiding cus ome in a call cen e) o c ea i ely using in o ma ion o example in
de eloping new p oduc s o de ining s a egy. Knowledge is a p ima y ing edien in he la e case, bu a seconda y
p oduc ion ac o in he o me (Pyö iä, 2005). Da enpo (2005) lis s many jobs, such as sales, compu e
-431-
Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and Managemen – h ps://doi.o g/10.3926/jiem.2595
p og amming, accoun ing, medicine and enginee ing, in which he p ima y objec i e is o apply exis ing knowledge
a he han gi e ise o inno a ion.
The ypes o ideas handled in co e ac i i ies also di e en ia e a ious knowledge wo k (Da enpo , 2005): is he
ocus on de eloping adically new inno a ions, inc emen al changes o mino imp o emen s? Such ideas can be
clea ly ied o di e en knowledge p ocess ac i i ies (Ma ga yan e al., 2011) ha can desc ibe he complexi y o he
wo k in ol ed. May (2005) de ines knowledge wo k o be dynamic and complex, equi ing s a egic hinking and
deepe p oblem sol ing whe e he capabili y p ocessing in o ma ion and abili y handling he abs ac se s o
in o ma ion (as opposed o simple ansac ion-based in o ma ion) is key. Pa on (2009) also s a es ha one de ini i e
c i e ion o knowledge wo ke s should be hei abili y o add alue o he o ganiza ion.
Collabo a ion in knowledge wo k en ails he wo k o be di ided be ween g oups o indi iduals. Ve y o en
demanding knowledge wo k is connec ed o indi idual expe ise. Howe e , knowledge in ensi e o ganiza ions o
succeed in demanding wo k equi es high o ganiza ional knowledge, which equi es s ong expe s who can wo k
oge he in collabo a i e ways (e.g. Ii a i & Linge , 1999; Hols house, 2010). Highly knowledge-in ensi e wo k may
also equi e g ea e mobili y (e.g. he abili y o wo k in ne wo ks) and g ea e p oblem-sol ing skills (Da enpo ,
2005).
Based on he abo e he ollowing p oposi ion is de eloped:
P2. Knowledge wo k is mul idimensional in na u e. Wi hin each dimension, he e is wide a ia ion in he essence o knowledge, le el o
wo king ou ines and s anda ds, and pe sons own ole in wo k.
Ma ga yan e al. (2011) s a e ha one eason why knowledge wo k concep s and ypologies a e di icul o apply
end o be concep ual a he han empi ical, as hey a e di icul o i in o eal-wo ld con ex s. Addi ionally, he ac
ha knowledge wo k is a spec um mo e so han a igid concep is clea when examining di e en esea ch abou
knowledge wo k. Some esea che s (e.g. Rami ez & S eudel, 2008; Dahoiee e al., 2011) ha e p esen ed knowledge
wo k as a con inuum, whe e he basic assump ion is ha all jobs can be ep esen ed by his con inuum. The
challenge o hese con inuums is ha hey mus include dimensions ha a e ele an o all ypes o wo k. Fo
example, in Rami ez and S eudel (2008), one aspec o he con inuum is physical e o equi ed, bu we challenge
he ele ancy o his ac o in eal knowledge wo k. Because o his, we ha e syn hesized a ious aspec s o he
con inuum based on ea lie s udies de ining knowledge wo k (D ucke , 1969; Ii a i & Linge , 1999; Da enpo ,
2005; May, 2005; Pyö iä, 2005; Aa ons e al., 2006; Rami ez & S eudel, 2008; Pa on, 2009; Dahoiee e al., 2011;
Ma ga yan e al., 2011; S aa s e al., 2011). By unde s anding knowledge wo k as a con inuum comp ised o
di e en dimensions (Table 2), we can comp ehend wha ype o aspec s knowledge wo k may include.
The knowledge wo k con inuum is ypically unde s ood o be able o ep esen all jobs (e.g. Rami ez & S eudel,
2008; Dahoiee e al., 2011). Many au ho s’ con inuums sugges ha all wo k is knowledge wo k when a leas one
o he ac o s in he con inuum ( hose on he le side o he cha abo e) is mo e han 0 pe cen . These
iewpoin s clea ly di e om adi ional de ini ions o knowledge wo k (D ucke , 1969; Ii a i & Linge , 1999;
Da enpo , 2005; Pyö iä, 2005), whe e he key ocus is he knowledge’s ole in he wo k, he main ing edien o he
ou pu , and he p ocess o how knowledge is handled. Knowledge is equi ed in all jobs in e ms o how asks
need o be done and how ce ain ools o machines a e used, bu jobs en ailing asks and ools a e no knowledge
wo k by de aul .
Dimension
Con inuum
O ice wo k Knowledge wo k
Le el o ou ines (p ocess o ien a ion) Sys ema ic Inno a i e epea able
Fo mal me hods S anda d Non-S anda d
Complexi y o ask Low High
Use o knowledge Apply C ea e
Knowledge as ou pu ing edien Seconda y p oduc ion ac o Main ing edien
-432-
Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and Managemen – h ps://doi.o g/10.3926/jiem.2595
Dimension
Con inuum
O ice wo k Knowledge wo k
Type o knowledge Fac s, echniques, isions Philosophies, ansac ions
Pe sonal expe ise and judgemen Low High
Role o collabo a ion/collabo a i e hinking Low High
Table 2. The knowledge wo k con inuum - he eigh dimensions
Ou in en ion is no o s a e ha all wo k is knowledge wo k, bu a he unde sco e he he e ogenei y o knowledge
wo k. As a ough simpli ica ion, wo k p o iles in knowledge wo k is p esen ed in Figu e 1, whe e he e ical axis
desc ibes he ole o knowledge used in wo k and he ho izon al axis he di e si y o me hods used. The ole o
knowledge is a combina ion o he dimensions o Use o knowledge, Knowledge as ou pu ing edien and Type o
knowledge ( he dimensions a e p esen ed in Table 2). Me hods is a combina ion o he dimensions o Le el o
ou ines, Fo mal me hods, Complexi y o ask, Pe sonal expe ise and judgemen and Role o collabo a ion.
Based on he abo e he ollowing p oposi ion is de eloped:
P3. The knowledge wo k con inuum condenses he di e en aspec s o knowledge wo k and p o ides a amewo k o unde s and he
na u e o knowledge wo k comp ehensi ely. I p oposes a classi ica ion whe e mo e ou ine and low complex wo k should handle as an
o ice wo k and o mo e complex, inno a i e and knowledge ou pu o ien ed wo k as knowledge wo k.
Figu e 1. Examples o wo k p o iles in knowledge wo k
2.3. Challenges in Knowledge Wo k P oduc i i y
Discussions abou p oduc i i y challenges in knowledge wo k ha e long been ongoing (D ucke , 1969; D ucke ,
1999b; Hol shouse, 2010). P oduc i i y is ypically measu ed as ou pu di ided by inpu . In a knowledge wo k
con ex , many ele an ac o s a e in angible and quali a i e in na u e (Laihonen e al., 2012); he p ocesses ha
ans o m inpu s o ou pu s a e o en uns uc u ed and a e based on indi idual’s knowledge and abili y o apply
lea ned expe iences (An ikainen & Lönnq is , 2006), ou pu s a e no s anda dized o e en clea ly de e mined, and
he quali y o wo ke ou pu canno be igno ed (Da enpo , 2005). The di icul y in de ining knowledge wo k
makes i mo e di icul o de ine p oduc i i y inpu s, and he ac o s ha can in luence quan i y and/o quali y o
ou pu a e hus challenging o analyze (Da enpo , 2005). In knowledge wo k, e alua ing pe o mance in, e.g.
c ea i i y and p oblem sol ing, is also di icul bu can ie in o angible measu es, such as wo king hou s
(Da enpo , 2005). Paying a en ion o hese challenges, Laihonen e al. (2012) indings ha su p isingly li le
esea ch had been done abou measu ing p oduc i i y in knowledge wo k, is no so big su p ise a all.
D ucke (1999b) de ined six ac o s o de e mine knowledge wo ke p oduc i i y: he ask a hand,
sel -managemen and au onomy, con inuous inno a ion, con inuous lea ning, quali y o ou pu (which is a leas
impo an han quan i y), and he wo ke being handled as an asse ins ead o a cos . In con as , An ikainen and
Lönnq is (2006) app oach knowledge wo k p oduc i i y d i e s ia a adi ional inpu -p ocess-ou pu model.
-433-

Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and Managemen – h ps://doi.o g/10.3926/jiem.2595
Da enpo (2005) s a es ha iewing knowledge wo k as a p ocess can be an e ec i e way o imp o ing
pe o mance. The mos common o ms o in e en ion a e pa icipa o y, inc emen al and con inuous, e.g. much
like in Lean Six Sigma. This app oach equi es wo k s uc u ing and ask de ini ion - wha is he ocus o wo k and
wha is he equi ed quali y le el. In hei s udy, Da enpo , Jä enpää and Bee s (1996) ound ha he me hods
applied o de eloping knowledge c ea ion e sus knowledge applica ion p ocess can a y and ha hese ypes o
in e en ion me hods, we e somewha easie o apply knowledge applica ion p ocess han on han knowledge
c ea ion p ocess. When a ask is de ined, D ucke (1999b) s a es ha knowledge wo ke s hemsel es ackle
p oduc i i y challenges as pa o hei jobs. Such beha io poin s o sel -managemen , con inuous inno a ion and
lea ning. The dimensions o knowledge wo k p oduc i i y a e summa ized in Table 3 below.
Based on he abo e he ollowing p oposi ion is de eloped:
P4. Knowledge wo k challenges he adi ional p oduc i i y de ini ions. Many aspec s o he knowledge wo k a e in angible and hus
di icul o measu e. Howe e , making knowledge wo k isible and de ining he wo k makes possible o manage knowledge wo k
p oduc i i y.
Dimensions o Knowledge
Wo k P oduc i i y App oach Au ho
Task
Role o wo ke
Ou pu
Managemen
Assessing wha he ask is
Sel -managemen and au onomy, con inuing inno a ion,
con inuous lea ning
Quali y o ou pu
Knowledge wo ke is an asse
D ucke , 1999b
Quan i y
Cos s and/o p o i abili y
Timeliness
Au onomy
E iciency
Quali y
E ec i eness
Cus ome sa is ac ion
Inno a ion/c ea i i y
P ojec success
Responsibili y/ impo ance o wo k
Knowledge wo ke ’s pe cep ion o
p oduc i i y
Absen eeism
Accoun ing o ou pu s and ou comes
Accoun ing o p o i abili y, cos s, e c.
Mee ing deadlines, o e ime needed, e c.
Independence and how many hings can be done a once
Doing hings igh ; mee ing he ask’s s anda ds
Le el o he quali y o he wo k
Doing he igh hings and impo an asks
P oduc c ea es alue o he cus ome
Abili y o c ea e and imp o e p oduc i i y
O e all esul s o he wo k; conside s decision-making, eam
in e ac ion, communica ion, documen a ion, e c.
The impo ance o pe o ming well a c i ical imes
Possible misin e p e a ion o o he s anda d ac o s
Resul s o a e age p oduc i i y measu es; pe o ming well o e all
Rami ez &
Nembha d, 2004
Inpu s
O ganisa ional inpu s
Pe sonal inpu s
P ocess
Ou pu s
Human capi al; inno a i e po en ial; o ganisa ional s anda ds,
p ac ices and ou ines; in o ma ion sys ems; quali y o
in o ma ion; ne wo ks; ime alloca ion; wo king en i onmen ; aim
Mo i a ion; job sa is ac ion; pe sonal ne wo k; pe sonal li e a ai s;
physical i ness
O ganisa ion o wo k; di ision o asks; o ganisa ion o decision-
making; cla i y o job desc ip ions; eamwo k; knowledge sha ing;
delays and wai ing; abili y o a ec own wo k
Inno a ion; quali y; u ilisa ion o inno a ion; ime-e iciency;
ul ilmen o cus ome ’s expec a ions
An ikainen &
Lönnq is , 2006
Table 3. The dimensions o knowledge wo k p oduc i i y
3. Resea ch App oach
In his s udy, we de e mine ha a knowledge wo ke is a pe son whose wo k includes using knowledge in ensi ely
in his/he wo k, bu he e m is no necessa ily a job i le. The de ini ion o knowledge wo k con ains di e en
dimensions as desc ibed in Table 2. In his s udy, we wan o examine he wo k whe e knowledge is he hea o he
-434-
Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and Managemen – h ps://doi.o g/10.3926/jiem.2595
wo k and he key ou pu ing edien , as opposed o wo k whe e knowledge is only a seconda y esou ce and is
ob ained ins ead o p ocessed. We ocus on s udying knowledge wo k whe e employees wo k knowledgeably
meaning hey can di e en ia e be ween complex pa e ns o da a and in o ma ion and espond based on exis ing
amewo ks o pe sonal expe iences (Newell, 2015). We a e in e es ed in s udying he applicabili y o lean me hods,
in he ollowing ci cums ances:
•When he knowledge is used o c ea ing cus ome alue
•When he wo k en ails p oblem sol ing and using knowledge o c ea ing new hings
•When he wo k is based on s ong pe sonal compe ence/expe ise.
We a e ocusing only on he abo e ci cums ances and no in e es ed in s udying gene al lean se ices ha a e no
indica ed o speci ic ypes o wo k o do no ocus on he knowledge p ocess. A ypical law in many lean se ice
s udies is he assump ion ha all se ice wo k is knowledge wo k, e en wo k ha is epe i i e and simple in na u e,
al hough such wo k may all in o he le side o he knowledge wo k con inuum whe e he lean implemen a ion
handles “se ice p oduc ion low” (e.g. pa ien s) a he han in o ma ion i sel .
Ou pu pose is o examine he po en ial o use lean applica ions o imp o ing knowledge wo k p ac ices. The
esea ch is concep ual in na u e and makes use o ea lie esea ch indings (see Figu e 2 o a esea ch p ocess
illus a ion). A li e a u e e iew was conduc ed o de ine knowledge wo k based on heo e ical s udies, we can
conclude ha knowledge wo k is a con inuum.
On he nex phase, we s udy lean in knowledge wo k. We b ie ly ouch upon basic lean philosophies and
me hods. A e ha , we summa ize and discuss he esea ch done on implemen ing lean p ac ices in knowledge
wo k and conclude which applica ions and me hods could be especially help ul when implemen ing lean
me hods in knowledge wo k. Lean implemen a ions in knowledge wo k we e s udied using a li e a u e e iew.
The e iew was done on he Scopus da abase and en ailed sea ching o join keywo ds “lean” and “knowledge
wo k” in i les, abs ac s o keywo d ields. No o he c i e ia we e se . The sea ch yielded 24 esul s. Due he low
numbe o o iginal publica ions, o he sea ches wi h he same sea ch e ms we e made in di e en da abases
(Web o Science, Ebsco and P oQues ) o assess he sea ch’s alidi y. These addi ional sea ches did no e u n
any addi ional a icles o e iew. A i s , he duplica e a icles we e emo ed. The nex s udies we e elimina ed
om he e iew i hey ba ely examined lean me hods a all, as we e a icles in which knowledge wo k was only
men ioned as a gene ic e m wi hou a clea desc ip ion o how lean p inciples applied o knowledge wo k
se ings, much like in Kobus & Wes ne ’s (2015) li e a u e e iew ha jus i ied u he esea ch in lean IT
managemen . A o al o eigh pape s we e used o he e iew, and he esul s o his analysis a e p esen ed in
chap e 4.2. This is ollowed by a “discussion and implica ions” sec ion in which he s udy’s implica ions and
limi a ions a e e iewed.
Figu e 2. The esea ch p ocess
-435-
Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and Managemen – h ps://doi.o g/10.3926/jiem.2595
4. Lean in Knowledge Wo k
4.1 Lean P inciples and App oaches o Knowledge Wo k
The o igins o lean philosophy ha e been widely dissemina ed by a ious schola s (e.g. Womack, Jones & Roos,
1990; Hines, Holweg & Rich, 2004; Like , 2004), wi h S one (2012) o e ing a e iew o ele an li e a u e abou he
opic om he pas ou decades. Japanese managemen spawned his philosophy, he in e na ional Mo o Vehicle
P og am and he managemen sys em known as he Toyo a P oduc ion Sys em (TPS) (Womack e al., 1990; Like ,
2004). Lean hinking combines yea s o p ac ice and heo y. The lean app oach is based on he concep o
cus ome alue (Womack e al., 1990). “Lean hinking” is a se o p inciples ha emphasize an o ganiza ion’s
ac ions owa ds c ea ing alue o cus ome s h ough con inuous imp o emen (Hines e al., 2004). Lean hinking is
a cul u al change ha ocuses on u ilizing people as e icien ly as possible. Lean app oaches a e s ill de eloping, bu
he main concep o lean, p o iding alue o he cus ome while educing o emo ing ac i i ies ha do no add
alue, emains as a base. This can be achie ed hough echniques called lean ools, which a e coun e -measu es o
a oiding o educing non- aluable ac i i ies, hings like was e in he p ocesses.
Lean hinking as p esen ed by Womack e al. (1990) can be condensed as ollows: i s , he cus ome s’ alues mus
be de ined and unde s ood. Second, hei alue s eam mus be plo ed o include links be ween he ac i i ies and
p ocesses ha c ea es he p oduc s cus ome s wish o buy; hey mus ou line he inhe en alue ha ul ima ely ul il
cus ome s’ equi emen s. Thi d, i is essen ial ha he e is low be ween hese linked ac i i ies so ha he e is
p ocess which p oduces he p oduc o he se ice. Finally, he e needs o be a pull in place; his pull e e s o
cus ome s’ d i en demands ha con ol and pull p oduc s o se ices in he alue s eam. All hese essen ial lean
elemen s mus be combined wi h con inuous imp o emen , which in u n would suppo he company's ope a ions
and lead i owa ds pe ec ion, ope a ional excellence.
In a knowledge wo k con ex , hese lean hinking p inciples – which s a and end wi h he cus ome – mus be
applied conside ing he special na u e o knowledge wo k. The de ini ion o alue in knowledge wo k, which
cus ome s a e eady o pay o , is o en in isible and canno be easily de ined. The same p oblems exis in he
concep o alue s eams and low, which in knowledge wo k can be an i e a i e p ocess consis ing o loops.
O en imes, alue canno be added wi hou loops, and his is especially appa en in collabo a i e p ojec s whe e
each p o essional’s wo k join ly on p oduc o se ice, and hei inpu inc eases he alue by i e a ing he inal
ou pu . This highligh s he ole o collabo a ion in knowledge wo k. A simple example o such wo k is his jou nal
a icle, which was co-w i en digi ally by mul iple au ho s, imp o ed upon, and e iewed by jou nal edi o s and
o he e iewe s. This esea ch pape is p esen ed o he eade (cus ome ) in he o m o a jou nal a icle, bu i s
alue s eam and low, i mapped, would show many loops and i e a ions.
Finding 1. The Lean app oach in knowledge wo k equi es unde s anding he special na u e o knowledge wo k;
howe e , he uni e sal lean p inciples can be applied.
The lean implemen a ion app oach depends on a company’s exis ing le el o o ganiza ion and ope a ional ma u i y.
Ma u i y can be e alua ed by he ma u i y model amewo k (Isohe anen, Niinikoski, Malinen, Jokinen, Kess &
Ka kkainen, 2016). Al hough lean app oaches ha e a long his o y in manu ac u ing en i onmen s, i s applica ions
in he ield o knowledge wo k a e s ill young; ce ain ools and me hods a e ei he s ill de eloping o do no ye
exis . The lean deploymen app oach needs o be planned acco ding o an o ganiza ion’s ma u i y, i.e. abili y o
adap and lea n. I change esis ance is no conside ed, hen he company’s gap in knowledge abou lean hinking
will likely slow down o p e en he in oduc ion o lean hinking. This p oblem has been ecognized by a ious
schola s (e.g. S aa s & Up on, 2011; Shah & Wa d, 2007). An impo an aspec o knowledge wo k p oduc i i y is
o iew knowledge wo ke s as asse s and as hose who owning he means o p oduc ion, since he imp o emen o
knowledge wo k la gely depends on hei in ol emen in de elopmen al wo k (Da enpo e al., 1996; D ucke ,
1999b).
Finding 2. To implemen lean in knowledge wo k con ex highligh he ole o wo ke s. Lean implemen a ion
should hus s a om philosophical le el in ol ing people a he han implemen ing speci ic ools ha may also be
imp op ia e o knowledge wo k con ex .
-436-
Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and Managemen – h ps://doi.o g/10.3926/jiem.2595
4.2. P e ious Resea ch on Lean in Knowledge wo k
Ea lie esea ch abou lean sys ems in knowledge wo k is e y sca ce (Table 4). The s udies a e quali a i e in na u e
and ollow ei he case s udy o ac ion s udy esea ch p o ocols, which bo h suppo disco e ing new phenomena.
Finding esea ch ha ocuses on in o ma ion p ocessing as a key o alue c ea ion is challenging, since he con ex
o he knowledge wo k in ol ed is a ely desc ibed well. K uge (2014) and Toussain and Be y (2013) do no
de ine knowledge wo k hemsel es, bu hey main ain he iewpoin ha wo k done in he heal hca e ield is
in insically knowledge- ela ed. Howe e , May (2005), S aa s and Up on (2011), S aa s e al. (2011), McDe mo and
Vendi i (2015) and Rachman and Ra nayake (2016) a e among he i s au ho s who clea ly ocused on lean
implemen a ion cases whe e he co e is in o ma ion p ocessing.
Yea Au ho A icle Ti le Field o S udy
2016 Rachman &
Ra nayake
Implemen a ion o lean knowledge wo k in oil and gas indus y –
A case s udy om a Risk-Based Inspec ion p ojec
Enginee ing se ice
(consul ancy)
2015 McDe mo &
Vendi i
Implemen ing lean in knowledge wo k: Implica ions om a s udy
o he hospi al discha ge planning p ocess Heal hca e
2015 Powe & Conboy
A Me ic-Based App oach o Managing A chi ec u e-Rela ed
Impedimen s in P oduc De elopmen Flow: An Indus y Case
S udy om Cisco
P oduc de elopmen
2014 K uge Lean implemen a ion in he Gau eng public heal h sec o Heal hca e
2013 Toussain & Be y The p omise o lean in heal hca e Heal hca e
2011 S aa s & Up on Lean knowledge wo k IT se ices/
enginee ing
2011 S aa s, B unne &
Up on
Lean p inciples, lea ning, and knowledge wo k: E idence om a
so wa e se ices p o ide
SW design/ gene al
pe spec i e
2005 May Lean hinking o knowledge wo k Gene al; philosophy
Table 4. Ea lie esea ch on lean app oaches in knowledge wo k
Finding 3. Ea lie esea ch on lean app oaches in knowledge wo k is sca ce. The e is in iguing in e es o apply
p o en e ec i e lean me hods o ackle knowledge wo k p oduc i i y and de elopmen issues.
4.3. Lean P inciples and Me hods in Knowledge Wo k
S aa s e al. (2011) and May (2005) discuss lean implemen a ion in knowledge wo k on a mo e gene ic and
philosophical le el a he han applying speci ic ools and me hods o a ce ain case. May (2005) sees ha ocusing
on alue, low and con inuous imp o emen a e key lean p inciples ha a e also ele an in knowledge wo k. Powe
and Conboy (2015), K uge (2014), Toussain and Be y (2013) and bo h o S aa s’ (2011) s udies also discuss lean
implemen a ion holis ically and wi hou ocusing only on single lean p inciples o me hods.
Al hough main aining employee espec is a undamen al p inciple o lean heo y, his ac o is no se iously
discussed in hese pape s. Toussain and Be y (2013) a e he ones clea ly indica ing people espec in hei
s udy. In o he s udies, people espec accompanies inclusi e lean implemen a ion me hods, bu is mo e so
in e p e ed han explici ly indica ed in any gi en case (S aa s e al., 2011; McDe mo & Vendi i, 2015; Powe
& Conboy, 2015). Ano he lean p inciple, c ea ing con inuous lea ning/de elopmen cul u e, is in u n mo e
p ac ically handled. In he ield o knowledge wo k, PDCA o PDSA (Plan-Do-Check/S udy-Ac ), DMAIC
(De ine-Measu e-Analyze-Imp o e-Con ol) and o he hypo hesis-d i en me hods o p oblem sol ing a e
applied o he p ac ice o con inuous imp o emen (May, 2005; S aa s & Up on, 2011; Toussain & Be y,
2013; K uge , 2014).
Value s eam mapping (VSM) and elimina ing was e a e he i s issues ypically applied o knowledge wo k
con ex s. VSM assis s in making in angible wo k p ocess and asks mo e conc e e. Many knowledge wo k jobs end
o be uns uc u ed and b oad, equi ing ask speci ica ion while simul aneously p esen ing o he mul i ace ed
-437-
Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and Managemen – h ps://doi.o g/10.3926/jiem.2595
Shah, R., & Wa d, P.T. (2007). De ining and de eloping measu es o lean p oduc ion. Jou nal o Ope a ions
Managemen , 25(4), 785-805. h ps://doi.o g/10.1016/j.jom.2007.01.019
S aa s, B.R., B unne , D.J., & Up on, D.M. (2011). Lean p inciples, lea ning, and knowledge wo k: E idence om a
so wa e se ices p o ide . Jou nal o Ope a ions Managemen , 29(5), 376-390.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1016/j.jom.2010.11.005
S aa s, B.R., & Up on, D.M. (2011). Lean knowledge wo k. Ha a d Business Re iew, 89(10), 100-110.
S one, K.B. (2012). Fou decades o lean: a sys ema ic li e a u e e iew. In e na ional Jou nal o Lean Six Sigma, 3(2),
112-132. h ps://doi.o g/10.1108/20401461211243702
Toussain , J.S., & Be y, L.L. (2013). The p omise o lean in heal h ca e. Mayo Clinic P oceedings, 88(1), 74-82.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1016/j.mayocp.2012.07.025
Wa e s, N.M, & Be u ides, M.G. (2012). An Empi ical S udy o La ge-Sized Companies Wi h Knowledge Wo k
Teams and Thei Impac s on P ojec Team Pe o mance. Enginee ing Managemen Jou nal, 24(2), 54-62.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/10429247.2012.11431936
Womack, J.P., Jones, D.T., & Roos, D. (1990). Machine ha changed he wo ld. Simon and Schus e .
Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and Managemen , 2018 (www.jiem.o g)
A icle’s con en s a e p o ided on an A ibu ion-Non Comme cial 4.0 C ea i e commons In e na ional License. Reade s a e
allowed o copy, dis ibu e and communica e a icle’s con en s, p o ided he au ho ’s and Jou nal o Indus ial Enginee ing and
Managemen ’s names a e included. I mus no be used o comme cial pu poses. To see he comple e license con en s, please
isi h ps://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
-444-