Measures of performance for lean product introduction in the aerospace industry

Abstract

This paper discusses the results of research to develop measures of performance (metrics) for the new product introduction process in the aerospace industry, which will encourage a change in behaviour towards the adoption of lean principles in areas other than manufacturing. It examines how this was done and the successes and some problems of implementation. Seven key metrics for enterprise wide application are defined and discussed. A further eight are identified for process or product family specific application. The paper concludes that the metrics developed are beneficial in helping to improve performance and aligning corporate goals, but that further work is still required particularly with respect to the organizational arrangements and information systems technology required to implement them.