Lean Manufacturing in the context of National Defense applied in defense industries and the Armed Forces an integrative review

Abstract

This paper aims to present the contributions of lean manufacturing in the context of National Defense, from an integrative literature review focused on applications in defense industries and Armed Forces, and identify opportunities to integrate the lean manufacturing to the Brazilian Army. The integrative literature review highlighted 27 articles, where military organizations and defense industries around the world have benefited from the application of lean principles and tools, as it eliminates or reduces process waste, mainly related to waiting between activities and unnecessary processing, achieving better results in the delivery of their goods and services. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) stands out as the main lean tool for process improvement and efficient application of resources. The opportunities to integrate lean manufacturing into the Brazilian Army are primarily identified in the processes of maintenance, repair and overhaul of Military Employment Systems and Materials (SMEM), and can be applied in other environments such as health management, military works management, organizational management, project management, life cycle management and supply logistics management.