A scrumban board-based approach to improve material flow in engineering to order (ETO) companies: an industrial application based on action research

This paper focuses on lean management in Engineering-To-Order (ETO) companies. The objective is to streamline the management of an order and to reduce the time to market, from order acceptance to delivery. To this aim, we propose a visual tool that allows a better organisation and coordination of all the activities carried out by the departments involved in the management of an order. The proposed tool is a readaptation of the 'scrumban' methodology, which originated from an 'action research-based project', carried on in cooperation with an important ETO manufacturer. Specifically, using this implementation as use case, the proposed tool and its benefits are analysed in detail, showing that it allows to: (i) reorganise and operate the shop floor in a lean way, (ii) encourage a continuous improvement of the manufacturing processes and, above all, (iii) achieve a full coordination of physical and information flows. A step-by-step implementation framework is also provided, aiming to support and guide managers and practitioners willing to introduce visual tools, for a lean-oriented management of shop floor activities in ETO.