Operational performance and critical success factors of lean manufacturing in European food processing SMEs

•The lean manufacturing practices in food SMEs is still at its infancy.•Food processing SMEs place more emphasis on food safety than on process improvement.•Lean manufacturing improve operational performance, mainly productivity and quality.•Skill of workforce, in-house expertise and organizational culture are critical success factors.

This study analyzes the application of lean manufacturing, its impact on operational performance and critical success factors in the food processing SMEs. The review of current literature was complemented with a survey of food processing companies in three European countries in order to gain a deeper understanding of lean manufacturing in the backdrop of other similar quality initiatives. The findings show that the application of lean manufacturing practices in food SMEs is still at its infancy. Food processing SMEs place more emphasis on food safety than on process improvement methods. The respondents indicated improvement in operational performance, especially with overall productivity from the application of lean manufacturing. Skill of workforce, in-house expertise and organizational culture are critical factors for successful implementation of lean manufacturing practices.