Investigation into the Impact of Leagile Manufacturing Implementation in a Modern Mechanical Workshop

The integration of Lean and Agile manufacturing has gained increasing attention; however, empirical evidence remains limited regarding standardized implementation, safety integration, and applicability within resource-constrained mechanical workshops in developing economies. This study developed and empirically evaluated a customized Leagile manufacturing framework in an industrial mechanical workshop, assessing its impact on safety, quality, workflow efficiency, cost-effectiveness and overall business performance. The proposed framework integrates Lean and Agile principles through a structured deployment strategy, using 5S as the foundational enabler for restoring the workshop’s basic conditions and incorporating Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM), Single-Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED), and digital Kanban to support responsive, data-driven operations aligned with Industry 4.0. A quantitative approach was adopted, with performance evaluated using standardized KPIs covering safety, quality, workflow efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, monitored through real-time digital dashboards. Within the scope of this single workshop study, the Leagile integration was associated with improvements in effectively bridging the gap between operational performance and efficiency where demand alternates between stable and highly volatile requirements, enabling organizations to maintain cost efficiency while remaining responsive to rapid changes. Production quality improved to 91%, availability to 95%, and production achievement rate (as an indicator of performance) to 95%, collectively increasing Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) from 51% to 82%. Safety compliance improved to 90% with injury-free operations. An increase in machine availability through RCM and improved effective utilization through SMED and resource utilization led to an increase in conformance to schedule and in turn enhanced business performance through higher throughput, leading to greater profitability and cost saving. The digital Kanban system eliminated communication delays and reduced maintenance-related disruptions, providing empirical evidence that a standardized, safety-centered Leagile framework delivers substantial performance gains in developing-economy mechanical workshops.