Lean office practices and tools in a Brazilian industrial vocational education institution

Purpose This study aims to analyze the adoption of lean office (LO) at the National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI), a Brazilian industrial vocational education institution, identifying the practices and tools adopted, the main problems and forms of waste identified, the challenges faced and the results obtained, focusing on the units located in the state of Minas Gerais (MG), in the Southeast region of the country. Design/methodology/approach The method was structured in two main stages: a systematic literature review, analyzing 33 articles, followed by a case study on LO adoption in 15 SENAI units in MG. Findings In both the literature and practice, process mapping emerged as the main tool, while lack of standardization and delays in processes were identified as the key problems. Although the challenges varied from the difficulty of replicating the methodology in other processes (at SENAI) to resistance from people (in the literature), the benefits of reduced time and increased productivity were consistent in both. Research limitations/implications Due to the sample of 15 units being exclusively within the context of SENAI in MG, generalizations are not possible. Additionally, the institution’s specific characteristics may have influenced the results, requiring caution when applying the conclusions to other contexts. Originality/value In addition to the scarcity of publications on the adoption of the lean philosophy in administrative processes within Brazilian vocational education, this study diverges from others found in the literature regarding the low resistance to the adoption of LO. This distinction is explained, among other factors, by the effective execution of organizational change management and the active involvement of senior management in the investigated SENAI units.