The synergy of Lean Manufacturing methodology in the context of Industry 4.0: An integrative review

Abstract

Lean Manufacturing methods are used by industries that seek to improve their competitiveness through flexibility, cost reduction, product quality improvements and customer satisfaction. Still, the level of complexity and demand in the manufacturing industry is rapidly expanding, intensifying organizational problems. Industry 4.0 systematically employs state-of-the-art technological solutions, unlike Lean Manufacturing, which is firmly based on the human factor. With a qualitative approach, this study aims to explore the synergistic aspects between Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 in an integrative review. The searches were carried out in the following databases: Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct and IEEE, totaling 552 articles, of which 19 were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results show that the technologies that stood out the most in Industry 4.0 with Lean Manufacturing are the Internet of Things, Big Data and Cyber-Physical Systems, making processes faster and more efficient when integrated. A theme identified in two studies was the presence of the Lean leader, who has Lean management skills and is recognized as a critical factor for the implementation of Industry 4.0, as it requires a broad view of the organizational process and the application of Lean tools.

How well do decision support systems help decision makers? An examination of adopting lean manufacturing processes

“…A further example is a DSS for LM that improves the efficiency of manufacturing processes by equipping decision-makers with analytical tools and information management capabilities to assist in the resolution of relatively large, unstructured problems with complex data structures (Bumblaunskas et al, 2017). Hence, Table 2 below shows the traditional DSS category that has been classified into seven subfields (Urban et al, 2022;Teles et al, 2022;and Dubey et al, 2015) based on the generic nature of their operations.…”

“…Table 2 Traditional DSS categories and descriptions (Urban et al, 2022), (Teles et al, 2022), and (Dubey et al, 2015). This kind of DSS works when the decision to be taken is based on well-structured tasks.…”

“…In achieving success, the disagreement stems from a lack of transparency due to the inscrutable algorithms employed, meaning that it is not always possible to reach a particular decision without examining the equation parameters in minute detail (Urban & Tochwin, 2022). Finally, the cost of implementing and maintaining such systems can be high since they require a modern structure and can only be operated by individuals with specialised knowledge (Teles et al, 2022). This will increase the burden on entrepreneurs, especially in the SME sector.…”