Lean 4.0: A Strategic Roadmap for Operational Excellence and Innovation in Smart Manufacturing
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
In the era of Smart Manufacturing, achieving operational excellence and fostering innovation are crucial for maintaining competitiveness and ensuring long-term sustainability. Lean 4.0 integrates Lean manufacturing principles with advanced digital technologies—including artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, robotics, and automation—to enhance efficiency, agility, and resilience. Lean 4.0 transforms traditional manufacturing into a digitally integrated, highly adaptive, and innovation-driven system by enabling real-time data-driven decision-making, predictive maintenance, and intelligent process optimization. This paper presents a strategic roadmap for Lean 4.0 implementation, emphasizing its role in waste reduction, intelligent automation, and continuous performance improvement. The synergy between Lean methodologies and digital transformation is explored, highlighting its impact on manufacturing flexibility, supply chain resilience, and sustainable innovation. Key challenges—including organizational resistance, workforce upskilling, and digital integration—are critically examined, with strategic solutions focused on leadership commitment, cultural transformation, and structured technology adoption. To support effective implementation, a comprehensive Lean 4.0 framework is proposed, guiding manufacturers in optimizing asset integrity, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening supply chain networks. By leveraging smart technologies for predictive maintenance, real-time decision-making, and continuous improvement, this framework provides a structured approach to achieving long-term competitiveness and sustainability. The findings offer valuable insights for researchers, industry professionals, and decision-makers, positioning Lean 4.0 as a transformative strategy for operational excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth in Smart Manufacturing.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Gomaa, A.H., 2024. Boosting Supply Chain Effectiveness with Lean Six Sigma. American Journal of Management Science and Engineering. Vol. 9, No. 6, pp. 156-171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmse.20240906.14
Gomaa, A.H., 2024. Improving productivity and quality of a machining process by using lean six sigma approach: A case study. Engineering Research Journal (Shoubra), 53(1), pp.1-16. DOI: http://doi.org/10.21608/erjsh.2023.226742.1194
Gomaa, A.H., 2023. Improving Supply Chain Management Using Lean Six Sigma: A Case Study. International Journal of Applied & Physical Sciences, 9. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.20469/ijaps.9.50002
Ghobakhloo, M., Iranmanesh, M., Vilkas, M., Grybauskas, A. and Amran, A., 2022. Drivers and barriers of industry 4.0 technology adoption among manufacturing SMEs: a systematic review and transformation roadmap. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 33(6), pp.1029-1058. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-12-2021-0505
Dyba, W. and De Marchi, V., 2022. On the road to Industry 4.0 in manufacturing clusters: the role of business support organisations. Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, 32(5), pp.760-776. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CR-09-2021-0126
Sanders, A., Elangeswaran, C. and Wulfsberg, J., 2016. Industry 4.0 implies lean manufacturing: Research activities in industry 4.0 function as enablers for lean manufacturing. Journal of industrial engineering and management, 9(3), pp.811-833. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3926/jiem.1940
Buer, S.V., Strandhagen, J.O. and Chan, F.T., 2018. The link between Industry 4.0 and lean manufacturing: mapping current research and establishing a research agenda. International journal of production research, 56(8), pp.2924-2940. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2018.1442945
Tortorella, G.L. and Fettermann, D., 2018. Implementation of Industry 4.0 and lean production in Brazilian manufacturing companies. International journal of production research, 56(8), pp.2975-2987. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2017.1391420
Ustundag, A., Cevikcan, E., Satoglu, S., Ustundag, A., Cevikcan, E. and Durmusoglu, M.B., 2018. Lean production systems for industry 4.0. Industry 4.0: Managing the digital transformation, pp.43-59. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-57870-5_3
Tortorella, G.L., Giglio, R. and Van Dun, D.H., 2019. Industry 4.0 adoption as a moderator of the impact of lean production practices on operational performance improvement. International journal of operations & production management, 39(6/7/8), pp.860-886. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1108/ijopm-01-2019-0005
Varela, L., Araújo, A., Ávila, P., Castro, H. and Putnik, G., 2019. Evaluation of the relation between lean manufacturing, industry 4.0, and sustainability. Sustainability, 11(5), p.1439. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su11051439
Ilangakoon, T.S., Weerabahu, S.K., Samaranayake, P. and Wickramarachchi, R., 2022. Adoption of Industry 4.0 and lean concepts in hospitals for healthcare operational performance improvement. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 71(6), pp.2188-2213. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-12-2020-0654
Akanmu, M.D., Nordin, N. and Gunasilan, U., 2022. Lean manufacturing practices and integration of IR 4.0 technologies for sustainability in the healthcare manufacturing industry. International Journal of Service Management and Sustainability (IJSMS), 7(1), pp.21-48. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359437744
Cifone, F.D., Hoberg, K., Holweg, M. and Staudacher, A.P., 2021. ‘Lean 4.0’: How can digital technologies support lean practices?. International Journal of Production Economics, 241, p.108258. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2021.108258
Kumar, P., Bhadu, J., Singh, D. and Bhamu, J., 2021. Integration between lean, six sigma and industry 4.0 technologies. International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, 13(1-3), pp.19-37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSSCA.2021.120224
Rosin, F., Forget, P., Lamouri, S. and Pellerin, R., 2020. Impacts of Industry 4.0 technologies on Lean principles. International Journal of Production Research, 58(6), pp.1644-1661. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2019.1672902
Ciano, M.P., Dallasega, P., Orzes, G. and Rossi, T., 2021. One-to-one relationships between Industry 4.0 technologies and Lean Production techniques: a multiple case study. International journal of production research, 59(5), pp.1386-1410. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2020.1821119
Moreira, T.D.C.R., Nascimento, D.L.D.M., Smirnova, Y. and Santos, A.C.D.S.G.D., 2024. Lean six sigma 4.0 methodology for optimizing occupational exams in operations management. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 15(8), pp.93-119. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-07-2023-0123
T., Antony, J., Garza-Reyes, J.A., Komkowski, T. and Tortorella, G.L., 2024. Integration of Industry 4.0 technologies into Lean Six Sigma DMAIC: A systematic review. Production Planning & Control, 35(12), pp.1403-1428. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2023.2188496
Bittencourt, V.L., Alves, A.C. and Leão, C.P., 2021. Industry 4.0 triggered by Lean Thinking: insights from a systematic literature review. International Journal of Production Research, 59(5), pp.1496-1510. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2020.1832274
Santos, B.P., Enrique, D.V., Maciel, V.B., Lima, T.M., Charrua-Santos, F. and Walczak, R., 2021. The synergic relationship between industry 4.0 and lean management: Best practices from the literature. Management and Production Engineering Review, 12(1), pp.94-107. DOI: http://doi.org/10.24425/mper.2021.136875
Walas Mateo, F., Tornillo, J.E., Orellana Ibarra, V., Fretes, S.M. and Seminario, A.G., 2023. Lean 4.0, Industrial Processes Optimization at SMEs in the Great Buenos Aires Region. LACCEI, 1(8). DOI: http://doi.org/10.18687/LACCEI2023.1.1.1613
Komkowski, T., Antony, J., Garza-Reyes, J.A., Tortorella, G.L. and Pongboonchai-Empl, T., 2023. The integration of Industry 4.0 and Lean Management: a systematic review and constituting elements perspective. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 34(7-8), pp.1052-1069. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2022.2141107
Torre, N., Leo, C. and Bonamigo, A., 2023. Lean 4.0: An analytical approach for hydraulic system maintenance in a production line of a steel-making plant. International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, 14(3), pp.186-199. DOI: http://doi.org/10.24867/IJIEM-2023-3-332
Johansson, P.E., Bruch, J., Chirumalla, K., Osterman, C. and Stålberg, L., 2024. Integrating advanced digital technologies in existing lean-based production systems: analysis of paradoxes, imbalances and management strategies. International Journal of Operations & Production Management. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-05-2023-0434
Galeazzo, A., Furlan, A., Tosetto, D.
and Vinelli, A., 2024. Are lean and digital engaging better problem solvers? An empirical study on Italian manufacturing firms. International Journal of Operations & Production Management. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1108/ijopm-07-2020-0482
Frank, A.G., Thürer, M., Godinho Filho, M. and Marodin, G.A., 2024. Beyond Industry 4.0–integrating Lean, digital technologies and people. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 44(6), pp.1109-1126. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-01-2024-0069
Hines, P., Tortorella, G.L., Antony, J. and Romero, D., 2023. Lean Industry 4.0: Past, present, and future. Quality Management Journal, 30(1), pp.64-88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10686967.2022.2144786
Kassem, B., Callupe, M., Rossi, M., Rossini, M. and Portioli-Staudacher, A., 2024. Lean 4.0: a systematic
literature review on the interaction between lean production and industry
0 pillars. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-04-2022-0144
Dombrowski, U., Wullbrandt, J. and Fochler, S., 2019. Center of excellence for lean enterprise 4.0. Procedia Manufacturing, 31, pp.66-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2019.03.011
Rossini, M., Costa, F., Staudacher, A.P. and Tortorella, G., 2019. Industry 4.0 and lean production: an empirical study. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 52(13), pp.42-47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2019.11.122
Villalba-Diez, J., Zheng, X., Schmidt, D. and Molina, M., 2019. Characterization of industry 4.0 lean management problem-solving behavioral patterns using EEG sensors and deep learning. Sensors, 19(13), p.2841. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/s19132841
Gil-Vilda, F., Yaguee-Fabra, J.A. and Sunyer, A., 2021. From lean production to lean 4.0: a systematic literature review with a historical perspective. Applied Sciences, 11(21), p.10318. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app112110318
Tortorella, G., Sawhney, R., Jurburg, D., de Paula, I.C., Tlapa, D. and Thurer, M., 2021. Towards the proposition of a lean automation framework: integrating industry 4.0 into lean production. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 32(3), pp.593-620. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1108/jmtm-01-2019-0032
Valamede, L.S. and Akkari, A.C.S., 2021, October. Lean 4.0: digital technologies as strategies to reduce waste of lean manufacturing. In Brazilian Technology Symposium (pp. 74-83). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-08545-1_7
Pagliosa, M., Tortorella, G. and Ferreira, J.C.E., 2021. Industry 4.0 and Lean Manufacturing: A systematic literature review and future research directions. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 32(3), pp.543-569. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-12-2018-0446
Elafri, N., Tappert, J., Bertrand, R.O.S.E. and Yassine, M., 2022. Lean 4.0: synergies between Lean management tools and Industry 4.0 technologies. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 55(10), pp.2060-2066. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2022.10.011
Foley, I., McDermott, O., Rosa, A. and Kharub, M., 2022. Implementation of a lean 4.0 project to reduce non-value add waste in a medical device company. Machines, 10(12), p.1119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/machines10121119
Nedjwa, E., Bertrand, R. and Sassi Boudemagh, S., 2022. Impacts of Industry 4.0 technologies on Lean management tools: a bibliometric analysis. International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (IJIDeM), pp.1-16. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12008-021-00795-9
Rossini, M., Costa, F., Tortorella, G.L., Valvo, A. and Portioli-Staudacher, A., 2022. Lean Production and Industry 4.0 integration: how Lean Automation is emerging in manufacturing industry. International Journal of Production Research,
(21), pp.6430-6450. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2021.1992031
Yilmaz, A., Dora, M., Hezarkhani, B. and Kumar, M., 2022. Lean and industry 4.0: Mapping determinants and barriers from a social, environmental, and operational perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 175, p.121320. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121320
Wolniak , R. and Grebski , W., 2023. The usage of lean manufacturing in Industury 4.0 conditions. Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology. Organization & Management/Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Slaskiej. Seria Organizacji i Zarzadzanie, (187). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29119/1641-3466.2023.187.40
Alsadi, J., Antony, J., Mezher, T., Jayaraman, R. and Maalouf, M., 2023. Lean and Industry 4.0: A bibliometric analysis, opportunities for future research directions. Quality Management Journal, 30(1), pp.41-63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10686967.2022.2144785
Marcondes, G.B., Rossi, A.H.G. and Pontes, J., 2023, June. Digital Technologies and Lean 4.0: Integration, Benefits, and Areas of Research. In International Joint conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (pp. 197-209). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-47058-5_16
Treviño-Elizondo, B.L., García-Reyes, H. and Peimbert-García, R.E., 2023. A maturity model to become a Smart Organization based on lean and Industry 4.0 synergy. Sustainability, 15(17), p.13151. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713151
Tetteh, M.G., Jagtap, S., Gupta, S., Raut, R. and Salonitis, K., 2023, June. Challenges to Lean 4.0 in the Pharma Supply Chain Sustainability. In International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing (pp. 316-323). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38165-237
Gatell, I.S. and Avella, L., 2024. Impact of Industry 4.0 and circular economy on lean culture and leadership: Assessing digital green lean as a new concept. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 30(1), p.100232. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2023.100232
Javaid, M., Haleem, A., Singh, R.P. and Gupta, S., 2024. Leveraging lean 4.0 technologies in healthcare: An exploration of its applications. Advances in Biomarker Sciences and Technology, 6, pp.138-151. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abst.2024.08.001
Komkowski, T., Sony, M., Antony, J., Lizarelli, F.L., Garza-Reyes, J.A. and Tortorella, G.L., 2024. Operational practices for integrating lean and industry 4.0–a dynamic capabilities perspective. International Journal of Production Research, pp.1-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2024.2381127
Margherita, E.G. and Braccini, A.M., 2024. Exploring tensions of Industry 4.0 adoption in lean production systems from a dialectical perspective. International Journal of Operations & Production Management. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-05-2023-0354
Pratama, A.T., Sofianti, T.D., Saraswati, T., Simorangkir, N.P. and Kurniawan, I., 2024. THE LEAN 4.0 WORKSHOP: AN OVERVIEW. Prosiding Konferensi Nasional Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat dan Corporate Social Responsibility (PKM-CSR), 7. https://prosiding-pkmcsr.org/index.php/pkmcsr/article/view/2269
Samadhiya, A., Agrawal, R. and Garza-Reyes, J.A., 2024. Integrating industry 4.0 and total productive maintenance for global sustainability. The TQM Journal, 36(1), pp.24-50. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-05-2022-0164
Saraswat, P., Agrawal, R. and Rane, S.B., 2024. Technological integration of lean manufacturing with industry 4.0 toward lean automation: insights from the systematic review and further research directions. Benchmarking: An International Journal. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-05-2023-0316
Singh, H. and Singh, B., 2024. Industry 4.0 technologies integration with lean production tools: a review. The TQM Journal, 36(8), pp.2507-2526. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-02-2022-0065
Tetteh-Caesar, M.G., Gupta, S., Salonitis, K. and Jagtap, S., 2024. Implementing Lean 4.0: a review of case studies in pharmaceutical industry transformation. Technological Sustainability. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/TECHS-02-2024-0012
Vargas, G.B., Gomes, J.D.O. and Vargas Vallejos, R., 2024. A framework for the prioritization of industry 4.0 and lean manufacturing technologies based on network theory. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 35(1), pp.95-118. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-03-2023-0114
Satoglu, S., Ustundag, A., Cevikcan, E. and Durmusoglu, M.B., 2018. Lean transformation integrated with Industry 4.0 implementation methodology. In Industrial Engineering in the Industry 4.0 Era: Selected papers from the Global Joint Conference on Industrial Engineering and Its Application Areas, GJCIE 2017, July 20–21, Vienna, Austria (pp. 97-107). Springer International Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71225-3_9
Tiamaz, Y., & Souissi, N. (2019). Lean Roadmap: A Step by Step Guide for a Process Manager. In International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (Vol. 8, Issue 9, pp. 3171–3177). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijitee.i7480.078919
Kale, S. V., & Parikh, Dr. R. H. (2019). Lean Implementation in a Manufacturing Industry through Value
Stream Mapping. In International
Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology (Vol. 8, Issue 6s, pp. 908–913). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijeat.f1172.0886s19
Senthil, J., Prabhahar, Dr. M., Kuriakose, V. K., Basu, S., & Ajith. (2020). A Novel Technology in Lean Manufacturing. In International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) (Vol. 8, Issue 5, pp. 2911–2914). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijrte.e3105.018520