Industry 4.0 Application in Lean Manufacturing – A Systematic Review

Abstract

For several years Lean manufacturing has been adopted by industries in improving the operational performance of the firm. However, Lean manufacturing is associated with fixed production sequence and slow responsiveness, which limits its capability of meeting the constantly changing customer demand, product variability & customisation. This can inhibit its adaptability in the digital era. Meanwhile, Industry 4.0 technologies support the mass production of highly customisable products by being modular and flexible. Although Industry 4.0 technologies can meet the demands of the digital era, they are considered as a solution provider with little scope for organisational process improvement. Hence, an integration of both approaches will lead to a competitive advantage in the digital era. This paper aims to explore and evaluate the work done by researchers in identifying the link between lean manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technologies, through a systematic literature review to understand if lean manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technology can be integrated effectively.