Which tools are needed to implement Lean Production in an Industry 4.0 environment? A literature review

Abstract

The Industry 4.0 revolution has been introduced for the first time in Germany in 2011 and, during last decade, it has introduced several technological innovations, such as novel information and communication systems in different business sectors, rising the attention of practitioners and scholars worldwide. Lean Production (LP) refers to a wide-ranging set process that improve mass production techniques to reduce cost, quality, reduce time to produce, and better react to market demands. The aim of this research study is to understand, through a comprehensive literature review, the relationship between LP practices and Industry 4.0 enabling technologies, as well as to understand which Industry 4.0 tools are currently implemented in LP by companies and main advantages derived from their use.