Industry 4.0 implies lean manufacturing: research activities in industry 4.0 function as enablers for lean manufacturing

摘要

Purpose: Lean Manufacturing is widely regarded as a potential methodology to improve\udproductivity and decrease costs in manufacturing organisations. The success of lean\udmanufacturing demands consistent and conscious efforts from the organisation, and has to\udovercome several hindrances. Industry 4.0 makes a factory smart by applying advanced\udinformation and communication systems and future-oriented technologies. This paper analyses\udthe incompletely perceived link between Industry 4.0 and lean manufacturing, and investigates\udwhether Industry 4.0 is capable of implementing lean. Executing Industry 4.0 is a cost-intensive\udoperation, and is met with reluctance from several manufacturers. This research also provides an\udimportant insight into manufacturers’ dilemma as to whether they can commit into Industry 4.0,\udconsidering the investment required and unperceived benefits.\udDesign/methodology/approach: Lean manufacturing is first defined and different dimensions\udof lean are presented. Then Industry 4.0 is defined followed by representing its current status in\udGermany. The barriers for implementation of lean are analysed from the perspective of\udintegration of resources. Literatures associated with Industry 4.0 are studied and suitable solution\udprinciples are identified to solve the above mentioned barriers of implementing lean.\udFindings: It is identified that researches and publications in the field of Industry 4.0 held answers\udto overcome the barriers of implementation of lean manufacturing. These potential solution principles prove the hypothesis that Industry 4.0 is indeed capable of implementing lean. It\uduncovers the fact that committing into Industry 4.0 makes a factory lean besides being smart.\udOriginality/value: Individual researches have been done in various technologies allied with\udIndustry 4.0, but the potential to execute lean manufacturing was not completely perceived. This\udpaper bridges the gap between these two realms, and identifies exactly which aspects of Industry\ud4.0 contribute towards respective dimensions of lean manufacturing.