Purpose The integration between the traditional lean management and Industry 4.0, namely called Lean 4.0, is under the spotlight of both academia and practitioners. While we agree on the benefits Lean 4.0 may bring to companies performance, we still lack a deep understanding of the characteristics of this paradigm, such as its effective application space. Recalling traditional lean better suits repetitive companies, we are keen to understand whether the anew Lean 4.0 will enlarge its application space. Design/methodology/approach We performed an exploratory study, using a quantitative analysis based on Bayesian network approach to investigate whether Lean 4.0 results to be as effective in repetitive companies as in non-repetitive ones, in terms of operational performance. Findings While our findings confirm that Lean 4.0 will enhance companies' performance regardless their production strategies, companies adopting a repetitive strategy do benefit from a much higher improvement. Our findings provide an insight on the true applicability space of Lean 4.0, which seems to be the same as the traditional lean. Originality/value We contribute to the ongoing debate of Lean 4.0 providing initial empirical evidence on how to improve the operational performance in non-repetitive companies, seeing that Lean 4.0 might not be the best choice in its current format.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide the description of an original framework for maintenance management plan development. The research aims to use in an integrated way different World Class Manufacturing (WCM)-based tools, in order to obtain a model which can be used for preventive maintenance in different industrial contexts.Design/methodology/approachIn this research, a conceptual framework of preventive maintenance was described and then it was evaluated through a qualitative study in an Italian company. The company was chosen based on an initial interview with the operations team and the model area was selected. Then, the location was reorganized in order to obtain a green field which could sustain the implementation of the framework tools.FindingsThe case study was carried out in a small-medium manufacturing company which produces quick-release couplings and multiconnections, ranging from medium to ultra-high pressure. The defined framework has proved to be easy to implement in a company with a corrective maintenance plan, allowing the maintenance department to embrace the preventive maintenance culture. The maintenance model has been well received from the employees.Practical implicationsThe framework allows a standardization of maintenance plans. Firstly, the standardization design itself allows finding previous wastes and consequent improvement areas. Then, it brings the improvement of a single machine which impacts all other machines in its family.Originality/valueThe added value of this study is the ability to integrate different WCM-based tools. Since the framework depicts a step-by-step process; it is also a starting point for companies that want to approach preventive maintenance for the first time.

Digital technologies, such as advanced analytics, autonomous vehicles or the Internet of Things, are often touted as means to substantially improve operations. While this potential has been frequently highlighted and evidenced from single case applications, we still lack a deeper theoretical understanding of the underlying mechanisms how digital technologies can support process improvement in general, and lean practices more specifically. In this paper, we use a qualitative study based on focus group design to understand how manufacturing and supply chain management professionals perceive the potential of digital technologies in support of lean practices. We identify eight digital waste reduction mechanisms that illustrate how digital technologies can support lean practices. These include a cluster of mechanisms that augment operational execution in terms of speed and precision of execution, as well as flexibility in space and time. Furthermore, we identify a second cluster of mechanisms that augment decision-making through visibility, feedback, engagement, and prevention. In terms of managerial implications, our findings provide firms with a structured approach how to identify those digital technologies that can most effectively support their respective process improvement activities.

Purpose Industry 4.0 and Lean Production are a successful match in terms of performance improvement. While we understand the combined potential, there is still poor understanding of how companies should embrace digital transformation to make it successful and sustainable, and the role that lean plays in it. In this paper, we investigate how manufacturing companies embark upon digital transformation and how being lean might affect it. Design/methodology/approach We conducted multiple case studies with 19 manufacturing companies. We identified two clusters of companies according to their Lean maturity, and we assessed digital transformation patterns by analyzing insights coming both from cases and from the literature. Integrating cross-case analysis results, we developed a framework that shows two different digital transformation patterns according to companies’ commitment to Lean. Findings Our findings first and foremost show the significant role of lean in driving digital transformation. We identify two patterns, namely Sustaining digital transformation pattern, characterized by the pervasive role of lean culture with small and horizontal digital changes, involvement of people and willingness to maintain continuous process improvement, and Disruptive digital transformation pattern, characterized by few and large digital steps that imply a disruptive and radical change in the company system. Practical implications Empirical evidence supports the relevance of the proposed model and its practical usefulness. It can be used to design digital transformation, prepare properly the introduction of Industry 4.0 through a lean approach, and plan the future desired state, identifying the Industry 4.0 technologies that should be implemented. Originality/value It is widely recognized that the relationship between Industry 4.0 and lean is significant and positive, yet little evidence was presented to back that. We aim at bringing this debate forward by providing initial empirical evidence of the significant role that lean has on digital transformation, showing how lean drives the digital transformation pattern of companies.

Many industries all over the world have been increasingly adopting Lean Management practices, from manufacturing to service sectors. Notwithstanding the demonstrated astonishing benefits in operational performance of Lean, many firms strive to successfully sustain Lean and its gains in the long-term. Many authors in the literature relate these failures to an exasperate effort to correctly implement the so called “practices” of Lean. This excessive focus on practical aspects led companies to completely neglect the human side of developing people in order to create a base for sustainable continuous improvement system that Lean implementation entails. For that reasons, increasing attention has been placed by academic researchers towards the importance of the human side in successfully sustaining Lean implementation and Continuous Improvement Programs. Despite this increased attention, only few studies have tried to analyze this aspect from a broader and comprehensive perspective. Indeed, before the contribution of this dissertation, no studies in the literature have been able to identify a comprehensive model for assessing the development of people’s potential to contribute at the sustainable continuous improvement. This paper represents a preliminary research attempting to fill this gap, proposing a new assessment model for monitoring people development.

Lean is spreading in every industry, pushed by companies' needs to continuously improve their system and their processes. However, excluding companies operating in the traditional context of mass production, there is not a unique and codified way of applying kaizen to seek perfection and improve performances. The purpose of this article is to illustrate an original pattern of how kaizen is applied to the particular context of a make-to-order company characterised by a high-mix low-volume production. The research reported in this paper presents a new framework for guiding kaizen, and it is based on a case study carried out following the new kaizen framework that clearly defines project phases, roles and activities for each phase of improvement process. The new framework exploits A3 tool and RACI matrix for building the problem setting. The root causes for the problem are identified and validated through data-based analysis from lean tool box, at different stages in the study. The application of this methodology had a significant impact on the bottom-line of the company (reduction of more than 10% of production costs and improvement of on-time delivery from 70 to 95%). Moreover, the research provides an original and structured framework for implementing kaizen in companies and delivers important results that can be deployed in similar kinds of manufacturing companies.

In this paper we present how ASST Cremona, an Italian hospital belonging to the National healthcare system, started its lean journey. In order to spread out the lean culture within the company and to engage people, the first initiative launched was a 4 months improvement project within Internal Medicine department. This was carried out following A3 framework and was aimed at improving the service level provided to the patients, in terms of the critical KPI represented by the length of stay. The improvement project was successful leading both to a strong reduction in the length of stay and to the spread of improvement culture within the hospital, that will continue its lean journey in different departments.

Lean Management (LM) represents a complex socio-technical system where both technical and social practices should be consistently implemented and integrated in order to foster a Continuous Improvement (CI) culture. Despite initial gains in operational performances due to the implementation of the most common and well-established Lean techniques, the great majority of the companies approaching Lean Manufacturing fail in achieving sustainable outcomes in the long term, and most of them eventually come back to their traditional way of doing business. Recognized the pivotal role of soft practices, the purpose of this study is to investigate the role played by the human factor in fostering the establishment of a Sustainable Continuous Improvement (SCI) environment. Starting from surveying the literature, a comprehensive framework including all the relevant soft practices related to LM has been developed. Then, authors proposed, for the first time, Decision-Making Trail and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) analysis applied to soft practices of SCI, that provides an innovative understanding of the relevant soft practices which foster SCI by showing cause-effect association among them. The proposed methodology reveals precious insights for scholars and practitioners who intend to approach and apply SCI. The impact relations map shows that some soft practices are initiators and some others enablers of the SCI and allows to identify the most relevant Critical Success Factors (CSF) and interrelationships amongst them. Results show that the key for a SCI is represented by a full engagement of the workforce, which must be triggered and supported by Top Management with the use of some leverages such as an effective communication, training and use of Kaizen events.