Industry 4.0 Impacts on Lean Production Systems

TLDR

Industry 4.0, driven by cyber‑physical systems and other connected technologies, is a dominant research focus, yet its definition, impact on existing Lean production systems, and evaluation methods remain unclear, despite its potential to stabilize Lean processes. The study introduces Industry 4.0 within an IoT‑services smart‑factory context and proposes an Industry 4.0 impact matrix as a usable framework for evaluating its effects on Lean production systems. The authors develop an Industry 4.0 impact matrix that maps Lean production elements to connected technologies, estimates their effects, and applies it in a cyber‑physical Just‑in‑Time delivery scenario to identify stabilizing material‑supply solutions.

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution and its Industry 4.0 or connected industry technologies dominates the current discussion of production research. Digital developments like cyber-physical Systems are the key technologies for future, more agile production systems but a common understanding of the term Industry 4.0 is not established in this time. First generic implementation approaches present manifold technical solutions but miss an integrated consideration with existing Lean Production Systems. The actual impact of Industry 4.0 solutions is mostly not clearly specified and a method to evaluate is missing. This paper introduces the Industry 4.0 in an environment of connectability in the Internet of Things and Services with the vision of a smart factory. The initial situation of industrial companies is characterized by Lean Production Systems and Lean Principles. For companies, Industry 4.0 offers an estimated benefit by stabilizing Lean processes with Industry 4.0 applications. To support the development process the presented Concept of an Industry 4.0 impact matrix on lean production systems gives a useable framework. The matrix considers elements of lean production systems with Industry 4.0 technologies and gives a first estimation of impact. In the described development process of a cyber-physical Just-in-Time delivery the matrix is used to find a stabilizing application for a Just-in-Time material supply process.