Implementation of Industry 4.0 and lean production in Brazilian manufacturing companies

TLDR

Industry 4.0 technologies are viewed as a strategy to improve product quality and manufacturing efficiency, yet how they are integrated into existing production systems remains unclear. This study investigates the relationship between lean production practices and Industry 4.0 implementation in Brazilian manufacturing firms. Data from a survey of 110 companies across sectors and sizes were analyzed using multivariate techniques to assess this relationship. Lean production practices are positively linked to Industry 4.0 adoption, and their combined implementation yields greater performance gains, though contextual factors influence the strength of this association.

Abstract

The adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies has been deemed as a strategy to increase product quality and make manufacturing processes more efficient. However, the way that these technologies are integrated into existing production systems and which processes they can support is still under investigation. Thus, this paper aims to examine the relationship between lean production (LP) practices and the implementation of Industry 4.0 in Brazilian manufacturing companies. To achieve that we use data from a survey carried out with 110 companies of different sizes and sectors, at different stages of LP implementation. Data collected were analysed by means of multivariate analysis. Our findings indicate that LP practices are positively associated with Industry 4.0 technologies and their concurrent implementation leads to larger performance improvements. Further, the contextual variables investigated do matter to this association, although not all aspects matter to the same extent and effect.