Compatibility, opportunities and challenges in the combination of Industry 4.0 and Lean Production

The continuous increase in technology associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and advancing digitalization are influencing today’s production processes and the competitiveness of factories. Integrating Industry 4.0 into Lean Production can generate more efficient, leaner production and logistics with the help of intelligent networking systems. However, combining the two concepts also poses some challenges, such as the complex integration of technology into the Lean Production tools, and a resistance from employees to accept new technological ways. Furthermore, there is a lack of practical studies that guide companies on which variant of the different Industry 4.0 technologies should and could be integrated into their Lean Production processes. This paper analyzes the compatibility of Industry 4.0 and Lean Production and presents practical solutions by highlighting the opportunities and challenges of combining the two. This research is based on a systematic literature analysis and evaluating expert interviews which leads to the findings and hypotheses. The results explain how Lean Production and Industry 4.0 can be successfully combined, and which aspects need to be and should be considered on a management level.