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Lean six sigma and industry 4.0 integration for operational excellence: evidence from Italian manufacturing companies

Chiarini, Andrea and Kumar, Maneesh ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2469-1382 2021. Lean six sigma and industry 4.0 integration for operational excellence: evidence from Italian manufacturing companies. Production Planning and Control 32 (13) , pp. 1084-1101. 10.1080/09537287.2020.1784485

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Abstract

This research investigates a possible integration between Lean Six Sigma (LSS) tools and principles and Industry 4.0 technologies. The aim is the development of a new pattern for Operational Excellence through the grounded theory methodology. Data collection involved interviewing Italian manufacturing managers in ten case organisations as well as a direct observation of practices linked to Industry 4.0 and LSS integration at one of the selected case organisations. Results of the study aligns with preliminary literature supporting LSS providing platform to achieve effective outcome from Industry 4.0 application. The integration needs reinvented mapping tools and implies a horizontal integration and a vertical, end-to-end integration. The latter requires the company to reengineer the ERP modules, while in the horizontal integration the real ultimate goal is to reach a complete automatic synchronisation of the processes named Autonomous Process Synchronisation. Moreover, all the data gathered from production processes and offices needs the development of new analytics at all levels. This is amongst first few studies that answers how to achieve integration between LSS and Industry 4.0 technologies and thus have several research and managerial contributions in advancing operational excellence research.

Item Type: Article
Date Type: Publication
Status: Published
Schools: Business (Including Economics)
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISSN: 0953-7287
Date of First Compliant Deposit: 20 July 2020
Date of Acceptance: 16 June 2020
Last Modified: 07 Nov 2023 02:15
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/133612

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