Industry 4.0 and Lean Manufacturing - A systematic review of the state of the art literature and key recommendations for future research

Purpose (limit 100 words) This paper aims to analyse the current state of research to identify the link between Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies to uncover research gaps, to map out different research themes and propose key recommendations for future research, including lessons to be learnt from the integration of lean and I4.0. Design/methodology/approach (limit 100 words) A systematic literature review (SLR) is conducted to thematically analyse and synthesise existing literature on Lean Manufacturing - I4.0 integration. The review analysed 60 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Findings (limit 100 words) In total, five main research themes were identified, and a thematic map was created to explore the following: (1) The Relationship between Lean Manufacturing and I4.0, (2) Lean Manufacturing and I4.0 implication on performance, (3) Lean Manufacturing and I4.0 framework, (4) Lean Manufacturing and I4.0 integration with other methodologies, and (5) Application of I4.0 technologies in Lean Manufacturing. Further, various gaps in the literature were identified, and key recommendations for future directions were proposed. Research limitations/implications (limit 100 words) The integration of Lean Manufacturing and I4.0 will eventually bring many benefits and offers superior and long-term competitive advantages. This research reveals the need for more analysis to thoroughly examine how this can be achieved in real life and promote operational changes that ensure enterprises run more sustainably. Originality/value (limit 100 words) The development of Lean Manufacturing and I4.0 integration is still in its infancy, with most articles in this field published in the last two years. The five main research themes identified through thematic synthesis are provided in the original contribution. This provides scholars better insight into the existing literature related to Lean Manufacturing and I4.0, further contributing to defining clear topics for future research opportunities. It also has important implications for industrialists, who can develop more profound and richer knowledge than Lean and I4.0, which would, in turn, help them develop more effective deployment strategies and have a positive commercial impact.