Driven by the literature, that is seeking for empirical studies and validations regarding the integration between Lean Manufacturing practices and Industry 4.0 technologies, this study aims at exploring the industrial scenario in Italy, performing a multiple case study in manufacturing companies. Starting from the main topic, the link between Lean and Industry 4.0, the research tries to assess a series of other topics correlated to the implementation of the Lean 4.0 tools, that are the practical implementations of the two paradigms integration. These issues regard the correlation between tools’ implementations and contextual factors, the importance of knowledge, the timeline of implementation and the impact on operational performances. At the beginning of the study, a first glance to the topic is provided by the analysis of a survey, developed by the Lean Excellence Centre, in which 107 European companies expressed their opinions on the Lean 4.0 tools, regarding knowledge, implementation and general satisfaction. After the survey analysis, a multiple case study was organized involving three Italian manufacturing realities, having different maturity levels both in Lean practices and in Industry 4.0 implementation. Thanks to this diversity, we managed to test rivalrous theories, following Yin’s suggestions on how to conduct the case study inquiry. The pilot case and the actual repetition ones are represented by two companies which can count on Lean expertise but just started facing the digital revolution, while the third case, the theoretical repetition, is an affirmed Industry 4.0 reality with no experience in Lean practices. All of them managed to improve their operational performances and their visibility over production by means of the implementation of the Lean 4.0 tools. Thanks to the diversity of these three realities it was possible to understand the importance of the relation between the two philosophies. Eventually, the results showed how Lean is crucial to be implemented before Industry 4.0, to clean and optimize the process before the installation of digital tools. Contextual factors such as size and type of production might facilitate implementations, with big companies exploiting mass production advantaged over the others. Knowledge about Lean 4.0 principles and tools is fundamental to be acquired before any installations, while tools to be installed as first are the ones allowing the real time data gathering and control. Eventually, Lean 4.0 tools do help companies to improve their operational performances, especially control, quality and productivity, through a waterfall effect, with digital tools allowing for visibility and better analyses that, finally will translate into more effective tools’ implementations. In conclusion, thanks to these results and on the empirical evidence provided by the participating companies, an implementation model has been created to formalize the best steps to follow during Lean 4.0 implementations, from the prerequisites until the phases of the actual implementation. Thanks to this dissertation, literature now can have a better vision of the Italian manufacturing environment through an empirical study. At the same time practitioners can leverage on the model to follow the right steps of implementation. Policy makers are instead advised about the actions they could undertake to facilitate Lean 4.0 implementations and improve the performances and the digitalisation level of the national industrial realities.
Spinti dalla letteratura alla ricerca di studi empirici e validazioni riguardo l’integrazione tra le pratiche di Lean Manufacturing e le tecnologie di Industria 4.0, questo studio ha lo scopo di esplorare il panorama industriale italiano, attraverso un multiple case study svolto in diverse realtà manifatturiere. Partendo da questo argomento principale, la relazione tra Lean e Industria 4.0, lo studio cerca di valutare una serie di altri argomenti correlati all’implementazione dei Lean 4.0 tools, i quali rappresentato le implicazioni pratiche dei due paradigmi integrati fra loro. Questi argomenti riguardano la correlazione tra le installazioni e i fattori contestuali, l’importanza della conoscenza, la sequenza di implementazione e l’impatto sulle performance. All’inizio dello studio, una visione generale dell’argomento è fornita mediante l’analisi di un questionario, svolto dal Lean Excellence Centre, nel quale 107 aziende europee esprimono le loro opinioni sui Lean 4.0 tool, riguardo conoscenza, implementazione e soddisfazione generale. Dopo l’analisi del questionario, è stato organizzato un multiple case study coinvolgendo tre realtà manifatturiere italiane aventi differenti livelli di maturità, sia in ambito Lean che Industria 4.0. Grazie a questa diversità, siamo riusciti a testare teorie rivali, seguendo i suggerimenti di Yin su come condurre l’indagine durante un case study. Il pilot case e l’actual repetition, che sono rappresentati dalle due aziende con esperienza pregressa in ambito Lean ma che hanno appena iniziato la loro trasformazione digitale, mentre il terzo caso, la theoretical repetition, è una realtà affermata nell’industria 4.0, ma senza esperienza di pratiche Lean. Tutte queste aziende sono riuscite però a migliorare le loro performance e la loro visibilità sulla produzione grazie all’introduzione dei Lean 4.0 tools. Grazie alla diversità di queste realtà, è stato quindi possibile capire l’importanza della relazione tra Lean e Industria 4.0. I risultati dimostrano come sia fondamentale implementare pratiche Lean prima di Industria 4.0, per snellire e ottimizzare il processo prima di installare tools digitali. I fattori contestuali, come dimensione e tipo di produzione, possono facilitare le implementazioni, con grandi aziende e produzioni di massa avvantaggiate rispetto alle altre. È fondamentale avere conoscenza dei principi e degli strumenti di Lean 4.0 prima dell’installazione degli stessi, mentre i tools che vengono solitamente inseriti per primi sono quelli che garantiscono controllo in tempo reale sulla produzione. Inoltre, i Lean 4.0 tools aiutano le aziende nel migliorare le proprie performance, specialmente il controllo, la qualità e la produttività, attraverso un effetto a cascata, con gli strumenti digitali che permettono di fare analisi dettagliate grazie ai dati forniti, che alla fine si traducono in implementazioni più efficaci. Infine, grazie a questi risultati provenienti dalle prove empiriche fornite dalle aziende participanti al caso studio, è stato possibile creare un modello che formalizza i passi da seguire durante le implementazioni Lean 4.0, partendo dai prerequisiti fino alle fasi di effettiva implementazione. Grazie a questo studio, la letteratura può contare su una più ampia visione del panorama manifatturiero italiano riguardo questi argomenti, mentre i managers possono contare sul modello per seguire i giusti passi di implementazione. I policy makers invece possono raccogliere consigli sulle azioni da intraprendere per facilitare le implementazioni di Lean 4.0 e migliorare performance e digitalizzazione delle realtà industriali nazionali.
How lean digital tools are implemented in manufacturing companies : a multiple case study in Italy
Maninchedda, Luigi;LODESERTO, RICCARDO
2020/2021
Abstract
Driven by the literature, that is seeking for empirical studies and validations regarding the integration between Lean Manufacturing practices and Industry 4.0 technologies, this study aims at exploring the industrial scenario in Italy, performing a multiple case study in manufacturing companies. Starting from the main topic, the link between Lean and Industry 4.0, the research tries to assess a series of other topics correlated to the implementation of the Lean 4.0 tools, that are the practical implementations of the two paradigms integration. These issues regard the correlation between tools’ implementations and contextual factors, the importance of knowledge, the timeline of implementation and the impact on operational performances. At the beginning of the study, a first glance to the topic is provided by the analysis of a survey, developed by the Lean Excellence Centre, in which 107 European companies expressed their opinions on the Lean 4.0 tools, regarding knowledge, implementation and general satisfaction. After the survey analysis, a multiple case study was organized involving three Italian manufacturing realities, having different maturity levels both in Lean practices and in Industry 4.0 implementation. Thanks to this diversity, we managed to test rivalrous theories, following Yin’s suggestions on how to conduct the case study inquiry. The pilot case and the actual repetition ones are represented by two companies which can count on Lean expertise but just started facing the digital revolution, while the third case, the theoretical repetition, is an affirmed Industry 4.0 reality with no experience in Lean practices. All of them managed to improve their operational performances and their visibility over production by means of the implementation of the Lean 4.0 tools. Thanks to the diversity of these three realities it was possible to understand the importance of the relation between the two philosophies. Eventually, the results showed how Lean is crucial to be implemented before Industry 4.0, to clean and optimize the process before the installation of digital tools. Contextual factors such as size and type of production might facilitate implementations, with big companies exploiting mass production advantaged over the others. Knowledge about Lean 4.0 principles and tools is fundamental to be acquired before any installations, while tools to be installed as first are the ones allowing the real time data gathering and control. Eventually, Lean 4.0 tools do help companies to improve their operational performances, especially control, quality and productivity, through a waterfall effect, with digital tools allowing for visibility and better analyses that, finally will translate into more effective tools’ implementations. In conclusion, thanks to these results and on the empirical evidence provided by the participating companies, an implementation model has been created to formalize the best steps to follow during Lean 4.0 implementations, from the prerequisites until the phases of the actual implementation. Thanks to this dissertation, literature now can have a better vision of the Italian manufacturing environment through an empirical study. At the same time practitioners can leverage on the model to follow the right steps of implementation. Policy makers are instead advised about the actions they could undertake to facilitate Lean 4.0 implementations and improve the performances and the digitalisation level of the national industrial realities.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/183965