Concept for the development of a Lean 4.0 reference implementation strategy for manufacturing companies

In order to increase the productivity of companies, all non-value-adding process activities should be eliminated. Building on this, customer-oriented production processes can further be improved through digitalization. The interaction of Lean Production and Industrie 4.0 is called Lean 4.0. Managing and improving organizational capabilities in the way of Lean 4.0 is a significant and complex issue for many companies. To support companies and enable holistic improvements, implementation strategies are helpful. Therefore, this paper's main contribution is a concept with seven sub-phases that serve as a guideline to develop a Lean 4.0 reference implementation strategy for manufacturing companies.