Implementing Lean manufacturing strategies alongside Industry 4.0 innovations through fuzzy TOPSIS methodology and value stream mapping: an empirical analysis in the heavy fabrication sector

This research assesses the deployment of lean methodologies and Industry 4.0 strategies to enhance operational efficacy in the heavy fabrication sector. It employs value stream mapping (VSM) to identify inefficiencies within manufacturing processes and to select appropriate lean and Industry 4.0 tools for process optimisation. The study utilises the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), an advanced multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach, for ranking proposed enhancements. Findings highlight total productive maintenance (TPM) 4.0 and just-in-time (JIT) 4.0 as pivotal for organisational advancement. Implementing these strategies yielded a notable decrease in cycle time by 18.64% and an inventory reduction of 32.97%, alongside an increase in value addition from 4.94% to 6.06%. These results demonstrate the significant impact of integrating lean and Industry 4.0 innovations on improving productivity and efficiency in heavy fabrication environments.