Industry 4.0 Impacts on Lean Production Systems

The fourth industrial revolution and its Industry 4. 0 or connected industry technologies dominates the current discussion of production research. Digital developments like cyber-physical Systems are the key technologies for future, more agile production systems but a common understanding of the term Industry 4. 0 is not established in this time. First generic implementation approaches present manifold technical solutions but miss an integrated consideration with existing Lean Production Systems. The actual impact of Industry 4. 0 solutions is mostly not clearly specified and a method to evaluate is missing. paper introduces the Industry 4. 0 in an environment of connectability in the Internet of Things and Services with the vision of a smart factory. The initial situation of industrial companies is characterized by Lean Production Systems and Lean Principles. For companies, Industry 4. 0 offers an estimated benefit by stabilizing Lean processes with Industry 4. 0 applications. To support the development process the presented Concept of an Industry 4. 0 impact matrix on lean production systems gives a useable framework. The matrix considers elements of lean production systems with Industry 4. 0 technologies and gives a first estimation of impact. In the described development process of a cyber-physical Just-in-Time delivery the matrix is used to find a stabilizing application for a Just-in-Time material supply process.