Adopting Industry 4.0 technologies through lean tools: evidence from the European Manufacturing Survey

Purpose In recent years, the emergence of Industry 4.0 technologies as a way of increasing productivity has attracted the attention of the manufacturing industry. This study aims to investigate the relationship between Industry 4.0 technologies and lean tools (LTs) by measuring how the internalisation of LTs influences the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and how the synergy between them helps improve productivity in European manufacturing firms. Design/methodology/approach Results from 1,298 responses were used to analyse linear regression and study the correlation between the use of LTs and Industry 4.0 technologies. Findings Results show that the companies analysed tend to implement more Industry 4.0 technologies when their level of lean internalisation is high. Originality/value This study provides useful information for managers of manufacturing firms by showing the correlation between LT internalisation and Industry 4.0 technologies, corroborating that optimal implementation of these technologies is preceded by a high level of LT internalisation. Furthermore, although there are studies showing the relationship between LTs and Industry 4.0 technologies, none consider the intensity of their implementation.