It’s a natural reaction: many industrial companies faced with competitive pressure try to implement the classic lean management approach even better. However, it’s not always suited to the ever more rapidly changing business environment. The consultants at Camelot have come to the conclusion that digital solutions are necessary starting from an intermediate lean management maturity level in order to become even more productive and make use of smart concepts such as predictive maintenance or adaptive production planning. Camelot adds that waste can be more effectively avoided and resource efficiency increased by combining lean management and digitization.

The German Engineering Association (VDMA) has published a guide that uses practical examples to illustrate the combination of Industry 4.0 with lean management. The guide focuses on the limits of the lean approach and how to upgrade and expand it through digitization.