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Pathways and Countermeasures for Digital-Lean Synergy Driving Technological Innovation in Manufacturing: A Multi Case Study of Chinese Enterprises

Author(s)

Xiaobo Fang*, Jintong Shi, Jingwen Luo

Affiliation(s)

School of Business, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, Henan, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

As the world’s manufacturing sector advances in the direction of digital transformation and intelligence, neither isolated application of new technologies nor stand-alone application of lean management has achieved the goal of continuous technological progress in manufacturing. As a result, both universities and enterprises have begun to study the synergy of digitization and Lean management. Based on the theory of lean production, digital transformation and the Lean Smart Manufacturing framework, this paper will take some representative Chinese manufacturing enterprises as case studies to investigate the internal mechanisms and paths of digital transformation and lean management in the promotion of technological innovation, such as Baowu Steel Group, Midea Group, Zhangzhou Hongfa (Relay), Yonggang Group and HLA (Heilan Home) Supply Chain. From the above results, it can be seen that “lean first, digitalize second, synergies third” is a feasible path for Chinese manufacturers; that is to say, the lean system will provide process standardization and a data foundation for digitization, and digital technology can be employed to monitor the tools of lean in real-time and optimize them intelligently. The new ideas for products, processes and business models will be advanced through “waste reduction - data empowerment - value co-creation” by means of digital-lean synergy, and to achieve this, a full-coverage safeguard system covering organizational reform, cross-departmental talent cultivation and data governance needs to be established. This paper will present some local experimental data on the discourse of Lean 4.0 and Digital Lean in China and Provides some ways for the manufacturing enterprise to achieve high-quality technological innovation.

Keywords

Digital Transformation; Lean Production; Manufacturing Technological Innovation; Multi-Case Study

References

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