Lean meets Industrie 4.0 – a practical approach to interlink the method world and cyber-physical world

Abstract Lean management and “Industrie 4.0” have often been considered as separate subjects. Lean management, as a methodical approach, aims at realizing a continuous value stream with less waste by means of continuous optimizations and standardization. On the opposite, the digitalization of the production, characterized by “Industrie 4.0”, is not based on methods. It focusses on the technology-driven vision of the combination of the physical world and the cyber world, which can be realized mainly by the application of technologies. The given article demonstrates the necessity of lean management as a requirement for “Industrie 4.0”. It will illustrate the link between both topics and show the maturity levels of the unification of both topics. For that reason, a practical learning factory approach with several levels of maturity is presented, focussing on assistance systems as one part of “Industrie 4.0”, to show the effects of “Industrie 4.0” on lean production workplaces.