Lean 4.0: typology of scenarios and case studies to characterize Industry 4.0 autonomy model

Abstract

Industry 4.0 is leading to rethink how operational decisions are made within companies. In particular, it raises the question of the evolution of employee involvement and autonomy in operational decision-making in a Lean 4.0 context. Dealing with such issues within companies presents high stakes but also involves many risks and difficulties. Therefore, it is necessary to test these new Industry 4.0 autonomy models within our Evolutive Learning Factories by developing a suitable experimental protocol. This article proposes a typology of scenarios and case studies that will serve as a basis for future experiments to study these issues in a standardized work context. This first study framework confirmed that the decisions induced by all the problems and opportunities encountered at the operational level are numerous and varied. This research work is a first step and opens up much broader research perspectives on the contribution of Industry 4.0 technologies in implementing new models of autonomy at work.