Abstract
Digital Lean Manufacturing has emerged as a new approach to Lean Production, combining lean thinking and practice with the new opportunities presented by innovative digital technologies and Industry 4.0 concepts. However, this combined approach also raises certain challenges for the manufacturing industry. In this paper, we explore both the challenges and opportunities presented to manufacturers in light of digitalization contra Lean Manufacturing, with a specific focus on Production Planning and Control. Drawing on insights from four diverse explorative industrial cases studies, we identify the challenges and opportunities experienced by manufacturers embarking on a journey towards Digital Lean Manufacturing and highlight important avenues for further research.
