The influence of the sustainability factor in production planning: A systematic literature review

Considering environmental, economic, and social sustainability in production planning has become a priority research topic to achieve significant improvements in production systems. For this reason, the objective of this study is to analyze the impact, the approach, and the potential benefits of sustainability in production planning. Using systematic literature review as a base methodology and supported by a content analysis, patterns, trends, and relationships between different elements, such as keywords, authors, and thematic areas, were identified. The impact of sustainability on production planning shows that (i) the environmental dimension seeks as a priority the reduction of greenhouse gases; (ii) the economic dimension the reduction of costs; and (iii) the social dimension focuses more on the generation of employment, however, a balance between these three dimensions is not observed. In the reviewed scientific papers, the most commonly used approach is the combination of economic and environmental dimensions, seeking to implement strategies that allow increasing profits without compromising the environment. Finally, it is evident that by adopting a sustainable approach, corporate performance can be improved, which allows to respond to customer demands, and comply with regulatory pressures.