Integrating lean management and emerging technologies for enhanced sustainable performance: empirical evidence based on double machine learning approach

The rapid increase in sustainability has pushed manufacturing firms to rethink their production systems to make them more efficient, produce less waste, and improve their working conditions. In this landscape, many manufacturing firms that rely on traditional quality improvement methods such as lean management seek ways to improve their performance, align with market needs, and achieve zero-defect production. In this sense, digital technologies seem to have promising features that can enhance manufacturing firms' sustainable positions. However, recent studies on zero-defect manufacturing have often overlooked the possible integration of existing quality improvement practices and technologies, with a major focus on the latter. Employing a survey analyzed through a double machine-learning algorithm, we provide guidelines to manufacturing firms that extensively use lean management practices, showing the best technologies to significantly impact sustainable metrics. The results of this study provide guidelines for firms by demonstrating the best technologies that can be integrated with different lean management practices to advance toward zero-defect production and achieve superior sustainable performance.