Interdependencies within future-proof production systems: capturing synergies across the paradigms of lean, digitalisation, and sustainability holistically

The holistic implementation of production approaches helps producing companies (PCs) to overcome challenges that threaten their competitiveness. By implementing lean, digital, and sustainable measures holistically and in a target-oriented manner, PCs can exploit synergies and ensure the long-term viability of their production systems (PSs), even in volatile environments. A prerequisite for this is understanding how the different elements of the system interact. This article contributes to this understanding by elaborating these interdependencies in future-proof PSs. Additionally, it identifies synergy potentials to determine the most significant leverage effects (LVs). Two Delphi studies were conducted, followed by a literature analysis to verify the findings scientifically. The results show several synergies that can make PSs leaner, more digital and more sustainable when the paradigms are considered holistically. However, the results also reveal that, implementing or improving lean and digitalisation measures has greater synergy potential for sustainability than reverse. Moreover, especially quality-oriented lean elements have broad LVs within the sustainability and digitalisation paradigm. Implementing quality-oriented lean elements can therefore improve the sustainability and digitalisation progress of a PS, thereby increasing the competitiveness of PCs. Thus, PCs can use the derived interdependencies to select the appropriate measures to achieve a future-proof PS, considering the LVs.