A research on the evaluation of the relationship between industry 4.0 and lean production system

In today's world, businesses are constantly undergoing changes to adapt to rapidly advancing technologies and changing market conditions. In this dynamic environment, Industry 4.0 technologies, with smart production systems and automation tools, and lean production practices, with their potential for process optimization and waste reduction, stand out. The integration of these two significant approaches has the potential to provide innovative solutions to the challenges faced by manufacturing businesses and enhance their operational performance. This study aims to examine the relationships between Industry 4.0 technologies, internal lean production practices, and operational performance. There is limited research in the literature examining the mediating effects of Industry 4.0 technologies and internal lean practices on operational performance. This research seeks to fill this gap and provide both theoretical and practical contributions to businesses. The data collected from 342 manufacturing businesses listed in Turkey's ISO 500 and Second 500 lists were used in this study. Linear regression analysis and the Bootstrap technique for mediating effects were applied to examine the relationships between the variables in the research model. The research findings show that internal lean production practices have a significant effect on operational performance both directly and indirectly through Industry 4.0 technologies. In this regard, Industry 4.0 technologies play a partial mediating role in the effect of internal lean production practices on operational performance. Similarly, the effect of Industry 4.0 technologies on operational performance has been found to be significant both directly and indirectly through internal lean production practices, revealing that internal lean production practices play a partial mediating role in the effect of Industry 4.0. Keywords: Lean Production, Industry 4.0, Operational Performance