A bibliometric study of lean manufacturing and its relationship with sustainability

Abstract

The need to reflect on the contributions that lean manufacturing offers through its application in industrial production management has motivated this paper. Also, the way in which academic research has been developed to understand the object of study in the parameters of citation, co-citation, the most influential countries, languages, keywords and evolution index amidst the temporality of the subject under study. Lean Manufacturing and the current panorama of research carried out in the last ten years were defined as objectives to analyze. In view of this, we carried out a bibliometrics research to generate results for the understanding and analysis of the main contributions of research on the relevant topic. Therefore, the main results achieved indicate there is a need to be further explore the topic in the national scenario to enable greater knowledge of its contributions to the industry and to the academic environment. Thus, it is understandable that the industry needs processes that are advantageous for its production process and human capital. It is necessary to innovate, invest and organize management models which offer better performances in the production, as well as in the value passed on to the consumers in a way that lean manufacturing offers answers to the production process, directed to the lean production originated from the Toyota Production System, enabling the management of the production process balanced for the real consumption demand, providing the conscious use of inputs, as well as providing opportunities for sustainability through economic, social and environmental factors.