Modernizing Lean in the Automotive Industry: A Literature Review of Digitalization, Resilience, and Sustainability

Abstract

Lean manufacturing has long been a central paradigm of efficiency and competitiveness in the automotive industry. However, the accelerating pressures of digital transformation, global supply chain disruptions, and sustainability imperatives are challenging and reshaping traditional lean practices. This literature review synthesizes recent scholarly research on lean manufacturing in the automotive sector, focusing on three critical themes: digitalization, resilience, and sustainability. Findings suggest that lean is no longer understood merely as a set of efficiency-oriented tools but as an evolving system that must integrate data-driven technologies, risk-management strategies, and environmental and human-centered concerns. The review highlights key tensions between efficiency and resilience, simplicity and digital complexity, and cost reduction and sustainability. It concludes with an integrative framework for lean’s modernization and identifies promising directions for future research in the automotive context.