## 1 Introduction  
The changes that have occurred over time in society have left their mark on industrial development. Currently, as a result of the accelerated development of disruptive technologies, over the past few years, industrial companies are seeking solutions to adapt current manufacturing, management, and business systems to the increasing customer demand, aimed at diversified and mass customized products and services [1]. With the development of advanced manufacturing systems, through the implementation of automation, there was the question of finding efficient management methods that could contribute to increased productivity while also increasing quality. Thus, Lean thinking appeared, developed for the first time through the Toyota Production Systems (TPS) concept by [PERSON] (1988) [2]. This substantially changed the ways of creating and managing manufacturing systems and the entire logistics chain within companies. In order to meet the demands for increased manufacturing efficiency and performance, the TPS model underwent continuous transformation and improvement. The purpose of implementing this original manufacturing philosophy, often called \"Lean\" or \"just-in-time\" [3], consists of increasing the efficiency of the manufacturing system by eliminating waste, ensuring a continuous manufacturing flow, continuous improvement and increasing quality while shortening the product life cycle required by customers. At the same time, the TPS system studied, adapted and implemented globally in industry also represented a new work philosophy. Thus, people were given attention and respect with a focus on the complete use of the employees' skills and abilities while also empowering them with responsibilities. Lean manufacturing was defined by [PERSON] in the 1990s as a \"set of methods and tools to identify and eliminate inefficiency and waste at company and manufacturing level without the need for additional resources\" [4]. With the evolution of technologies, the Lean concept gained new dimensions by moving from the application of hard tools to developing other soft tools called Lean techniques, as highlighted in articles [5; 6]. Through the implementation of Lean management, there was a giant leap in increased performance in manufacturing and increased product and service quality by applying specific management tools, complimented by the implementation of new employee training and empowerment methods. All these elements aimed to increase the added value for customers. Nowadays, in a context of extreme uncertainty, Lean thinking can still provide a means to assess progress in manufacturing and in society. The current industrial tendency is to implement Industry 4.0 (I4.0), considered \"the new fundamental paradigm shift in industrial production\" [7] that brings profound transformations in companies via intelligent and autonomous manufacturing. The transition to Industry 4.0 involves paradigm shifts, both in technology and in business models and the socioeconomic environment, with digitalization and connectivity being key elements. A first reference paper for the beginning of Industry 4.0 [8] considered that digital transformation could be achieved through the development and implementation of cyber-physical systems (CPS). The research carried out by [PERSON], (2015) on Industry 4.0 had, as a starting point, \"the nine pillars of technological advancement: big data and analytics, autonomous robots, simulation, horizontal and vertical system integration, the industrial internet of things, cybersecurity, the cloud, additive manufacturing and augmented reality\" [9]. Many companies [10; 11; 12; 13] that have taken the first step in implementation consider the development of digitalized industry as opportune, indicating that the future of current manufacturing is developing towards Industry 4.0 and \"improves the flexibility, speed, productivity, and quality of the production process\" [9].