'Lean 4.0': How digital technologies support lean practices?

The digitalisation of business offers great possibilities to create new products and processes, as well as improve existing ones. In this paper we seek to understand how digital technologies can support process improvement in a manufacturing context. Several studies have proposed synergies among digitalization and lean at a conceptual level, yet so far we lack any empirical proof. To this effect, we present exploratory quantitative research aimed at explaining how digital technologies can support lean practices, improving our understanding how to harness the potential of digitalisation in operational improvement. We conclude with areas for further research