Track: Energy

Abstract

The development of a more efficient and effective flow of value in an organization or supply chain has been an extensively researched topic in the literature. Value stream mapping (VSM) has stood out as one of the most applied methods due to its ease of application and practical comprehension. VSM has also been used as a means to enhance the sustainability of value streams. With the emergence of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), disruptive technologies may affect the way value streams are designed, leading to more assertive decision-making processes and contributing to enhancing sustainability of value streams. Nevertheless, few studies have actually combined I4.0 technologies and VSM to concomitantly address the flows of value and energy in an organization. This study aims at proposing a I4.0-based Energy-VSM approach. This approach integrates different I4.0 technologies with complementary roles throughout a value stream, allowing the real-time assessment of the implications of the decisions in both material and information flows over the energy flow. To illustrate our proposition, a case study in a manufacturing company was carried out. This company has a solid continuous improvement management system, and more recently it has developed a program to undergo the digital transformation fostered by I4.0. This case study enabled the verification of the actual benefits and challenges inherent to the proposed approach, raising practical and theoretical contributions to the body of knowledge.