Purpose: The cost of providing healthcare is spiralling up in recent times. On the one hand, patients expect the highest quality of service, while on the other hand, the managers of the healthcare services want to minimise the total operating expenses. Hence, healthcare organisations implement...

Purpose: To develop a structural model based on Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) approach to analyse the barriers to integration of Lean with Industry 4.0. Design/methodology/approach: Integrated lean and I4.0 is essential for optimising customer value, rapid product design and redesign...

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the history, trends and needs of continuous improvement (CI) and Industry 4.0. Four strategies are reviewed, namely, Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen and Sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: Digitalization and CI practices contribute...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the feasibility of adopting a pilot project approach for foreseeing the working and financial viability of a technique, named as agile innovative total quality function deployment (agile ITQFD). Design/methodology/approach – The agile ITQFD...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on research in which a fuzzy quality function deployment (QFD) approach has been used for enhancing agility improvement of a traditional manufacturing organization. Design/methodology/approach – QFD approach incorporated with fuzzy logic was...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report a research in which fuzzy assessment of failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) was examined on the design of rotary switches. Design/methodology/approach – In the case study reported in this paper, fuzzy FMEA of a rotary switch was analysed,...