Heijunka and Jidoka in Spanish Research. A Systematic Literature Review

After four decades of successful spread of lean production, fundamental practices such as heijunka and jidoka seem rarely mentioned in Spanish forums. This paper explores, through a systematic review of the literature, the scientific production carried out by Spanish researchers related to the heijunka and jidoka methodologies. The papers reveal two strong research streams that allow the technological development of both practices and their application in Industry 4.0. However, further studies are required on industrial settings. The diffusion of both techniques in Spanish manufacturing plants can be felt intuitively, but not enough data are available for their characterization.