A methodological framework to implement lean in dynamic and complex socio-technical systems

Dynamic and complex socio-technical systems notoriously hinder the application of lean thinking and tools and, as a result, any improvement opportunity. Emblematic is the case of a post-disaster recovery, whose processes and performance are unpredictable due to many sources of complexity, randomness and waste, both for industrial organizations and communities. This article proposes an innovative framework, named LOOP, which permits to implement lean thinking even in dynamic and complex scenarios. It consists of an iterative technology-driven methodology based on four steps: Internet of Things-driven Real-Time Knowledge Creation, Waste Identification & Value Focusing, Modeling & Simulation driven Set-Based Concurrent Engineering and Knowledge Management & Lean Implementation. The contribution of this article is then mainly methodological: this framework is proposed as the guidance to lead socio-technical systems, such as a post-disaster recovery, through a value-oriented continuous improvement process with a systemic perspective, which concurrently consider uncertainties, dynamic factors and interdependencies as sources of wastes in a post-disaster recovery.