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As demonstrated by the existing literature, lean production and management can contribute to the improvement of firm performance. However, there are many companies that struggle to apply its ethos and practices. The key point is that lean production differs from traditional mass production in many ways. Other than that, numerous studies have shown that business management systems must take into account both soft power and hard power. The main purpose of this study is to use the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) tools to find out the soft and hard power factors, rank their importance in identifying the key success factors for the introduction of a lean production system, and assist in making the company’s transformation smoother and more successful. The research results verify that a lean production system needs to take into account both soft power and hard power. Lean management in this study concludes the following priorities of critical factors: In hard power (technical dimension): (1) 5S, (2) seven major wastes, (3) solutions to lean production-related issues, (4) storage location management and warehouse management, (5) single minute exchange of die, and (6) total productive maintenance; In soft power (management dimension): (1) teamwork, (2) communication, (3) leadership, (4) culture, (5) initiative, and (6) employee training. The combination of soft power and hard power can improve the success rate of lean management system introduction. Full article

The field of environmental management, specifically flood risk management (FRM), emphasizes participatory decision-making to address diverse issues and conflicting interests among stakeholders. This approach recognizes the complexity of decisions and their long-term impact on sustainability. Collaborative knowledge production is crucial for understanding the system, generating scenarios, and establishing consensus on mitigation and adaptation measures. Transboundary FRM requires an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach, employing suitable tools and methods for assessment and decision-making. In the context of the CLIMAFRI project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), we evaluated the practicality of a participatory Collaborative Modeling framework in the transboundary Lower Mono River (LMR) basin, shared by Togo and Benin. This framework enables holistic understanding, stakeholder engagement, and the identification of appropriate adaptation-mitigation measures based on predefined evaluation criteria and a Multi-Criteria Decision Method. Our study customized and evaluated the framework considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted face-to-face interactions. The study’s results indicate that in both countries, FRM is characterized as being more proactive rather than preventive, meaning the actions taken mainly address a broader range of potential issues and opportunities rather than targeting specific risks to minimize their impact. Moreover, it is crucial to enhance preventive measures and further improve the flood assessment capacity. The information obtained from scenarios involving the Adjarala Dam, land-use, and climate change under RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios for the years 2030, 2050, and 2100 is valuable for decision-making regarding the development and prioritization of adaptation measures. The ranking of the seven measures shows that capacity building is the most preferred, followed by dykes, early warning systems, regulation of land use, insurance, and retention zones. The group ranking of Togo and Benin highlights differences in their perceptions and interests, where Togo leans towards soft measures, while Benin prefers hard (physical) measures. Full article

Lean 4.0 (L4.0) plays a significant role in reducing waste and enhancing productivity for a sustainable manufacturing supply chain in Industry 4.0 (I4.0). L4.0, with its soft and hard practices, may be well integrated into I4.0 to enhance its readiness. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are attempting to prepare themselves for I4.0 readiness. Hence, the present research explores L4.0 in terms of its soft and hard practices to understand its holistic relationship with I4.0’s readiness for delivering a sustainable manufacturing supply chain. To reap the maximum benefits, several traditional lean thinking practices and lean management principles should be combined with internet-enabled I4.0 technologies. The result of the present empirical analysis revealed that the soft L4.0 practices of top management leadership (TML), customer focus (CF), and employee training and learning (ETL) influence the hard L4.0 practices of total productive maintenance (TPM), statistical process control (SPC), and advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT) to have a positive significant influence on operational readiness (OR) and technological readiness (TR). Full article