Operational Excellence supported by Lean Management Tools, IATF 16949 Automotive Standard, and Industry 4.0 Pillars: Evidence from Automotive Companies in Morocco

Authors

  • Oumaima El Affaki Industrial Management and Plastics Forming Technology Team, Mechanics, Engineering and Innovation Laboratory LM2I, ENSEM, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
  • Mariam Benhadou Industrial Management and Plastics Forming Technology Team, Mechanics, Engineering and Innovation Laboratory LM2I, ENSEM, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
  • Abdellah Haddout Industrial Management and Plastics Forming Technology Team, Mechanics, Engineering and Innovation Laboratory LM2I, ENSEM, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
Volume: 15 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 22718-22724 | June 2025 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.10600

Received: 17 February 2025 | Revised: 13 March 2025 and 19 March 2025 | Accepted: 23 March 2025 | Online: 2 April 2025


Corresponding author: Oumaima El Affaki

Abstract

Automotive companies tend to adopt several approaches to improve their performance, achieve Operational Excellence (OE), and ensure their sustainability. Lean Management (LM) and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) are among the most discussed concepts in literature and are capturing more attention. The increasing use of the Quality Management System (QMS) certification complying with the requirements of the international automotive standard IATF 16949 raises the need for investigating the latter. Unlike the extensive research on LM and I4.0 contribution to a company’s operational performance, the impact of IATF 16949 requirements is not widely explored. Therefore, this paper investigates how LM Tools (LMT), QMS compliance with IATF 16949 operational and managerial requirements, and Industry 4.0 Pillars (I4.0P) interact and influence OE dimensions, namely Culture (C), Continuous Improvement (CI), Enterprise Alignment (EA), and performance Results (R). An empirical study among automotive companies located in Morocco was carried out and hierarchical multiple regression analysis was deployed. The results reveal that LMT and QMS conformance to IATF 16949 requirements produce the greatest synergistic effect on OE. These findings have significant implications, both academically and professionally, and could play a key role in promoting automotive companies’ OE pursuit.

Keywords:

automotive industry, IATF 16949, industry 4.0, lean management tools, operational excellence

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[1]
El Affaki, O., Benhadou, M. and Haddout, A. 2025. Operational Excellence supported by Lean Management Tools, IATF 16949 Automotive Standard, and Industry 4.0 Pillars: Evidence from Automotive Companies in Morocco. Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research. 15, 3 (Jun. 2025), 22718–22724. DOI:https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.10600.

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