Operational Excellence within Sustainable Development Concept-Systematic Literature Review

Daniel Wojtkowiak,Piotr Cyplik

doi:10.3390/su12197933

Abstract

The following paper was developed with a view to identifying the relationship between Sustainable Development and Operational Excellence concepts and to assess the state-of-the-art in Operational Excellence within Sustainable Development concept. Highly unstable business environments and opportunities occurring in the market require a specific approach and knowledge to achieve success. It is the authors’ view that improvements in the delivery of sustainable results through social, environmental, and economic responsibility is possible thanks to modern management concepts, strategies, and tools. These activities and approaches, when properly incorporated, significantly support the functioning of businesses in a responsible and profitable way. This paper outlines a systematic literature review of the subject described above. The literature review has been conducted with the use of two databases: Web of Science and Scopus. The results of the analysis show that there is a visible connection between Operational Excellence and Sustainable Development concepts. On the basis of the review, one can notice a strong relationship between Operational Excellence and management concepts, e.g., Lean Management. Nevertheless, the input of the selected articles based on abstract analysis compared to the whole compilation concerning Sustainable Development shows that there is a gap. The authors believe that this topic is interesting and worth further analysis.

Highlights

In the era of global economic growth and parallel increase in labor abundance with less energy and material abundance, change in managing and thinking about industrial systems seems to be advisable [1]
What specific element of Operational Excellence correlates with Sustainable Development the most?
The results obtained in this paper show that there is a visible connection between Operational Excellence and Sustainable Development which can be proven by the selected 142 articles

Summary

Introduction

In the era of global economic growth and parallel increase in labor abundance with less energy and material abundance, change in managing and thinking about industrial systems seems to be advisable [1]. Elkington tried to find a solution and present a concept metaphorically known as triple bottom line where companies implement a decision-making approach that stands for equal significance in economic, environmental and social impact of their activity [4,5]. Taking into consideration that the current global challenges discussed above are the effects of the approaches that have been used in business activity, proper strategy, and different thinking about industrial systems should be implemented on a wider scale. The changes in management approach implemented into manufacturing systems to increase sustainability do not have to be radical and economically unprofitable

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Discussion

Conclusion