Abstract
Notwithstanding the research on refining lean tools for the sake of sustainable development is slowly progressing, sustainability-oriented application of value stream mapping has received undivided attention from practitioners and researchers. Going through the literature highlights that there is a lack of research in integrating and systematising the available knowledge on this lean tool, which is regarded as a visual process-based method to make sustainable progress over the time-based and green concepts of wastes to also assess and improve the societal sustainability performance of organisations. Hence, this paper has been aimed at presenting the findings of a systematic literature review on value stream mapping from the triple bottom line point of view. It classifies and codes the main studies in the context as well as provides a research agenda with nine recommendations that may advance this under-studied field. To narrow the gap in the current literature, this article also proposes a sustainability indicator set that would considerably contribute to guiding and strengthening the state-of-the-art research on successful implementation of the application. Besides, the findings indicate that more investigations are needed on employing survey and conceptual methodologies, applying comparative and cross-industry perspectives, developing sustainability indicator sets particularly societal metrics, and considering the stakeholders' benefits from adopting sustainability-oriented value stream mapping. The research on the convergence of this sustainability-oriented application and new paradigms such as IR 4.0 and/or Circular Economy should be also strengthened.
Highlights
Given the growing global viewpoints on sustainable development as a normative reference, which is popularly outlined in the WCED report in 1987 [1] as “Our Common Future”, a large number of the scientific community has been involved in advancing this phenomenon through eliminating/minimizing waste (Muda) throughout a system’s value stream under the umbrella of lean philosophy
The results showed that Green Performance Map (GPM) enables the illustration of environmental issues as an inputoutput model, Energy VSM (EVSM) shows chosen environmental dimensions with production-related data and information flows for better understanding, Waste Flow Mapping (WFM) presents an analysis of material and waste flows along the waste management supply chain while Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) assists in analysing the degree of environmental impact associated with various environmental issues and defines prioritisation and avoids suboptimisation
This is the only study that effectively applies the methodological approach introduced by Junior and Filho [24], believing that it can contribute to developing the review systems in future research agenda
Summary
Given the growing global viewpoints on sustainable development as a normative reference, which is popularly outlined in the WCED report in 1987 [1] as “Our Common Future”, a large number of the scientific community has been involved in advancing this phenomenon through eliminating/minimizing waste (Muda) throughout a system’s value stream under the umbrella of lean philosophy.
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