Table A1.

Interviews’ questions aligned with Shingo principles

Shingo model principlesInterview question numberQuestions
-0.1“Could you briefly describe your role and responsibilities within the company?”
0.2“For how long have you been working at the company?”
1. Respect Every Individual1.1In a 1–5 scale, do you feel that employees are valued and respected regardless of their role in the organization? If, yes, how?
1.2Can you share examples where individual input led to meaningful change?
1.3In a 1–5 scale, how does your digital transformation strategy consider the needs, upskilling, and well-being of employees? Can you share examples?
2. Lead with Humility2.1In a 1–5 scale, do leaders actively seek feedback from employees and demonstrate openness to new ideas?
2.2Do you remember an example of when leadership admitted a mistake and took corrective action? Can you share it?
2.3Are employees invited to give input on how new tech should be implemented? If yes, are the suggestions really implemented?
3. Seek Perfection3.1“I feel encouraged to continuously improve your work processes, even when they seem to be working well”. How much do you agree, in a scale from 1–5? Can you justify?
3.2How does the company support employees in developing new skills and improving processes?
3.3Have you done any training to develop new skills? If yes, is the company only trying to improve your current work or you are being pushed to develop new skills?
3.4How is technology used to enable continuous improvement and move toward perfection?
4. Embrace Scientific Thinking4.1Are structured problem-solving methods used to identify and eliminate recurring issues? If yes, which ones?
4.2In a 1–5 scale, can employees test new ideas without fear of failure? Can you share an example?
4.3Is there a safe-to-fail environment for digital pilots and AI/automation trials?
5. Focus on Process5.1In a 1–5 scale, do you believe that process stability and standardization are prioritized in production? How?
5.2How does the company ensure that processes remain visible, efficient and effective over time? Do you know what tools/digital tools they use?
6. Assure Quality at the Source6.1Are there mechanisms in place to prevent defects from occurring rather than relying on final inspections?
6.2How does the organization empower employees to stop production when a quality issue is detected?
6.3In a 1–5 scale, how confident are you that quality issues are detected and addressed directly at the source, minimizing the need for final inspection? Can you provide an example?
7. Flow and Pull Value7.1In a 1–5 scale, how do evaluate the production processes in terms of operate smoothly without excessive delays or bottlenecks?
7.2How does the company ensure that production is aligned with actual customer demand rather than overproducing? Is there any digital technology helping?
8. Think Systemically8.1In a 1–5 scale, how do you feel that different departments collaborate effectively to solve problems and improve efficiency?
8.2Can you identify any silos or communication gaps that impact overall productivity?
8.3How do you ensure that Industry 4.0 / 5.0 technologies are implemented considering their impact on the broader system (people, process, culture)?
9. Create Constancy of Purpose9.1For a 1–5 scale, how do you feel that the company has a clear long-term vision that is communicated and understood by all employees?
9.2How are business goals translated into daily tasks and improvement initiatives?
9.3Is your digital transformation guided by a clear purpose, or is it driven by technology trends?
10. Create Value for the Customer10.1In a 1–5 scale, are you aware of how your work directly impacts customer satisfaction and product quality?
10.2What measures does the company take to ensure that customer expectations are consistently met or exceeded?
10.3How do you capture customer feedback and translate it into action?
-11.1Do you see yourselves more in Industry 4.0 (automation, digitalization), Industry 5.0 (human-machine collaboration, personalization), or both?
Source(s): Authors’ own work

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