Lean information for lean communication: Analysis of concepts, tools, references, and terms

Communication and information processes are vital in any company. The use of lean manufacturing concepts applied to the communication and information process aims to reduce waste and make the flows leaner and simpler. Lean information is a new strand of lean concepts and applications. The purpose of this study was to analyze quantitatively the publications concerning the subject, outlining an overview for the new research field of lean communication. Aiming for a deeper understanding, the concepts of lean information were applied in a real process. The quantitative analysis was carried out to find the main authors and works, as well as the main terms used in related works. We used the methods of citations works, co-citation references, and co-occurrence of words using the VOSviewer software. This software was primarily designed to analyze bibliometric networks in order to create, visualize, and assess maps based on network data generated from queries in journals. We found a lack of a methodology for the development and implementation of lean information concepts. We observed a gap which had not been addressed yet, that is, mapping communication flows and developing and implementing lean information. Moreover, there was no method for improvement, implementation, and control.