The fourth industrial revolution, fueled by automation and digital technology advancements, enables us to manage manufacturing systems effectively. Its deployment in enterprises has now become increasingly important in developed and emerging economies. Many experts believe that barriers associated with Industry 4.0 implementation are critical to its success. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the major hurdles to Industry 4.0 adoption and reveal their interrelationships. Initially, the literature was thoroughly studied to determine the sixteen barriers impeding I4.0 adoption. Then, based on experts’ opinions, an integrated fuzzy-DEMATEL approach was utilized to examine the most significant challenges to I4.0 deployment. The results demonstrated the distribution of barriers in which the economic dimension played a decisive role, affecting technological, regulatory, and organizational dimensions. As observed in the barrier mapping, the lack of qualified workforce was a typical adoption barrier. Finally, the mitigation strategies developed would help managers to overcome the identified critical obstacles.

This research aimed to develop and test a conceptual structural model that explores the dimensions of service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty and their relationships in the context of Bangladesh apparel fashion retail. Through a questionnaire survey, a total of 1126 local respondents from 14 fashion retailers were studied for this work. The questionnaire was prepared based on the previous studies and experts' panel reviewed the questionnaire to establish the content validity of this study. Using factor analysis, eight dimensions of service quality, four of satisfaction, and three of loyalty were found valid in this context. Five dimensions of service quality influencing on customer satisfaction were identified for regression analysis. The hypothesised influences from service quality on both satisfaction and loyalty were found significant, and customer satisfaction and customer loyalty were also tested significantly by structural equation modelling (SEM). The narrow comparative study across the apparel fashion sector and lacking of research in the context of Bangladesh motivates the authors to explore this area. As a result, overall findings disclose new insights for academics and decision makers.

This study delves into the critical barriers hindering sustainable manufacturing practices in medium-sized ready-made garments manufacturing enterprises. Initially, barriers were identified through a literature review and expert opinions. Then, the fuzzy Delphi Method and expert consensus were used to prioritize the critical barriers. Finally, based on the insights from a focus group discussion and the supported literature, strategies to mitigate the identified critical barriers were formulated. In this study, the initial barriers identified encompassed various dimensions. The top three critical barriers were identified as higher prices of sustainable products, limited supplier commitment, and lack of access to information. Strategies to address these critical barriers include adopting collaborative business approaches, incorporating sustainability standards, investing in technology, implementing sustainable manufacturing techniques, and integrating green supply chain management practices. Overall, by focusing on these strategies, medium-sized garment manufacturing enterprises can enhance their sustainability efforts and gain economic, environmental, and social benefits.

To align with the SDG 12.3 target and ensure global food security and sustainability, it is crucial to prioritize the reduction of food loss and waste. This paper aims to synthesize previous research on waste reduction tools like lean manufacturing in the agro-food processing industry and identify areas that require further investigation to assurance worldwide food security and promote sustainability. The study uses a systematic literature review that was proposed by Denyer and Tranfield. This research work provides a descriptive analysis of the evolution of lean manufacturing in agro-food processing and identifies research gaps. The review highlights the importance of demand forecasting, managing variable raw materials and products, increasing management involvement, promoting partnership among supply chain members, and addressing supply and demand seasonality and uncertainty to apply the approach to food waste reduction. Based on the findings, the paper suggests further research areas for future investigation that will help create a more sustainable and equitable food system. Reducing food loss and waste can ensure that everyone has access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food while protecting the planet's resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This study may contribute to the theory of waste minimization, specifically in post-harvest food loss and waste minimization. The findings will help researchers conduct research work interested in minimizing food loss and waste to ensure global food security.

Bangladesh has a vast economic position in the readymade furniture sector both in the local and global market. In spite of the greater contribution of the furniture industry to the national economy, furniture businesses are facing several problems including low productivity due to unnecessary changeover, excessive waste, and inappropriate production process. This research focuses mainly on changeover activities of the bending machine used in the metal tube section of furniture manufacture organisations to fabricate products of various specifications. This paper analyses the changeover method of different operations to address the applicability of single minute exchange of the die (SMED) technique. It also identifies various causes related to unnecessary changeover and its associated impact on production cycle time. The results show that tool and die changeover time reduces from 34.24 minutes to 11.91 minutes, i.e., by 22.33 minutes, and productivity improved by 65.28%. The achievements of SMED implementation are reduction in lead time, cycle time, work-in process inventory level, and improved flexibility. It is found that even a small company or a part of it can make significant improvements by adopting SMED.