Using lean six sigma to target the voice of the customer (voc) in vine and wine decision making

In the last years, digitization of the wine supply chain has been driving companies toward a slow, sustainable transition that can ensure better traceability and safety for the end consumer. However, the data-driven strategy based on real-time monitoring of the production cycle requires a paradigm shift for moving from a reactive approach to a proactive one. The adoption of advanced tools such as IoT technologies and blockchain allows, on the one hand, to meet end consumers' increasing demand for transparency and, on the other hand, to optimize process efficiency with a continuous improvement approach (Kaizen). In this context, however, planning the actions to reduce environmental impact and meet consumer demands becomes a priority. For this purpose, Industry 4.0 (I4.0) digital technologies are a great ally for wineries but must be joined by other tools: Lean Six Sigma (LSS) for reducing waste and variability in the production process and circular economy (CE) logics for by-product recovery. Scientific literature usually addresses these topics individually or in pairs, rarely together. Starting with a literature analysis and continuing with a case study, this research traces the steps necessary to optimize a winery's production process in response to market demands. As a result of listening to the Voice of the Customer (VoC), the strategy implemented required the active involvement of company personnel and the application of modern logics of efficiency and digitization of the production cycle. The combined use of digital systems and waste reduction techniques helped generate positive synergies that enabled the company to achieve encouraging results. The goals achieved and the problems encountered have highlighted the need, on the one hand, to further stimulate scientific research on these aspects and, on the other, the need for companies to have innovative decision support tools (DSS).