Retail Business Models in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Author(s):  
Ekaterina Bostoganashvili
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seeram Ramakrishna ◽  
Alfred Ngowi ◽  
Henk De Jager ◽  
Bankole O. Awuzie

Growing consumerism and population worldwide raises concerns about society’s sustainability aspirations. This has led to calls for concerted efforts to shift from the linear economy to a circular economy (CE), which are gaining momentum globally. CE approaches lead to a zero-waste scenario of economic growth and sustainable development. These approaches are based on semi-scientific and empirical concepts with technologies enabling 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and 6Rs (reuse, recycle, redesign, remanufacture, reduce, recover). Studies estimate that the transition to a CE would save the world in excess of a trillion dollars annually while creating new jobs, business opportunities and economic growth. The emerging industrial revolution will enhance the symbiotic pursuit of new technologies and CE to transform extant production systems and business models for sustainability. This article examines the trends, availability and readiness of fourth industrial revolution (4IR or industry 4.0) technologies (for example, Internet of Things [IoT], artificial intelligence [AI] and nanotechnology) to support and promote CE transitions within the higher education institutional context. Furthermore, it elucidates the role of universities as living laboratories for experimenting the utility of industry 4.0 technologies in driving the shift towards CE futures. The article concludes that universities should play a pivotal role in engendering CE transitions.


VUZF Review ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 136-144
Author(s):  
Hanna Snopenko ◽  
Olga Balueva ◽  
Olena Tanchyk

The consistent evolution of technology around the world creates new production tools and opportunities for different economic agents. As a result, new economic structures are emerging as a result of industrial revolutions. Today, the digital economy is seen as the backbone of the fourth industrial revolution, as there is a clear shift in the underlying technology and signs of a technological and economic paradigm shift. The current stage of the industrial revolution is associated with the Internet communication technologies development, which has significantly changed the technology of business processes and has been called "digitalisation". Thus, the fourth industrial revolution and the third wave of globalisation are based on the digital economy. The article explores trends in the development of the Ukrainian economy under the influence of ubiquitous digitalisation. Digital transformation changes traditional business models of organisations, allowing them to occupy profitable niches in global markets, raising the prestige of business and the state as a whole. In today's environment, the level of digitalisation illustrates the degree of companies' competitiveness and is a determining factor in development strategy. To analyse the processes of digitalisation and determine the place of Ukraine in the digital world, the article identifies and describes four zones of digital transformation, which are particular to the world economies. It is determined that Ukraine has fallen into a zone of prospective economies, where digital infrastructure is limited. Still, digital development is accelerating, indicating the potential for digitalisation to flourish, which will benefit economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and long-term transformation. Ukraine's integral digital transformation index score is placed at 2.81 out of a possible 5 in 2021. It was determined that the main barriers to the digital transformation development in Ukrainian business include ineffective legislation, insufficient funding and low digital literacy of the population. However, the highest score among the index components was given to companies' overall level of digital transformation. A positive result of the survey is confirmation of increased investment in the digital technologies development in Ukraine: priority investments in this area include customer interaction, data analytics and HR management.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 169-174
Author(s):  
K. Voskovykh

This article determines that in the context of global digitalization, the competitiveness and sustainable development of companies depend on the speed of mastering new technologies. Assessment of the current level of the construction industry indicates its lag behind other industries. The aim of the study is to analyze the current level of digitalization of construction companies and summarize the constraining factors. The importance of continuous digitization of production and logistics, networking of autonomous smart objects or the use of self-learning systems in order to increase flexibility and optimize processes is emphasized. The main benefit of implementing digital business models is reducing the time it takes to make decisions, implement a project, and bring products to market. The factors holding back digital processes at the construction site are highlighted: a high proportion of manual production, over-regulation, dependence on the public sector and cyclical changes, the scale of the company. New technologies resulting from the fourth industrial revolution promise more efficient processes, greater time and cost savings, greater productivity and quality. The construction industry must catch up with other industries, because it also has to face the challenges of globalization, urbanization, climate change, resource scarcity, demographic change and other events that disrupt its sustainable development. Construction Site 4.0 promises improvements, but the fourth industrial revolution on the construction site is just beginning.


Author(s):  
Elena Viktorovna Shirinkina

The relevance of this research is substantiated by the fact that the world job market is currently under the influence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). The goal lies in assessing the impact of cyclic and unexpected trends upon the job market, and thus, the forms of job management and employment functions. In this regard, analysis is conducted on the academic theories in the context of conceptualization of the impact of Industry 4.0 upon the job market and employment functions. The long-term trends in transformation of the job market are determined. The empirical basis of this research is comprised of the statistical data provided by Rosstat and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, as well as the resources of analytical articles and scientific publications, including the materials of international organizations, leading consulting companies, global associations, leading educational institutions, other active participants of global educational environment, and job market experts. An overview is given to the trends that affect the companies, their strategies and business models; the impact of such trends upon the transformation of current professions and the emergence of new professions; skills required for these professions. The scientific novelty lies in substantiation of the concept of skill-biased technical change (SBTC) and the theory of routine-biased technological change (RBTC). The presented materials would allow the companies to combine business news with fundamental training of specialists for going along the new career trajectiory in light of the new technological challenges, which defines the practical value of this research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 2-12
Author(s):  
Marcus Diedrich ◽  
Markus Peplinski

The term Work 4.0 is connected with the discussion about the fourth industrial revolution, but focuses on modes of working conditions – not only in the industrial sector but also in the entire working world. The digital transformation is leading to profound changes in business models, organizations and work design. The working world of the future will be more digital, flexible and networked. The corona crisis has shifted the framework conditions with regard to communication both within the company and with customers. Many companies are becoming aware that too little money and time has been invested in digital infrastructure. The aim of this essay is to fnd out to what extent the corona crisis serves as a catalyst for the digital transformation in the specialist sanitary trade. The study carried out for this purpose leads to the result that the use of video conferences and home offces have increased and will also be used more frequently in the future. In contrast, the use of targeted multi-channel measures in the form of virtual showrooms is on the decline.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 250-267
Author(s):  
Carlos Eduardo Silva ◽  
Rodolfo Cardoso ◽  
Ramon Baptista Narcizo ◽  
Luiza Maciel Gonçalves ◽  
Yohana Carvalho

The term Industry 4.0 has gained prominence in academic and business discourses in recent years, having its concept related to the so-called fourth industrial revolution. Goal: The present research aims to develop and present a framework with the concepts of Industry 4.0. Methodology: The study started from a quantitative analysis of the academic articles available in the Scopus database. Subsequently, a qualitative analysis of articles and technical reports (mostly) was carried out to obtain a more applied technological vision in the industry. With this, technological clusters were built and, finally, the Industry 4.0 framework was proposed. Results: As a result, it was possible to establish an overview of the publications, highlighting the main conceptual views of the different terms that converge for the fourth industrial revolution, as well as the main technologies associated with Industry 4.0, systematizing the knowledge in the industry 4.0 framework. Limitations of the investigation: The search has been limited to available and selected papers for reading. Practical implications: The practical contribution has been satisfactorily evaluated to assist future research on the subject. Value: Finally, the main contribution of the work is the creation of a framework that synthesizes and systematizes the relationships among the main characteristics, technologies, products and business models of the 4.0.


Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1500 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Pérez-Pérez ◽  
Emilio Gómez ◽  
Miguel Sebastián

The term additive manufacturing (AM) groups together a set of technologies with similar characteristics forming part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. AM is being developed globally, as evidenced by the standards published by and the agreements between the ISO and the ASTM in 2013. The purpose of this paper is to anticipate the main changes that will occur in AM by 2030 as forecast by more than 100 Spanish experts through Delphi prospection performed in 2018. In this way, the areas, aspects, and business models with the greatest probabilities of occurrence are obtained. The need for technical experts with specific knowledge and skills requires changes to current training syllabuses. Such changes will enable students to have the profiles foreseen in these job trends. The encouragement of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) training through the introduction of AM in study plans may be an appropriate alternative. Finally, the consequences of the Fourth Industrial Revolution for the employment market and on jobs, particularly in Spain, are set out and the latest Spanish Research, Development, and Innovation (R&D + I) plans are summarized as the framework for the possible implementation and development of AM.


2021 ◽  
Vol 244 ◽  
pp. 10002
Author(s):  
Tatyana Averina ◽  
Sergey Barkalov ◽  
Irina Fedorova ◽  
Vera Poryadina

The fourth industrial revolution is destroying traditional business models of companies. In order to maintain the current level of competitiveness, companies must adapt to changing conditions, draw up and implement strategies for introducing digital technologies into their business processes. The article presents a structured approach for systematic modeling of business digitalization.


Author(s):  
Jana Marie Safrankova ◽  
Martin Sikyr ◽  
Renata Skypalova

The radical technological changes in business models associated with the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) naturally change workforce requirements and approach to workforce management. To deal with the workforce management challenges of the 4IR, employers should know the requirements and expectations of the potential workforce to be able to apply effective and efficient strategies, policies, and practices on workforce management to ensure the organization has quality employees it needs. The aim of the article is to present the main findings of the authors' questionnaire survey on requirements and expectations of Czech employees associated with the fourth industrial revolution and discuss the current workforce management challenges in developing attractive career opportunities. The authors' questionnaire survey was carried out from September to December 2019. The respondents included Czech male and female employees of different professions and different generations. The answers were obtained from 168 respondents. The data analysis methods included the calculation of relative frequencies and the evaluation of the dependence of responses on gender and generation of respondents using contingency tables and chi-square tests of independence. The findings show that respondents are familiar with the 4IR and they are not concerned about losing their jobs due to the development of digitization, automation, or robotization, however, they are aware of the fact that their employability in the 4IR is determined by their knowledge, skills, and abilities. On the other hand, they have relatively high job expectations, which could reduce their employability. Therefore, employers should learn how to know the requirements and expectations of the potential workforce to be able to develop attractive career opportunities. Keywords: The Czech Republic, employee expectations, employment opportunities, human resource management, industry 4.0, working conditions


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-167
Author(s):  
Marina Teixeira de Souza ◽  
Fernando César Almada Santos

Objective – This study aims to analyze the scientific production on the topic of Industry 4.0. Theoretical framework – The work presented a literary review about the concept, how Industry 4.0. has developed and its characteristics. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology proposed for this work is based on bibliographic research and the application of bibliometric procedures. Findings – Eight hundred and fifty articles were found up to 2020. The publications involved 2,625 authors, from 75 countries, 1,084 institutions and 201 different journals. Highlighting that 88.3% of the articles were published in the last three years. The countries that stood out the most were China and Italy, and the most prolific journal was Applied Sciences Basel, with 59 articles. The most cited article received 343 citations and the largest production per author was nine articles. The topic has risen significantly in recent years with empirical and theoretical studies. Research, Practical & Social implications – The topic is of exponential interest for academics, researchers and managers and for directly impacting business models and organizational strategies, the study involved presenting the development and trends, in an orderly manner, of Industry 4.0 in the period from 1990 to 2020. Originality/value – The originality of the study comes from the gap identified, which corresponds to the need for a bibliometric study that presented the main countries, years of publications, most cited and most published authors, periodicals and recurring keywords, in addition to identifying developments and trends in this topic. Keywords – Industry 4.0. Fourth Industrial Revolution. Trends.


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