Organizational and managerial challenges in the path toward Industry 4.0

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 406-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Agostini ◽  
Roberto Filippini
Keyword(s):  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Practices ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Italian Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Different Levels

Purpose Currently, the expectancy that surrounds the Fourth Industrial Revolution, commonly referred to as Industry 4.0 (I4.0), is huge. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to unveil whether and how organizational and managerial practices are associated to different levels of adoption of I4.0 technologies. Design/methodology/approach To reach this aim, the authors carried out a survey involving Italian manufacturing firms. Then, the authors used a cluster analysis and t-test to analyze data. Findings Results show that two clusters of firms based on their level of adoption of I4.0 technologies (high vs low) can be identified. Then, using a t-test, the authors found statistically significant higher levels of a number of organizational and managerial practices for firms with a higher level of adoption of I4.0 technologies. Practical implications This paper contributes to the debate surrounding I4.0 by stressing the organizational and managerial challenges that firms willing to undertake an I4.0 transformation have to face, which goes beyond the sole application of I4.0 technologies. Social implications Entrepreneurs and managers need to be aware that the path toward I4.0 requires not only focusing on the application of the I4.0 technologies, but also on the development of a series of organizational and managerial practices that become key to face the fourth Industrial Revolution. Originality/value The authors posit here that I4.0 requires firms to bridge the capability gap, as well as overcome cultural barriers preventing entrepreneurs and managers to change their way of doing business. To this regard, this study highlights I4.0 is an all-encompassing paradigm that involves many dimensions of the firm.

scholarly journals Industrial districts and the fourth industrial revolution

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Bettiol ◽  
Mauro Capestro ◽  
Valentina De Marchi ◽  
Eleonora Di Maria ◽  
Silvia Rita Sedita
Keyword(s):  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Product Diversification ◽  
Industrial Districts ◽  
Investment Strategies ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
Italian Manufacturing Firms

Purpose This paper aims to explore if firms located in industrial districts (IDs) have different adoption paths concerning Industry 4.0 technologies and get different results with respect to other similar firms located outside IDs. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a quantitative analysis related to an original data set of 206 Italian manufacturing firms specializing in made in Italy industries and adopting Industry 4.0 technologies. A case study of a district firm is also presented to explain the rationale of investment strategies and results obtained. Findings The analysis shows that there are differences between district and non-district firms when Industry 4.0 technology investments are concerned (higher investment rate in big data/cloud and augmented reality for district firms than non-district ones). In contrast to a breakthrough view of the fourth industrial revolution, the study suggests that 4.0 technologies emphasize the peculiarities and competitiveness factors typical of the district model in terms of customization and flexibility. There are differences in the motivations of adoption (product diversification for district firms vs productivity enhancement for non-district firms) and in the results achieved. Originality/value The paper is one of the first attempts to empirically explore the technological innovation paths related to Industry 4.0 within IDs, therefore, contributing to the debate on the possible evolution of the district model

Evolving manufacturing mobility in Industry 4.0: the case of process industries

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Barata ◽  
Paulo Rupino Cunha ◽  
Sharon Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Continuous Manufacturing ◽  
Process Industries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Paper Manufacturing ◽  
And Control ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to incorporating mobility into continuous manufacturing following the advent of Industry 4.0 (I4.0). Design/methodology/approach The investigation is based on a year-long canonical action research into a paper-manufacturing company implementing core I4.0 technologies. Findings The findings show how to: classify manufacturing mobility strategy based on the dimensions of team, task and control; design business processes enabled by mobile cyber–physical resources; involve different stakeholders in modeling mobility; and create a comprehensive guide to assist in implementing the mobile digitalization required by I4.0. Research limitations/implications Despite the complexity, richness and depth of the insights obtained in this research for mobility management in process industries, this inquiry was conducted in a single organization. Practical implications As the fourth industrial revolution encourages decentralization and increased interaction between humans and machines, this paper presents a model to capture the mobility potential in manufacturing. The tools proposed in this research can be used to steer investments in industry transformations that fuse the physical and digital worlds, overcoming mobility constraints. Originality/value Theoretically, this paper expands the concept of manufacturing mobility in I4.0. In practice, it proposes a participative roadmap to assist technology management in increasingly decentralized environments, identifying the intertwined network of cyber–physical actors, processes and services.

Unveiling blockchain as a strategic resource

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Smart Contracts ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This conceptual paper concentrates on the strategic use of blockchain as a way of organizations gaining ongoing competitive advantages. Moving deeper into the fourth industrial revolution, the organizational advantages of blockchain implementation are the secure, verifiable, peer-to-peer transparency of agreement or communication mechanisms like smart contracts, since they can enhance organizational efficiency and therefore competitive performance. However, blockchain currently remains in a nascent phase on a practical use level, meaning organizations can now strategically prepare to adopt its capabilities in future. This is done by teams educating themselves about blockchain, and by defining problems that the technology could solve. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Industry 4.0: proposing a framework

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 250-267
Author(s):  
Carlos Eduardo Silva ◽  
Rodolfo Cardoso ◽  
Ramon Baptista Narcizo ◽  
Luiza Maciel Gonçalves ◽  
Yohana Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Scopus Database ◽  
Technological Clusters ◽  
Practical Implications

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.

Analyzing manufacturing strategies and Industry 4.0 supplier performance relationships from a resource-based perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Asif Salam
Keyword(s):  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supplier Performance ◽  
Resources And Capabilities ◽  
Asian Context ◽  
Globalized World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of manufacturing strategies on Industry 4.0 supplier performance. Suppliers play a crucial role in manufacturing supply chains, and firms are dependent on identifying and managing them to enhance Industry 4.0 supplier performance. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive to causal research is conducted with survey and tested via multiple regression analysis. Using the extant literature, four manufacturing strategies are identified and analyzed as the determinants of supplier performance pertaining to the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0). A survey was designed and targeted to 200 samples of manufacturing firms in Thailand. Finally, the research model was tested to examine the hypothesized relationships. Findings Based on the results, it was found that better quality and flexibility in manufacturing positively impact Industry 4.0 supplier performance. However, the rate of delivery and cost reduction did not have any statistical influence on the Industry 4.0 supplier performance. Research limitations/implications The data for this study were collected from Thailand, only one country. Hence, the findings are indicative but not representative of other Asian countries. Also, the findings are not generalizable to other industries. Practical implications This study will enable supply chain professionals to understand the determinants of Industry 4.0 supplier performance within an Asian context, which will be valuable to them when sourcing from Asian suppliers. To compete successfully in increasingly globalized world, firms must use their resources effectively and productively. Firms must align their vital resources and capabilities to maximize competitive advantage. Originality/value The paper identifies the manufacturing strategies that significantly influence the Industry 4.0 supplier performance of manufacturing companies.

scholarly journals Simulation of Innovative Systems under Industry 4.0 Conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nestor Shpak ◽  
Mykola Odrekhivskyi ◽  
Kateryna Doroshkevych ◽  
Włodzimierz Sroka
Keyword(s):  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Innovation System ◽  
Optimal Solutions ◽  
Mathematical Apparatus ◽  
Static Characteristics ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
Abstract Level ◽  
Different Levels

The world is at the threshold of the fourth industrial revolution, which has already begun. It requires enterprises and even sectors to move toward Industry 4.0. Innovative systems (IS) play an important role in this process. In the article, the innovative systems in Industry 4.0 are considered to be complex systems whose components have a lot of tasks; in particular, to produce innovative policy; to provide the subjects of innovative activity with the necessary resources; to participate directly in the process of creation, commercialization, and the practical use of new knowledge; to implement integration approaches between these processes, etc. The complexity of the innovation system leads to the development of modern approaches to their modeling, as a tool for further designing, creating, and modifying real innovative systems of different levels of organization under the conditions of Industry 4.0. In the simulation of IS under the conditions of Industry 4.0, the description of the subsystems by a number of sets is proposed. The model is described by the graph of relationships, including the abstract level of the hierarchical model of IS, its elements, indicators and their values, functions, actions and operations, their states and efficiency, and the tree of goals. In order to make optimal solutions, using the mathematical apparatus of the theory of Markov chains to study the dynamic and static characteristics of the states of the IS is proposed. This approach can be widely used in the simulation, designing, development, and rebuilding of IS at different levels of an organization.

Cluster role in industry 4.0 – a pilot study from Germany

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Götz
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Spatial Dimension ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
Knowledge Environment ◽  
Basic Characteristics

Purpose This paper aims to explore the nature of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) cluster, to establish and empirically verify in the pilot study the role of clusters in developing the fourth industrial revolution. It aims to find out if the cluster can provide a conducive knowledge environment fostering the advancement of I4.0; simplify the implementation of I4.0 by making it faster, easier, and cheaper and finally be applied as policy tool organising the development of I4.0. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on the narrative literature review mapping the cluster’s nature with I4.0 features. It adopts the case study approach and uses simple statistical analysis to explore the basic characteristics of I4.0 clusters combined with a survey technique – short questionnaire organised in three major blocks. Findings Drawing on German pilot study it can be confirmed that clusters offer conducive environment facilitating the emergence, testing and development of I4.0 specific solutions. They provide favourable knowledge environment, simplify and increase the efficiency of the business processes and organise the policymaking in this area. Originality/value The results of presented pilot study rooted in Germany – a country seen as the front-runner in implementing the solutions of the fourth industrial revolution – can add a certain value to the emerging research on unearthed linkages between clusters and I4.0. This paper might be seen as a contribution to the emerging literature on the spatial dimension of I4.0. It expands previous research on cluster channels’ likely impact on I4.0.

scholarly journals Production and maintenance in industries: impact of industry 4.0

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Firoz khan Fasuludeen Kunju ◽  
Nida Naveed ◽  
Muhammad Naveed Anwar ◽  
Mir Irfan Ul Haq
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Data ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Production Control ◽  
Present Condition ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Automatic Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Production industries are undergoing a digital transition, referred to as the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0, as a result of rapidly expanding advances in information and communication technology. The purpose of this research is to provide a conceptual insight into the impact of unique capabilities from the fourth industrial revolution on production and maintenance tasks in terms of providing the existing production companies a boost by making recommendations on areas and tasks of great potential. Design/methodology/approach A survey and a literature review are among the research methods used in the research. The survey collected empirical data using a semi-structured questionnaire, which provided a broad overview of the company's present condition in terms of production and maintenance, resulting in more comprehensive and specific information regarding the study topics. Findings The study points out that, the implementation of I4.0-technology leads to an increase in production, asset utilization, quality, reduced machine down time in industries, and maintenance. Sensor technology, big data analysis, cloud technologies, mobile end devices, and real-time location systems are now being implemented to improve production processes and boost organizational competitiveness. Moreover, the study highlights that data acquired throughout the production process is utilized for quality control, predictive maintenance, and automatic production control. Furthermore, I4.0 solutions help companies to be more efficient with assets at each stage of the process, allowing them to have a stronger control on inventories and operational-optimization potential. Originality/value The findings of the study was supported by empirical data collected through survey that provides an intangible understanding of the importance of distinctive capabilities from the I4.0 revolution on production and maintenance tasks. In this study, some recommendations and guidelines to enhance these tasks are provided that are vital for existing production companies.

THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (INDUSTRY 4.0) A SOCIAL INNOVATION PERSPECTIVE

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Schwab
Keyword(s):  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Socioeconomic Impact ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Rapid Pace ◽  
Sustainable System ◽  
Industrial Revolutions

The rapid pace of technological developments played a key role in the previous industrial revolutions. However, the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) and its embedded technology diffusion progress is expected to grow exponentially in terms of technical change and socioeconomic impact. Therefore, coping with such transformation require a holistic approach that encompasses innovative and sustainable system solutions and not just technological ones. In this article, we propose a framework that can facilitate the interaction between technological and social innovation to continuously come up with proactive, and hence timely, sustainable strategies. These strategies can leverage economic rewards, enrich society at large, and protect the environment. The new forthcoming opportunities that will be generated through the next industrial wave are gigantic at all levels. However, the readiness for such revolutionary conversion require coupling the forces of technological innovation and social innovation under the sustainability umbrella.

Emerging Industrial Revolution: Symbiosis of Industry 4.0 and Circular Economy: The Role of Universities

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seeram Ramakrishna ◽  
Alfred Ngowi ◽  
Henk De Jager ◽  
Bankole O. Awuzie
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
New Jobs

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.

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