Climbing the Maturity Ladder in Industry 4.0: A Framework for Diagnosis and Action that Combines National and Sectorial Strategies

Authors

Abstract

We present a framework to assist Industry 4.0 initiatives at countrywide and sector-specific levels. It was created using design-science research in the context of non-metal mineral industry - ceramic, glass, stone, and nanomaterials. Our findings suggest that (1) existing maturity models for Industry 4.0 do not fit all industrial contexts; (2) their use can be discouraging for small and medium-size enterprises planning digital strategies; (3) Industry 4.0 technologies should be considered as prescriptive solutions rather than descriptive dimensions, and (4) it is possible and desirable to consider Industry 4.0 maturity as a co-evolutionary growth of digital services and processes within supply chains. Our proposal provides staged and continuous representations of maturity that can be tailored for each industry. Maturity models can be a prime communication tool for managers and technology providers. Our contribution supports the European efforts to succeed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, shared by millions of industries worldwide.

Keywords

Industry 4.0, Fourth industrial revolution, Maturity model, Design-reality gaps, Design-science research

Subject

Information systems; Industry 4.0

Conference

Twenty-third Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS), Boston, USA, August 2017