The implementation of Industry 4.0 remains a big challenge for many manufacturers, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Many lack an effective understanding of existing Industry 4.0 concepts and technologies, how they can be implemented in their own companies, and where they should prioritise their efforts for future Industry 4.0 projects.
This research paper introduces an assessment model for SMEs that is easy to apply, provides a clear overview of existing Industry 4.0 concepts, and supports SMEs in defining their individual strategy for Industry 4.0 implementation within their firms.
The assessment model was developed by Erwin Rauch, Marco Unterhofer, Rafael A. Rojas and Luca Gualtieri from the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy); Manuel Woschank from the University of Leoben (Austria); and Dominik T. Matt from Fraunhofer Italia Research and the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano.
Their maturity level-based assessment tool includes a catalogue of 42 Industry 4.0 concepts, and a norm strategy based on the results of the assessment to support SMEs in introducing the most promising and highest priority concepts. In addition to the current maturity level, a target maturity level and the relative importance and potential of the Industry 4.0 concepts are evaluated by the user.
The assessment tool was applied in a field study involving 17 manufacturing companies from Europe and the US with some interesting results.
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