Towards an initiative-based industry 4.0 maturity improvement process: Master drilling as a case study

Abstract

Industry 4.0 is an unavoidable global revolution with disruptive effects. Many sectors in South Africa are currently underprepared for the transformation that is necessary to stay competitive. An ever-present need therefore exists for the country to stay relevant in the global industry. The mining sector consists of different companies that contribute to the sector in its entirety. There is major potential as long as this Industry 4.0 wave is properly leveraged and its technologies are integrated into the operations of this sector. To use emerging opportunities fully, areas of weakness in the sector should be identified and appropriately addressed. This article takes a different approach to understanding mining sector readiness by analysing a company in the sector. A case study is done at Master Drilling to identify possible areas of weakness and potential, focusing on Industry 4.0 initiatives. This is further enforced, for Industry 4.0, by using a Threats, Opportunities, Weaknesses, Strengths (TOWS) analysis on the company. An Industry 4.0 maturity analysis is conducted to identify the areas needing further investigation. A process is created to enable any entity to analyse its maturity, providing an approach that leads to area-focused technology innovations in that company.