Implementing industry 4.0 in smes: A focus group study on organizational requirements

Abstract

In the past, literature has mainly focused on the technical aspects of Industry 4.0. A detailed analysis of the implementation processes and the related organizational requirements is therefore missing. This chapter aims to address the aforementioned gap by empirically investigating the main organizational requirements for Industry 4.0 implementation in SMEs. We focus on SMEs because they are very important for many countries and it is expected that they will face more difficulties in adopting Industry 4.0 than large companies. Based on a systematic literature review and a focus group study a set of organizational issues that might hinder Industry 4.0 implementation have been identified and classified into six categories. The results of the study have significant implications for researchers, managers, and policy-makers.