Transition to industry 4.0: Impediments, facilitators and gains

Abstract

Industry 4.0, an integral part of the fourth industrial revolution, is a technological trend that brings strong implications to industrial production worldwide. The transition to Industry 4.0 is shown to be inevitable, even if the results to be obtained are not yet widely known. Lean manufacturing's management philosophy, associated with Industry 4.0 technological principles, can accelerate this process and minimize potential risks, thereby facilitating implementation solutions, even though the transition occurs gradually. The methodology applied for this research is exploratory, possessing both qualitative and quantitative aspects. Primary data were collected through a survey answered by 50 managers from the automotive sector. Based on the obtained results, it was seen that companies have different levels of maturity regarding their digital transformation process. Although competitive advantages might be gained by such technological advancements, the surveyed companies did not show that competitiveness could be a differential, but recognizes that lean manufacturing can contribute to leverage the transition to Industry 4.0.