No one can argue the benefits of Industry 4.0 technologies—simplifying decision making, elevating productivity and cutting costs to name a few. Getting there has been top of the agenda for executives for the last decade. While the goal may seem simple, the process itself is far from easy. Many food and beverage manufacturers remain stuck—some early adopters having already invested significant time, money and resources into these technologies, while others are reluctant to start the journey. Neither are experiencing the full value. Why? Because Industry 4.0 solutions only work when they are built upon a solid foundation.
Executives pursue Industry 4.0 because the math makes sense; they’ve made a multifaceted cost-benefit decision that weighs a potentially substantial return on investment and key performance metric gains, the risk of missing out competitively, and implementation complexity and costs. For front-line personnel, though, it’s a mixed bag: revolutionary advancements may be exciting for some but elicit concerns about skills adequacy, job security and loss of control for others.