Examining Digital Readiness in the Era Of Industry 4.0 in Tunisia

Abstract

Industry 4.0 is the fourth and most current industrial revolution, which refers to the integration of the digital and physical worlds in a manufacturing context. It is the current trend in organizational automation and data interchange. It denotes intelligent manufacturing processes that combine cyber and physical systems via a collection of technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, and cloud computing. The transition to Industry 4.0 is predicted to result in significant structural changes, productivity increases, and increased competitiveness in the global manufacturing industry. The use of such technology enables businesses to identify solutions capable of transforming rising complexity into possibilities for assuring long-term competitiveness and profitable growth. Organizations must self-assess their Industry 4.0 readiness in order to survive and prosper in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Digital readiness enables the workforce to be able to use digital tools consciously, productively for a given purpose, and to adapt quickly to the ever-changing work environment. Following that, the conception or construction of an Industry 4.0-ready model with the basic model parameters is required. The business environment is changing as a result of digitalization, and companies are facing new hurdles in order to advance. The first step in supporting companies is checking their digital readiness and capabilities, as well as setting clear progress goals. The purpose of this paper is to identify the primary aspects for measuring companies' preparation for Industry 4.0, the relationships between these readiness criteria, and how future Ph.D. research should proceed based on the findings. This paper focuses on the literature analysis identifying the reasons, challenges, barriers, and facilitators of digitalization. The research applies triangulation, by combining qualitative and quantitative methodology. The qualitative approach will be applied initially by conducting open interviews, and then, for the quantitative part, with a questionnaire aimed at Tunisian companies and their workforces.