Industry 4.0 maturity model in the context of state of Espírito Santo

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to develop a manufacturing maturity model for implementing Industry 4.0 technologies. The study was based on the methodology of De Bruin et al. (2005). The study contributes by providing insights into how the maturity model can help companies to see their strengths and weaknesses in order to improve the level of maturity of Industry 4.0 in these organizations. The model is specifically developed based on the specified objectives, factors and barriers, addressing the complexity of Industry 4.0 with a focus on manufacturing. To this end, a questionnaire was administered to 25 employees of companies in Espírito Santo, Brazil, with the aim of validating the model found and identifying the level of maturity of the organizations studied. The maturity model found consists of five maturity levels, three dimensions and 27 elements. The questionnaire applied resulted in a maturity level of 59.7%, obtaining an intermediate classification, meaning a partial use of Industry 4.0 technologies in the companies studied. A comparison was made between the Mining, Electrical, IT, Steel and Metallurgy sectors. The results showed that the Steel and Mining sectors have the highest maturity values and the IT and Metallurgy sectors have the lowest Industry 4.0 maturity values. A limitation of the study is the subjectivity inherent in the use of questionnaires. As a future suggestion, it is possible to identify the relationships between the elements presented in the maturity model.