Prioritization of roadblocks to adoption of industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing industries using VIKOR

Abstract

To experience seamless adoption of future industry 4.0, it is imperative to investigate its existing roadblocks and success factors in the Indian manufacturing context. Striking similarities among diverse researches highlight the importance of the cyber-physical system assuring many benefits to the manufacturing sector. Many studies concluded that sooner or later, all manufacturing companies will evolve by penetrating industry 4.0 technologies in their enterprise activities. There is a possibility of negative consequences on business functions if top management remains unprepared to assess roadblocks to these future technologies' adoption. Identification of roadblocks is the first and foremost thing industrial policymakers should focus on. This research enlists the stumbling blocks for industry 4.0 technologies' adoption that manufacturing industries may encounter by reviewing the latest literature and ranks them using VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) methodology by consulting five experienced Indian industrial authorities. Weightage to each industrial experts' input is decided by the entropy method. Results indicate that “Skilled workers scarcity,” “Internal employee resistance,” “Worries about cyber security,” and “Inadequate knowledge of/from exterior agencies” are the top four barriers to the incorporation of industry 4.0 technologies in the Indian manufacturing context while “Lack of knowledge about enabling technology solutions” secured lower position. The robustness of the output was checked by carrying out a sensitivity analysis with varying weights. The approach adopted in this study will be helpful for industrial authorities to concentrate their efforts in tackling the most critical barriers. This research will aid industrial decision-makers in remaining proactive during the industrial technology adoption transition.