Sustainable Strategic Operations Supported by I4.0 Digital Technologies

Abstract

Sustainable development has been putting pressure on companies to act in favor of sustainability. To overcome such forces, we evidenced performance through operations that offer opportunities to obtain economic, environmental, and social performance and, thus, should become the organization’s central area and the driving force behind the strategy. It is noteworthy that to achieve such performance, Industry 4.0 technologies can be used as resources, and they have the potential to generate capabilities for meeting sustainable objectives. Thus, this research has as its main objective to propose a sustainable operations strategy model based on digital technologies. Grounded by the classic view of operations strategy and using the ProKnow-C method, a first effort was made to raise performance objectives in the economic, environmental, and social dimensions as well as criteria that assess digital technologies. As result, regarding the economic performance objectives, the five traditional objectives were maintained. In the environmental dimension, the following were pointed out: consumption of natural resources, emissions, waste and reverse management, and environmental regulation. In the social dimension, the following stood out: exposure to occupational risk agents and both internal and external engagement. About criteria that assess digital technologies, the degree of automation, connectivity, and scalability besides feasibility, vulnerability, and acceptability were framed, remaining in alignment with classic theory. Finally, it was proposed a change of view on the area of process technology, which arises much more as support influencing and enhancing the other areas.