A lot of hype, little implementation? Have we overestimated the potential of Industry 4.0? Why do so many companies, especially smaller ones, remain on the sidelines? Does anyone benefit at all?

The answer often lies in these 5 reasons:

1️⃣ 𝗩𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: How to turn an idea into real, measurable added value often remains unclear.
2️⃣ 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆: Investments in technology are a deterrent, especially without quick ROI prospects.
3️⃣ 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲: Digital competence remains a bottleneck.
4️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀: IoT, AI, Big Data – where to start without getting bogged down?
5️⃣ 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗦t𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆: Individual projects without links will not bring a breakthrough.

But instead of writing off Industry 4.0, we ask the central question:

What 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 can my organization create for my 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀?

Companies should not start with technologies, but with the customer perspective:

👉 How can my machine produce more cheaply?
👉 How can I avoid rejects and waste?
👉 How can I reduce downtimes?
👉 How do I increase product quality?
👉 How do I use my resources more effectively?

Only when these questions have been clearly answered is it worth looking at technologies such as IoT, AI, cloud solutions and big data. Strategy comes before digitalization. And, make sure that an attractive ROI is created for your customers.

So, is Industry 4.0 really dead or are we just at the beginning?