Industry 4.0 is a means to an end, not an end in itself

Industry 4.0 is a subject that’s much hyped these days. Governments are financially encouraging their manufacturing industries to develop Industry 4.0 programs. Business strategists, such as McKinsey and Deloitte, publish a constant stream of articles on its value and importance. And the fact that most definitions of Industry 4.0 are based on other hyper-sexy topics such as AI, IoT, cloud, additive manufacturing and 5G only goes to further bolster its significance.

But down at ground level, many people who run manufacturing businesses frequently don’t understand what Industry 4.0 is about. Too often I’ve heard Industry 4.0 referred to as “meaningless container terminology” because it’s usually defined through technologies that make it possible. This is counterproductive and alienates the very people that Industry 4.0 needs to target: the owners of manufacturing business challenges.