Autor: Marion Steven

The challenges facing production in the 21st century are multifaceted and complex. In particular, the consequences of global warming have fundamentally changed the conditions for modern production. In dealing with these challenges, the circular economy is seen as having great potential. This article develops a strategy for the successful implementation and realization of the circular economy for a climate-friendly production. For this purpose, a holistic circular product lifecycle is developed, along which circular strategies are systematically identified. The concept is illustrated by a practical example of a smartphone manufacturer.

Profit is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for long-term business success. Global problems such as climate change, depletion of natural resources and overpopulation, but also local environmental pollution and emphasis on social aspects increase the significance of sustainability for enterprises. Sustainability is already implemented in the guiding principles of all DAX 30 enterprises and accepted as maxim of action by 90 % of Fortune 500 enterprises [1]. Starting from a definition of sustainability, the subsequent contribution discusses sustainability effects of industry 4.0 concerning the economic, ecologic, and social dimension [2].

As Industry 4.0 Technologies are swiftly spreading in global economy and enterprises are cooperating in supply chain networks, the question arises how fit these networks are for the imminent challenges. The contribution presents a method which allows to evaluate the industry 4.0-readiness for the example of an automotive network. As a first part, a qualitative analysis is carried out by means of an Industry 4.0-compass. Subsequently, a performance indicator based quantitative analysis is used to assess the industry 4.0-readiness of the automotive network.

The fourth industrial revolution has brought about a radical change for companies in all sectors of industry. Since the consequences of this revolution cannot yet be estimated, the forecasts of the full development of industry 4.0 vary considerably. In the past, industry 4.0’s implementation date has been considered, but the level of detail on the technology side is too high and there is a substantial lack of differentiation on the users side. Knowledge of the industry-specific implementation date of Industry 4.0 is essential for a successful transformation. For this purpose a two-part analysis is carried out: First of all, a suitable innovation cycle for the new production paradigm is being developed. Secondly, determinants of adoption are derived from Industry 4.0. The combination of these parts allows classifying the sectors in the industry 4.0 innovation cycle.

Industrial communication benefits from wireless systems, which is more flexible, easily scalable and low in maintenance compared to wired systems. Hence, wireless systems are of interest to many producing companies in various industries. However, industrial applications vary broadly in their requirements regarding a communication system. Thus, applications are categorized by their typical requirements, and suitable wireless systems are proposed. Based on these considerations, methods for comparing different wireless systems are reviewed and thereby, the decision making process is supported.

Delivering industrial Product-Service Systems (IPSS) is a trend for companies in the german mechanical and plant engineering industry. IPSS are holistic problem solutions including an integrative combination of a physical core product and related services. Furthermore, IPSS are offered in customised business models. Due to the fourth industrial revolution, IPSS are transformed towards smart IPSS. Here, digital business models are necessary to take advantage of all opportunities belonging to smart IPSS. Therefore, a systematic analysis of digital business models for smart IPSS is presented.

The digitalization is not only the basis of new business models, smart products and innovative services but also a source of uncertainty. This uncertainty about the economic benefits presents a major implementation barrier. To digitize the german production site until 2025 a reduction of risks is mandatory. The developed life cycle model of Industry 4.0 supply chain networks supports a transparent evaluation of risks. Findings show that there exists a gap between perceived and real risks. For a successful transformation, companies need to overcome those barriers.

The proliferation of technological innovations in additive manufacturing is accompanied by an increasing awareness of sustainability. In order to achieve an adequate investment methodical support is needed. A set of indicators for sustainable production represents the performance of a technology. Since an evaluation of technologies is subjective individual preferences of decision makers have to be taken into account. Hence, the multiple-criteria decision analysis methodology PROMETHEE is applicable in this context.