Potenzial: Strategy

Industry 4.0—Progress and Digitalization in Limbo

Industry 4.0—Progress and Digitalization in Limbo

Status of sustainable transformation and digitalization in production engineering
Christian Donhauser ORCID Icon, Daniel Riepl
Digitalization projects help users represent complex processes more simply and efficiently. However, there are many obstacles to implementation. Reluctance to implement these projects is palpable. This affects, among others, employers and employees, who may fall behind economically by waiting or avoiding change. These observations can be traced back to an overarching research question: What barriers and systemic challenges hinder sustainable transformation within the context of Industry 4.0, particularly when considering human labor in production engineering? What questions are the affected stakeholders asking? The primary goal of this long-term research project is to define these questions decisively and in detail in order to develop a conceptual foundation that integrates research, teaching, and technological development and thus combines the potential of digital technologies with the experiential and practical knowledge of production workers.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 3 | Pages 56-60
Increasing Resilience in Logistics with IT

Increasing Resilience in Logistics with IT

Investigating supply chain risk management information systems
Alexander Baur, Jasmin Hauser, Dieter Uckelmann ORCID Icon
The blockage of the Suez Canal in 2021, caused by the accident involving the container ship Ever Given, clearly illustrates the need to design global supply chains in such a way that they can respond quickly to disruptions. In a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment, conventional logistics processes that focus on efficiency, and supply chain management methods in particular, are increasingly reaching their limits. Resilience, achieved through a combination of robustness and agility, is essential to ensure responsiveness. This article analyzes how risk management information systems (RMIS) can increase resilience. The analysis covers data availability, data transparency, modeling and simulation of risk scenarios, and the development of appropriate emergency action plans. Despite existing challenges in designing IT infrastructure, the measures mentioned have the potential to increase resilience in logistics.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 41 | Edition 4 | Pages 36-42
Digital Twins for Production and Logistics Systems

Digital Twins for Production and Logistics Systems

Challenges and focus areas in implementation and use
Deike Gliem ORCID Icon, Nicolas Wittine ORCID Icon, Sigrid Wenzel ORCID Icon
For a successful implementation as well as sustainable use and maintenance of digital twins for production and logistics systems, it is necessary to identify relevant use cases and master the associated challenges. This paper analyzes scientific literature on common applications and challenges in the implementation of digital twins for the planning and operation of production and logistics systems. To confirm the practical relevance of the results, the results of an empirical survey have also been included. The findings are used to derive key focus areas for the successful implementation and long-term use of digital twins in production and logistics.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 41 | 2025 | Edition 3 | Pages 42-49 | DOI 10.30844/I4SE.25.3.42
Enabling the Future of Manufacturing with Digital Twins

Enabling the Future of Manufacturing with Digital Twins

Opportunities and obstacles
Javad Ghofrani, Darian Lemke, Tassilo Söldner
Digital twins connect physical and digital systems, furthering efficiency, enabling predictive maintenance, and allowing the production of more customized products. Despite these advantages, challenges such as high costs, data synchronization, and security risks hinder widespread adoption. This article explores the potential of digital twins and examines key barriers to integration and implementation, also considering some industrial applications including additive manufacturing as a relevant use case.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 41 | Edition 3 | Pages 72-81
Circular Economy Enabled by Digitization

Circular Economy Enabled by Digitization

Digital networking in the procurement of manufacturing companies
Pius Finkel ORCID Icon, Peter Wurster ORCID Icon, David Pfister
Current developments in digitalization and data economy, especially multilateral data sharing platforms, offer the potential to accelerate the implementation of circular economy practices in the manufacturing industry. This article systematically examines the extent to which digitalization could serve as a catalyst for circular economy in the procurement of such companies. As a basis for the following research, eight experts from five leading global manufacturers and suppliers in the automotive and aviation industries were interviewed. This article demonstrates practical hypotheses for the sustainable design of supply chains and proposes two specific use cases for circular economy practices that can proactively counteract the use of resources.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 41 | 2025 | Edition 1 | Pages 26-33 | DOI 10.30844/I4SE.25.1.26
Circular Economy as a Holistic Strategy

Circular Economy as a Holistic Strategy

Complexity management and sustainability
Joseph W. Dörmann
Over the past decades, circular economy has established itself as an important strategy for tackling sustainability challenges. Its holistic approach aims to use resources efficiently and minimize waste. This article aims to identify and evaluate the numerous challenges connected to the successful implementation and expansion of the circular economy approach. Economic, technological, social and political aspects are examined to provide a comprehensive insight into the complexity of the strategy and its implementation. The article concludes that a successful circular economy can only be achieved through the coordinated cooperation of different stakeholders and the development of innovative solutions to the identified challenges.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 41 | Edition 1 | Pages 60-67
Introduction of Machine Learning in Production

Introduction of Machine Learning in Production

An SME-specific, holistic guide
Manuel Savadogo, Malte Stonis ORCID Icon, Peter Nyhuis ORCID Icon
Machine learning offers a wide range of potential, especially in production, and is therefore becoming increasingly important. However, small and medium-sized businesses are lacking guidelines that are specifically tailored to their individual challenges to guide them step-by-step through the process. In conjunction with a potential analysis, the determination of relevant prerequisites and a maturity assessment, this article can serve as a guide for SMEs.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 40 | 2024 | Edition 6 | Pages 88-95
Cognitive Assistance Systems in Intralogistics

Cognitive Assistance Systems in Intralogistics

User studies with augmented reality and an AI chatbot
Hendrik Stern ORCID Icon, Michael Freitag ORCID Icon
Assistance systems improve work processes, shorten learning times and increase flexibility in the workplace. Human-centered, resilient and sustainable production approaches where user acceptance is of the utmost importance play a crucial role in the digitized Industry 5.0. Two user studies investigate how useful the support of technologies like augmented reality and AI chat actually is. In the context of cognitive assistance systems in intralogistics, artificial intelligence and augmented reality have a great potential and can contribute to an improvement in process performance. The usability of these systems in terms of human-centricity of Industry 5.0 is crucial. This article describes the results and findings of two user studies conducted in the laboratory for intralogistics work processes (picking and packing). The assistance systems used were evaluated using the System Usability Scale.   Cognitive assistance systems in intralogistics Assistance systems make a ...
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 40 | 2024 | Edition 5 | Pages 67-72 | DOI 10.30844/I4SE.24.5.66
Digitalization in the Supply Chain

Digitalization in the Supply Chain

Trends and fields of application in the drive technology sector of the mechanical and plant engineering industry
Leonard Overbeck, Dardan Baralija, Rainer Silbernagel, Hartmut Rauen, Jürgen Fleischer, Gisela Lanza ORCID Icon
A robust and resilient supply chain is a critical success factor for the competitiveness of manufacturing companies. However, today’s supply chain faces various challenges, such as higher complexities and increasing dynamics coming from megatrends (i. e. globalization and sustainability). The medium-sized drive technology industry, with its global supply chains and high customer requirements, is particularly affected by these challenges. Therefore, digitalization initiatives are crucial. This article analyzes current digitalization projects in the drive technology industry in order to identify relevant trends and fields of application. Synthesized from the industry's target picture for higher resilience/ flexibility, greater transparency and more sustainability along the supply chain, these provide guidance for medium-sized companies and their digitalization strategies. (Only in German)
Industrie 4.0 Management | Volume 38 | 2022 | Edition 4 | Pages 23-27
Labor Efficiency in a Smart Factory

Labor Efficiency in a Smart Factory

Steuerungsinstrument zur Verbesserung der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit von Produktionsunternehmen
Ina Yuen
Automatization and Digitalization are keywords regarding innovative assembly of Smart Factories. Despite all, no Smart Factory is able to produce completely without blue color workers. To stay competitive in the global world companies they need to find the balance to hire only as less employees as possible to guarantee all assembly processes. Therefore, Labor Efficiency is the key figure to control attendance and output. This article explains the role of labor efficiency with regards to the Smart Factory. For this purpose, the input factors attendance and output are explained and illustrated by practical examples. Moreover, it explains how labor efficiency can influence competitiveness positively.
Industrie 4.0 Management | Volume 38 | 2022 | Edition 2 | Pages 63-66
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