Industrie 4.0

Using industry 4.0 maturity models, companies can systematically record their performance in the context of industry 4.0. When the status quo is determined, the question “Where do we want to be in future?” is usually associated at the same time. However, companies are not always in a position to introduce what is fundamentally possible. Therefore, this question is not trivial. If a company is supposedly aware of its I4.0 target position, external influences often lead to the fact that the achievement of the target is made more difficult or hindered. It is therefore important to take these circumstances into account. This paper shows how environmental developments can be taken into account when determining a promising I4.0 target position. The target position forms the starting point for the implementation of industry 4.0 in the company.

The growing amount of available data due to the digitalization of value creation is accelerating the transformation of manufacturing industries into providers of customer-oriented services. Smart services, currently the most highly developed level of data-based digital services to complement physical products for specific customer expectations, are an example of this. However, the analysis of expert interviews as well as of use cases from business practice shows that the knowledge of how such smart services can be developed is still rudimentary. This article presents a framework for Smart Service Lifecycle Management that supports the systematic development of Smart Services, taking into account business models and the value network. The framework concept will be implemented and validated based on an application example from the textile industry.