Current and future Industry 4.0 capabilities for information and knowledge sharing

• DOI: 10.1007/s00170-019-03942-5
• Publication Date: 2019-06-20T14:05:16Z
• Authors: Dan Li; Åsa Fast-Berglund; Dan Paulin
• Keywords: Industry 4.0; Knowledge Sharing; Information Sharing

Humans are indispensable in the manufacturing industry as its complexity increases an Industry 4.0 context, mainly due to changing customer demands. Managing challenges of increased can create a competitive advantage for SMEs. Technologies which enable emerging phenomenon have possibility simplify sharing information and knowledge among people at work, especially Operator 4.0. However, few SMEs actually implemented such technologies this purpose. Therefore, paper aims understanding current state need be overcome, further, provide some insights on future possibilities by identifying stages development with regards their capabilities. This qualitative interview study focuses how human-centered production processes currently supporting assembly office work. Two Swedish were studied, where almost all operators management team site interviewed individually concerning views The interviews thematically analyzed state-of-the-art research, results show that case companies aspects digitized computerization connectivity, but making shared production-related more visible transparent, shop-floors most through word mouth or pen paper. Conclusively, studied started digitalization journey, further needs align respective conditions needs. While enabling support emerging, organizational implementation technologies, should focus research.