Contents

Educational Quick Scan Industry 4.0 with Human Touch 2

1.

Educational Quick Scan Industry 4.0

with Human Touch

Introduction to industry 4.0 2

1.1 Technologies relevant to industry 4.0 3
1.2 Business and economic implications 5
1.3 Changes in society 6
2. Educational Quick Scan Industry 4.0 8
2.1 Introductory questions 9
2.2 Measurement questions 10

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Educational Quick Scan Industry 4.0 with Human Touch

In this document the Educational Quick Scan Industry 4.0 with Human Touch is presented. This Scan is
newly developed for the minor Industry 4.0 with Human Touch at Twente University. This is a multi-
disciplinary minor about Industry 4.0 that takes the technological and the non-technological aspects into
account.

First a short introduction to the Industry 4.0 vision of the University of Twente will be given. Then the
scan starts. The scan consists of 2 parts: an introductory part and the scan itself. The introductory part is
necessary to classify the company that answers the questions of the scan, since not all companies
operate in the same quick changing markets. The second part is the scan itself that consists of 27
measurement questions. The students are able to rank your company at a maturity scale for Industry 4.0
after the questions are answered and discussed. They will describe the current state of your company
and create a future state in the form of a presentation with comments per slide. At the end of January
2020 this presentation will be given to your company.

1. Introduction to industry 4.0

We are currently in the midst of a revolution promising to bring about a profound change in industry
and society. This change is known by multiple monikers such as the fourth industrial revolution, smart
industry or industry 4.0 and it revolves around autonomous systems which link the digital to the physical
world.

The scale of this change is comparable with that of the previous industrial revolutions. In general an
industrial revolution is characterized by one or a number of breakthrough technologies which give rise
to great changes in the way in which goods or services are produced. This in turn has tremendous
implications for economy and society.

As an example the steam engine instigated a shift from small-scale decentralized production to large
factories in the first industrial revolution. In the second industrial revolution technologies like electricity
and the Bessemer process for making steel made mass production processes possible. This in turn
dramatically increased productivity and lowered prices, allowing for the development of extensive and
reliable water supply, railroads, sewage systems and other technologies which improved standards of
living.

The third industrial revolution has digitalization and the development of the world-wide-web as its core
technologies which has made information exchange fast and cheap, resulting in a globalization of the
marketplace and an incredible connectedness. The fourth industrial revolution builds upon these
developments with a unique new characteristic: the connection of the digital and physical world in what
are called cyber-physical systems. This enables the automation of not only low-level manufacturing
processes as applied previously but also allows computers to make high-level strategic decisions based
on real-time data from the physical world. These autonomous manufacturing systems are expected to
marry mass-production with mass-customization and offer unprecedented flexibility.

Like all industrial revolutions, industry 4.0 will encompass more than merely the application of new
technologies. There will also be changes of legal, business, and societal nature. Examples include the

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transformation of supply chains into flexible marketplaces, requirements for new legal infrastructure to
address large-scale data collection and a reduction of workplace hierarchy by replacing supervisors with
smart devices.

As the industry changes businesses must find ways to fully realize the advantages industry 4.0
technologies have to offer in the context of their particular situation if they are to remain competitive.
This document and the corresponding assignment serve as a guide to gain insight into exactly that. It
consists of a brief discussion on the relevant technological, business and societal aspects of industry 4.0
followed by an assignment. In this assignment the implementation of industry 4.0 concepts within a
company will be assessed and measures towards a greater implementation of these concepts will be
suggested.

1.1 Technologies relevant to industry 4.0

Just as previous industrial revolutions were driven by inventions such as the steam engine and electricity
a number of key technologies is the driving force behind industry 4.0. The most important of these are
cyber-physical systems, the internet of things, machine-to-machine communication, additive
manufacturing and blockchain IT technology.

Cyber-physical systems

A key part of industry 4.0 is the connection of the physical world to smart, networked digital systems in
real-time. This is done using sensors and actuators – the eyes and hands with which computer systems
can perceive and influence the physical world.

Cheap and accurate sensor technology built into production environments and products themselves
makes large-scale data collection on the factory floor but also during the product lifetime feasible. Vast,
inexpensive computing power and clever control algorithms make it possible to analyze and adjust
production and other processes based on real-time data from all these sources. It is important to note
that this collection and exchange of data need not be constrained to a single business. Rather it is the
exchange of information both within and across businesses that is expected to leverage the recent
advances in computational power and data analysis in order to optimize processes in a flexible and
continuous manner.

Thus cyber-physical systems rely on advances in the interfaces (sensors and actuators) of the physical
and digital domains, improvements in the logic of control systems and ever-increasing network
infrastructure (inter/intranets) that allows computer systems to communicate with each other.

Related to this is the concept of digital twins. A digital twin can be thought of as a detailed digital model
of the physical world that is constantly fed real-time data. This model can be used to make accurate
predictions of the future and make strategic decisions accordingly. Improvements in artificial
intelligence, particularly neural-network and deep learning algorithms can be used to automatically and
continuously update the model to more accurately represent the physical world. Digital twins can be
used to model (production) processes to predict throughput, bottlenecks and the amount of resources
required. However they can also be used to model products themselves and predict failure and
necessary maintenance or to optimize them for their current working conditions. Digital twins may
represent the product throughout its entire life cycle, being updated with real-time data to give an
ongoing account of the current status of the real product.

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Internet of things

As computer chips have become smaller, more powerful and less expensive it has become feasible to
implement them in not just computers in the traditional sense but also appliances, vehicles and other
physical items. This is not a new development: cars have been using microcontrollers to control air and
fuel flow since the 1980s. What is new is the connection of all these devices to the internet so that they
may exchange data.

This exchange of data is particularly interesting in combination with the concept of cyber-physical
systems because it results in a massive increase to the amount of data available. It allows businesses to
add sensors to their products and gain insight about the product’s use and condition remotely via the
internet. For example a tire manufacturer may use sensors installed in a car to monitor the condition of
the tires and determine relationships between use (type of road surface, driving style, etc.) and wear of
their product.

The internet of things also allows manufacturers to keep track of their product across its lifecycle:
production, use and disposal. During the use phase of the life cycle this could, for example, make
condition-based maintenance more feasible. Another benefit of keeping track of products throughout
their life cycle is that it makes a circular economy easier to implement. One can imagine a shift in
responsibility for the disposal of the product from consumer to producer, especially for products
containing valuable resources such as electronics.

Machine-to-machine communication

An important distinction between industry 4.0 and the third industrial revolution is the increased
autonomy of production and other systems. Though the third industrial revolution has made the digital
processing of data ubiquitous and has helped develop computer techniques for analyzing this data, the
results of this analysis are still interpreted and acted upon by humans.

In the fourth industrial revolution this human-machine interface will increasingly be replaced by
machine-to-machine communication: intelligent computer systems will draw their own conclusions from
data analysis and also immediately determine and execute the appropriate strategic action without
human intervention. This allows for a constant optimization of the system as well as a quick reaction to
changes affecting the production process.

Additive manufacturing

Mass production as introduced in the second industrial revolution has made cheap, high quality
products available to the general public. However, traditional mass production in an assembly line is
suited primarily to producing large amounts of identical products. This makes it difficult to produce
products tailor-made for specific customers. It is expected that additive manufacturing techniques will
unite the advantages of mass-production with the ability to customize products to tailor to individual
customers’ needs.

Additive manufacturing is an umbrella term for a number of technologies in which products are
manufactured by building them up in layers which are joined together. The most well-known example is
3D printing of plastic, in which molten plastic is positioned by a computer-controlled nozzle and left to

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solidify. Once the entire layer is finished the next layer of plastic is added and so on until the product is
finished.

The great advantage of additive manufacturing techniques is that virtually any design can be
immediately produced using the same machines. This eliminates the need to make slow and expensive
changes to production lines every time a new product or version of a product is made. Though
previously confined to materials with a low melting point such as thermoplastics, currently additive
manufacturing techniques exist for plastics, metals and ceramics. This allows additive manufacturing to
be used not only in parts with mostly cosmetic function but also in high-performance applications such
as jet engine nozzles.

Currently additive manufacturing techniques offer the greatest advantages for small, complex parts
which would be tedious, expensive or impossible to make using conventional techniques. Large parts
take much longer to manufacture to manufacture this way and it is expected that most of these will
continue to be made using traditional methods.

Block chain

An important development of industry 4.0 is the collection and sharing of data not just within a
company but also between the different companies comprising the supply chain. This allows companies
to gain insight and make predictions about the changing demands of customers downstream in the
supply chain. Conversely knowledge of the situation at suppliers upstream in the supply chain allows
companies to make strategic decisions regarding inventory and production strategy. Sensor technology
and cyber-physical systems make the collection of all this data possible. However, a secure way of
sharing such information is necessary. Block chains are one promising way to accomplish this.

In essence a block chain, also called a distributed ledger, is a way of sharing data securely in real-time
without the administrative overhead that typically accompanies this process. The shared data is kept in
a database accessible to all the users of the blockchain, for example different companies within a supply
chain. Each user can add changes, visualized as “blocks”, to the blockchain only when all other users (or
a majority) have validated the change via a peer-to-peer network. Once validated the record of this
change cannot be altered by any one user. This leads to a traceable history of the changes to the
database as a series of “blocks” added to the blockchain.

Blockchains were originally developed for use with the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. The main security
advantage of this system for sharing information is that no central administrator or server exists whose
security can be breached to allow one individual to make changes to the entire database. Instead, by
operating via a peer-to-peer network the security of each and every one of the computers in the
network would have to be breached to make changes to (i.e. “hack”) the system.

1.2 Business and economic implications

Industry 4.0 will have several important implications for the way we do business. The most important of
these are a transformation from rigid supply chains into flexible marketplaces, the life-long responsibility
of manufacturers for their products and the unification of mass production and mass-customization.

Supply chains to flexible marketplaces

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The large-scale collection of data and distribution of this data within and between companies using
block chain technology will result in an unprecedented transparency between suppliers and customers.
Furthermore, procurement decisions will for the most part not be made by humans but by smart
computer systems which, using data from many different suppliers, choose the optimal supplier for each
individual purchase. This means that traditional supply chains will be disrupted as the ease of automated
transactions will render it unnecessary to remain faithful to a few known suppliers. Instead, there will be
more of a marketplace in which each supplier must market their goods based on competence and price
rather than relying on long-term contracts.

Life-long responsibility for products

In the fourth industrial revolution manufacturers will not lose the responsibility for their products as
soon as they are sold to the customer. Products are equipped with sensor technology and connectivity
that provides a constant stream of data which is used to update a “digital twin” of the product. Using
this digital twin the manufacturer keeps track of the product’s condition. Knowledge of all this data can
be used to adapt the product to its use throughout its life-cycle, for example through software updates
or it can be used to carry out accurate predictive maintenance schemes. An example of this is a car
which receives updates for its ECU based on traffic conditions or driving style.

Mass production meets mass-customization

As a consequence of additive manufacturing and the automatic flexible reconfiguration of production

systems it will become possible to marry the high-quality and low cost of mass production with small-
batch, tailor-made products. This will be beneficial to both consumers who can receive products suited
exactly to their needs as to manufacturers who can access a larger customer base. It also supports the
dismantling of rigid supply chains as it will become possible to produce complex and unique parts by
parties which until now did not have the facilities to do so. Furthermore this trend may shift a large part
of the value-creation process to the making of plans (for example CAD files) for components which are
then sold and printed by intermediate parties close to the end-user’s location.

1.3 Changes in society

Just as previous industrial revolutions have been accompanied by changes in society, the effects of the
fourth industrial revolution will be felt far beyond the scope of the manufacturing environment. This
includes changes on the workfloor, classroom and within the legal environment. It is expected that the
most prominent of these changes will be a reduced hierarchy within workplaces, realization of a circular
economy, new privacy and data-ownership legislature and life-long learning becoming the norm.

Reduced hierarchy in the workplace

In the autonomously operating production environments of industry 4.0 all the details of each soon-to-
be product are continuously available through its digital twin. This results in a wealth of useful data
being available to the personnel on the production floor: production defects that need to be fixed,
assembly instructions and how to perform the correct machining operations can all be presented to
employees at precisely the moment this information is needed. When a step in the production process is
not carried out correctly this can be made immediately visible to the employee with instructions to
rework the part or otherwise correct the error. Such information may be presented through, for
example, virtual reality glasses or other assistive devices.

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This application of product and production data through smart devices will drastically reduce the need
for human supervisors on the production floor. Instead there will become two categories of employees:
“enabled workers” who use these smart devices to guide them through their labor and “knowledge
engineers” who design such devices and the programs that power them. The effect of this is that work
will be executed in self-managed teams, resulting in a reduced hierarchy on the workfloor.

Circular economy

With the advent of connected products (for example through the internet of things) it will become
possible to track products throughout their life-cycle. This is part of the life-long responsibility for
products as described earlier. Following this it becomes feasible to realize a circular economy in which
(parts of) products are returned to their manufacturers or some other place for processing into reusable
or recyclable parts. The result is a reduction of the amount of natural resources needed for production
and a lesser strain on the environment.

Privacy and data-ownership legislature

The large-scale collection of product data during production, use and disposal warrants the need for
discussion on who owns and can use all this data and what responsibilities they have to protect it from
misuse. Take the example of a car: who owns the data on maintenance and use? This could be the user,
original manufacturer, manufacturers of parts, etc. And can, for example, insurance companies change
their rates based on user driving behavior?

To ensure a responsible handling of such data we need legislation that clearly specifies what happens to
data once collected, who owns it and can use it and in which ways the responsible owner must
guarantee its protection. Because data can so easily and quickly be exchanged this legislation will likely
have to be internationally standardized.

Life-long learning

As a result of cheap and ubiquitous computing power and improved AI technology it is likely that many
relatively simple engineering problems will be solved by computers in the future. The task of engineers
in this case will then become that of choosing the problem the AI needs to solve and interacting with the
customers. This renders the tasks of the “knowledge workers” described earlier fairly unpredictable and
makes educating them for this a challenge.

The likely solution for this problem is that life-long learning becomes the norm rather than the exception
for future knowledge workers. Rather than obtaining a degree for some university and then going on to
practice what’s been learned there the workers of the future will have to constantly adapt to changing
workplace demands. This requirement could result in for example universities offering more
modularized and customizable courses which can be followed even after completing a basic program
and obtaining a degree.

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 2. Educational Quick Scan Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 is a term describing the current trend of increased automation, data collection and
exchange and the use of autonomous systems which links the physical and digital worlds. It includes
technologies such as additive manufacturing/3D printing, cyber-physical systems and the internet of
things. This trend is expected to bring increased productivity and flexibility, yielding manufacturing
systems that can react quickly to changes in supply and demand.

More information about industry 4.0 can be found at:

● https://www.smartindustry.nl/
● https://www.plattform-i40.de/I40/Navigation/EN/Industrie40/WhatIsIndustrie40/what-is-
industrie40.html

General information
Interviewee / Function:

Hans van Genuchten – Sourcing & Production Manager

Jan vd Munckhof – IT Manager

Christiaan Versteegh – Innovation Specialist

Function:

Company: Bata Industrials

Number of employees:

90

Industry:

Safety Footwear

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2.1 Introductory questions
Opportunities for institutional change within an organization vary depending on the industry in which
the organization operates. To determine the nature of the opportunities in your industry please rate the
following statements from 1 to 5.

Statement Rating

(1) Not at all, (2) to small

extent, (3) to moderate
extent, (4) to great extent,
(5) to very great extent

I. Our industry is characterized by many rules and regulations, a small 5

number of dominant technologies and is unique and isolated from
other industries.

Examples: medical, steel and money-printing industries

II. Our industry is characterized but not inhibited by clear rules and 5
regulations, there are a variety of proven dominant technologies for
both production and products themselves which provide perspectives
for the future.

Examples: wind energy, electric car industries

III. Our industry is characterized by few rules and regulations, 2

uncertainty of future developments and many competing technologies
for both production and products themselves. There is a large amount
of cross-fertilization with other industries.

Example: ICT industry

IV. Our industry changes rapidly over time. 1

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 2.2 Measurement questions
The measurement questions are meant to assess the maturity of industry 4.0 technologies and practices
within your organization. Please rate each question with a score from 1 to 4 and use the comments box
to answer some questions in more depth.
Business related questions:
1) [Customization as service]
To what extent is product
customization used to create
value for the customer?
Do customers have the ability
to individualize the products
towards their wishes? Think
about 3D scanning soles for
shoes to achieve a perfect
individual size and
customization by 3D printing/
additive manufacturing.
(We assume that the safety
requirements of the shoe are
always met in every level).
2) [Electronic marketplace]
Have e-market systems been
implicated in the online store?
If so, how sophisticated
and/or autonomous is that
system? Can it autonomously
reply to questions a customer
has?
(This question refers to the
procurement of raw-materials
and supplies by Bata
Industries)
3). [Servitization] To what
extent has the servitization
concept been considered, or
even adopted, as a new value
proposition in the company
product assortment; in other
words, at what stage is the
business finding itself? Which
opportunities are seen from
servitization?
(1) The customer has no customization, only a fixed Answer and comment:
predefined product portfolio with different shoe sizes.
(2) Predefined
(2) Predefined customization (colour, materials, etc) are customization for specific
possible, but all options to choose from are created in- customers & quantities. A
house (so provided by the company). special collection/model
range is developed in
(3) Only parts of the shoe can be fully individualized cooperation.
through I4.0 techniques (3D scanned feet can create the Included are e.g. colour,
perfect sole in terms of size and support points). You materials, safety
have to visit the company, or vice versa, to scan the foot. specifications,
(4) Fully individualization of the shoe is achieved through
implementing I4.0 technologies such as 3D printing. The
customer is able to upload pictures of their feet on the
website of the company and from these photos, the 3D
model of the feet is derived.
(1) The company does not make use of e-markets in any e-market towards
form for its procurement of supplies. The company buys customer (end-user):
directly from a contracted supplier by calling or visiting a (1) we have a website with
local store. info and knowledge of our
products
(2 The company has a basic online store, which is
operated by human employees e-market towards Bata
suppliers (raw-
(3) The company procures its supplies from the E- materials/components):
Markets. There is a form of artificial intelligence to (1) direct contact with
analyse buying patterns and historic purchasing data, supplier, old fashioned
but there are dedicated employees to actually buy the way
supplies on the E-markets.
(4) The company has a sophisticated machine-to-
machine communication system that is able to determine
how much of what material to buy and buys it
autonomously(without need for human operation).
(1) No opportunities can be derived from servitization. (1)
The company offers, produces, and delivers a product
and includes a warranty for the product. The supply
chain ends after the delivery of the product (or when the
warranty ends). The product is owned by the customer.
(2) Next to the production of products, the company
offers the option to include servicing plans for the
products ordered. (For example, a monthly subscription
fee to check the condition of the shoe with respect to
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4) [Demand identification] To
what extent does the
company have I4.0 demand
identification systems in place
(such as eKanban, smart
boxes, sensor driven
consumption measuring)?
5) [Distributed data
infrastructure]
To what extent are blockchain
technologies applied in the
company or its in business
processes? Especially with an
eye on the overall value-chain
safety). The customer remains the owner
(3) The customer pays a periodic fee for the use of a
specific product or system. The product’s manufacturer
remains the owner of the product, and the manufacturer
remains responsible for the product.
(4) The company offers a solution to a problem, rather
than offering a product. The customer pays on a “per-
use” basis for the solution. (You only pay for the use of
the shoe based on an assessment of the wear down).
(1) No implementation of I4.0 demand identification (1)
sensors. Dedicated employees replenish and reorder the
raw materials for production (such as rubber).
(2) Basic implementation of sensors (smart boxes and
demand sensors) only for internal department use with
human ordering.
(3) Manufacturing system implemented with a broad
array of sensors covering the whole production line and
an A.I. deciding to send the purchase order within a fixed
quantity and other limits.
(4) Fully integrated system with data sharing throughout
the whole company including integration and sharing of
data with suppliers for autonomous ordering including
forecasting.
(1) The company does not apply Blockchain (1) IT is aware, but other
technologies or the company is not aware of the concept parties not.
of Blockchain.
(2) The company does not apply Blockchain
technologies but the company is aware of the use cases
of Blockchain for the value chain and business
processes.
(3) The company is planning on implementing a
blockchain or is an early stage of implementing
blockchain.
(4) The company currently has a Blockchain system in
place (possibly related to the value chain). Please
describe the implemented blockchain to the best of your
ability in the comment section (decentralised vs.
centralised etc.)
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6) [Data Security] To what
extent is the company
involved in implementing
security practices within the
company? (Think of dedicated
sub-business units for
security, insurances etc.)
Technology related questions:
1) [Flexible production] Is your
manufacturing facility
equipped for flexible
production to cope with the
demand of tailor-made
products? Think of modern
technologies such as additive
manufacturing or other
technologies that helps you to
be more flexible.
2) To what extent is the
(sensor) data gathered in
production transformed into
information and used? For
example to make autonomous
ERP (Enterprise Resource
Planning) and MRP (Material
Requirements Planning)
decisions or to create a
predictive maintenance plan
or to predict quality.
(1) Apart from a simple antivirus on our machines (1)
(what’s already pre-installed), the company has no
additional security measures applied. There are also no
dedicated employees for securing business practices
and data.
(2) The company hires a third-party cybersecurity
company to handle and analyse the security of data.
(3) The company has established a dedicated
cybersecurity business unit to handle, analyse and
improve the security of data (which is also in charge of
purchasing and implementing best practice security
systems)
(4) The company not only has dedicated security sub-
units in place, they additionally bought insurances
against security/data breaches or incorporate artificial
intelligence for analysing the quality of their security.
(1) [Mass production] The production line is only suitable Answer and comment:
for mass production. One size fits all, with no (2)/(3)
customization. Combination of mass
production & Small batches.
2) [Mass customization] Majority of the product features
are set, but there is a possibility for little customization All of the product features
(e.g. only color can be changed). are set. But with the
(3) [Small batches] There are some set features, but the flexibility a lot of variations
majority of the elements can be customized (e.g. are possible to fix in a set.
everything but the color can be changed).
(4) [Lot size one] The production line is suited for tailor-
made production. A customer requests an item to be
made (can even be a single quantity item) and the
manufacturing line produces the product after the
request.
(1) Data gathered in production is not analysed. (1) is available but currently
not analyzed
(2) Some data is analysed by software to evaluate
progress.
(3) Software systems analyse most data. The results of
which are analysed by employees of the company to
evaluate and create future plans.
(4) Dedicated AI algorithms continuously monitor all the
data coming from production machines. With this we
optimize the ERP and MRP decisions and evaluate on
the efficiency of the facilities.
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3) To what extent are the
individual production units
automated/autonomous
regarding their input
(materials, information),
output (materials, information
and waste), and quality
assessment & control?
(Explain with an example in
the comment section).
4) To what extent are the
current transportations
systems between production
units automated/autonomous?
Think of material supply to the
production machines.
5) To what extent are
(predictive) models used to
optimize (parts of) your
manufacturing facility? For
example, the use of digital
twins.
(1) [Man-made] The production units are manned by (3)
employees. These employees configure the machine Last is information carrier
and provide it with the necessary supplies. Any (by RFID tag).
modification of the input materials is done by the Last is identified by RFID,
employees (possibly by using tools). The product is then connected with process
assessed by the employee after completion and waste is recipe (by main computer).
disposed of by hand. At every production step the
RFID & connected data is
(2) [Collaboration] In production, there is collaboration scanned by the production
between employees and machines. The employee unit.
supplies the machine with the right inputs. The machine
modifies the product based on specifications provided by Production line has several
the employee and the employee assesses the quality of different production
the product after completion. approaches:
(3) [Collaborative Automation] In production, there is a
collaboration between employees and machines. The A) Operates fully
machine requests specific input materials from the autonomous (e.g. roughing
employee based on the product model/instructions it has robot, spraying)
obtained from a system. The employee supplies the
materials. Modification of the input is done by the B) Operates autonomous,
machine with no human interference. On completion, the required parts are on stock,
machine provides a quality report to the employee. loaded by employee (e.g.
shank)
(4) [Autonomy] The production units request and receive
input materials from other machines, modification of C) Collaborative automation,
inputs is performed by the machine based on the product Preparation is done by
model provided by the system. The machine assesses employee, followed up by
the quality of the product after completion and sends the automated production step
output to the next machine. Employees are either there (sole placement & injection)
to supervise or not involved at all.
D) man-made, finishing is
done by employers
independent
(1) Material is brought from machine to machine by a (2)
worker.
(2) An automated production line transports materials
from machine to machine.
(3) AGV’s collect and distribute materials for part of the
production process. The remaining part of the transport
is done by workers or automated production lines.
(4) AGV’s collect and distribute materials and products
from machine to machine in the entire production
process.
(1) (Predictive) models are never used. (1)
(2) (Predictive) models are based on mathematical and
physical laws. These (predictive) models (e.g. CAD
models) are only used in the design process prior to the
implementation of the systems or products.
(3) (Predictive) models are based on mathematical and
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6) To what extent is
generative design used in the
design and development of
products (or services) within
the business?
7) [Advanced Manufacturing]
To what extent is (part of) the
production system able to
self-organize and self-
optimize? For example, data-
driven adjustments to the
production line.
physical laws and updated several times during the
implementation of the systems or products. No real-time
data is provided to the models.
(4) Real-time data is provided and updated to the
(predictive) models in order to assess the product or
system. The model is a real-time representation of the
product or process.
(1) Product designs are developed by dedicated (1)
employees. After the designs have been established,
they will go on to be produced.
(2) Product designs are developed by dedicated
employees. After the designs have been established, a
computer is used to assess the quality and feasibility of
the product. The computer provides feedback on the
design for the next iteration (e.g. the computer will
simulate exertion of forces on the design to check for
weak spots).
(3) Product designs are developed by dedicated
employees. After the designs have been established, a
computer is used to assess and modify the product
(based on assessments). It could, for example, change
the inner structure of a design or suggest modifications
for the exterior design. The employee can accept or
reject the suggestions.
(4) Product designs are developed by computer
algorithms using generative design. This means that a
computer models the product based on input
requirements specified by employees. The design that is
generated does not need to be validated by a dedicated
employee. (Also, it is often a more complex structure
compared to human-designed products).
(1) Dedicated employees are assigned to optimize, (1)
organize and assess the production process. They will
adjust production units’ configurations where they find it
to be necessary.
(2) Computers, through the use of sensors, analyze the
quality of the production process. There are still
dedicated employees to optimize the process based on
this analysis.
(3) Computers analyze the quality of the production
process and the result after the whole production
process. Adjustments are made automatically at a
specific moment or at the end of the day, based on this
analysis.
(4) Advanced model-based control algorithms are used
to optimize and organize the production system in real-
time after every step of the production process.
14
 Computer science related questions:
1) Internet Technology - How
would you describe the
current data infrastructure
within the company? Do you
follow your own strategy, or
are you dependent on specific
manufacturers of these
systems? Who is responsible
for this?
2) IoT - To what extent does
the company have a clear
strategy and implementation
for the IoT (or the Industrial
IoT) in place, in the sense that
it has an integrated IoT
solution that forms the eyes
and ears of the production
(and maybe even logistics)
processes? Does the
company follow its own
strategy, or is it dependent on
(a) specific manufacturer(s)?
Who is responsible for this?
(1) We have no strategy and implementation at all for our Answer and comment:
data infrastructure and other internet-based
technologies, or only some outdated implementations. (2)
There is no one in the company responsible for this, it is
spread out over the IT department, and regarded as a
side job, of no real importance.
(2) We have some web-based systems and a functioning
email system, but our data infrastructure is not
centralized. These are mostly ready-to-go systems from
external system manufacturers. The responsibility for this
lies with the IT department. It is just one of their many
tasks, however it is stressed this should be taken
seriously.
(3) We have a fully functioning web-based system as
well as an email system, as well as centralized data
infrastructure. Parts of the production processes (e.g. the
warehouse management) are connected to SAP-based
administrative systems by means of the web or the
cloud. Our strategy is mostly independent from the
system manufacturers. The person responsible for this is
someone in the IT department who has this as a
substantial part of his function (0.5 fte+).
(4) We are fully up-to-date regarding internet technology.
We have implemented web-systems, email systems, and
centralized data infrastructure, and our production
processes are all connected by (a) web- or cloud based
system(s) with SAP-based administrative systems. We
follow our own strategy with this. The person responsible
for this is a separate person (or more persons) within the
IT department.
(1) The company does not have a clear strategy and (1)
implementation for the IoT in place.
(2) The company has a strategy for and implementation
of IoT, but this is limited to the use and processing of
sensor data. There is no automatic decision making
through the IoT.
(3) The company has a strategy for and implementation
of IoT, but this is limited to sensors, which process the
data locally (edge computing). There is no automatic
decision making through the IoT.
(4) The company has a clear strategy and
implementation for the IoT in place. It makes use of
decentralized cyber-physical systems. These systems
are able to automatically/autonomously make decisions
based on the data gathered by the sensors.
15
3) Cybersecurity and Privacy -
To what extent does the
company have a privacy and
cybersecurity policy in place
and who is responsible if
something goes wrong? Does
this policy focus only on
external attacks or are internal
attacks also taken into
consideration? How are
GDPR (in Dutch: AVG)
regulations taken into
consideration?
4) Data Streams - Does the
company have a clear
overview of the key/main data
streams from its own
production and from external
sources? Is data stored in a
“just in case” model, or with a
purpose?
(1) We don’t have a privacy and cybersecurity policy, We (2)
only follow the GDPR regulations. The company itself
has not implemented anything significant to protect We have a privacy and
against external attacks, and it does not provide any cybersecurity policy which
significant cybersecurity training to employees. There is focuses mostly on external
no written privacy policy. Employees are expected to use attacks. We also follow the
common sense when it comes to guaranteeing privacy, GDPR guidelines. we use
or they are instructed via informal notes. an advanced AV and anti
spyware system from
(2) We have a privacy and cybersecurity policy which Sophos. Our network is also
focuses mostly on external attacks, our own staff can protected with Sophos
access most of the collected data. The company takes firewall and intrusion
some measures to protect itself from inside and outside prevention systems. We do
attacks (e.g. a strong firewall, or an access control list), not have a dedicated
and it provides employees with basic instruction security officer at out
regarding cybersecurity (e.g. teaching employees how disposal, we do however
to use strong passwords or two-factor authentication, or have a global security team
how to recognize phishing). that keeps track of company
(3) The company has implemented a security policy, wide security issues, and
which has been approved by security experts. It routinely keeps track of possible
audits, or even tests, the security of its computer threats.
systems, to ensure there are no vulnerabilities.
Employees receive regular training regarding
cybersecurity and the implementation of the security
policy. The company has implemented a privacy policy,
which has been approved by privacy lawyers, and which
is GDPR compliant. Employees receive regular training
in guaranteeing privacy. Employees can only access
data required to do their job.
(4) The company also continuously monitors its
computer systems to detect any breaches or unwanted
behavior. Employees are immediately notified if a
security breach takes place. Employees are trained to
fully act according to the security policy. The company
has implemented a tailor-made privacy policy, which is
(co-)written and approved by privacy lawyers, and is fully
GDPR compliant. Employees are fully trained to act
according to the privacy policy.
(1) We do not have an overview of the key data streams (3)
in our company. We have no data storage of any kind
regarding this.
(2) We have identified only one or two key data streams.
This data is generally not stored, only when things go
wrong this data will be monitored. Since the data is not
stored in general, we do not worry about GDPR/AVG
regulations.
(3) We have identified most key data streams. This data
is only stored for a very short period, as a “just in case”
model. This is never personal data, because that would
not be GDPR/AVG compliant.
16

5) Dependability - To what
extent does the company
have a clear view on the
reliability and availability
(dependability) for its
production processes? To
what extent does it use
(online measurement) data to
improve the dependability of
its production processes?
6) 5G - To what extent is the
company considering
implementing 5G in the near
future? Or why would this not
be necessary?
Society related questions:
(4) We have identified all data streams that are present
in our company. This data is generally stored for a fixed
amount of time (e.g. 3 months), and stored with a
purpose. All data storage is GDPR/AVG compliant.
Furthermore, we continuously analyze this data in order
to optimize production processes.
(1) We don’t have a clear view of the dependability of the (3) Connected to the
manufacturing process and data is not used to improve Prevented maintenance
the dependability of the production processes. system
(2) We know in general the reliability and availability of
our production processes, but not in detail. We do not
use any data to improve the production processes.
(3) We can use sensors to check the manufacturing
process and see if there are any problems. Problems
and faults are recorded in a central database such that if
something occurs a second time the problem can be
easily fixed.
(4) The sensors used to check the manufacturing
process give us information about the state of the
machines so we can be notified before something is
about to go wrong. The data is retrieved from the
sensors on a continuous basis and is used to
significantly improve the dependability of the production
processes. Replacement parts are automatically ordered
before the part fails.
(1) The company does not believe that there is use for (1) No necessity at the
5G within any of its business processes and is therefore moment
not considering implementing 5G.
(Please elaborate why this will not be implemented in the
“Comments” box below.)
(2) The company is interested in 5G technologies but is
currently waiting for reliable 5G devices and (promised)
speeds to be established before making implementation
plans.
(3) The company is thinking about ways to implement 5G
technologies and how to align them with their business
strategies, although no concrete roadmaps or
implementation steps have been identified.
(4) The company has already planned out how it will
implement 5G in its operations (e.g. by having a
roadmap) and is working together with ISPs to
implement 5G as soon as this is possible.
17
1) To what extent have
Industry 4.0 technologies
enabled the implementation of
sustainable management
strategies, such as eco-
design, circular economy, and
corporate social
responsibility? Please indicate
which of them in the
“Comments” box below.
2) To what extent do you have
access to protected test
environments (e.g. through
research co-operations with
universities) in order to
experiment with and develop
new Industry 4.0
technologies?
3) To what extent do you
collaborate with external
partners outside your usual
value chain (academia, start-
ups, companies from other
sectors, NGOs, regulators) in
order to develop new Industry
4.0 applications? Please
indicate which of them in the
“Comments” box below.
People related questions:
1) To what extent are
employees in your
organization supported by
Industry 4.0 technologies to
perform their work (e.g. virtual
reality glasses, robot arms,
augmented reality)?
(1) None of the sustainable management strategies are (1) no sustainable
implemented. (Please elaborate why this will not be management strategies
implemented in the “Comments” box below.) related/depending on
Industry 4.0 technologies.
(2) Our company is currently trying to implement one or
multiple sustainable management strategies.
(3) We have one sustainable management strategy
successfully implemented.
(4) Multiple sustainable management strategies are
successfully implemented.
(1) We do not have access to protected test (2)/(3)
environments. Soon we will get access to a
protected test environment,
(2) We do not have full access to a protected test related with the running
environment, but we are collaborating with a company project (3 universities
that owns facilities needed. Sometimes we are able to project called Next UPPS).
get access to that test environment, but not every time
we need it. Plus orientating for
(3) We will soon get access to a protected test cooperation possibilities,
environment, so we could use it every time we need it. through Brainport Industries
Eindhoven (BIC).
(4) We have full access to a protected test environment
and actively use it for experiments.
(1) Our company never collaborates with external (2) See previous Q&A; BIC.
partners in order to develop I4.0 applications.
(2) Our company is planning to start collaborating with an
external party.
(3) Our company rarely collaborates with external
partners to acquire new information or to develop
products .
(4) Our company regularly collaborates with external
partners to ensure the most knowledge gain and the best
quality of product development.
(1) Our employees have no access to I4.0 technologies Answer and comment:
that help to perform their work (1)
(2) I4.0-supporting technologies are not currently present
in our company, but we are planning to acquire them in
the near future.
(3) [Niche gadget] I4.0-supporting technologies are
present in the company, but not widely available or
accessible by all employees within the company..
18

2) To what extent have
Industry 4.0 technologies
required your organization to
actively invest in continuous,
life-long learning of your
employees?
3) To what extent does your
organization observe an
increase in the requirement of
Industry 4.0-related talents?
4) To what extent are
employees able to work in
self-regulated work
arrangements in connection to
Industry 4.0 technologies?
5) To what extent are
employees with a T-shaped
skills profile (broad overall
knowledge but expert in a
specific field) important for the
(4) Our employees are constantly supported by I4.0
technologies to perform their work.
(1) Employees are not educated by the company. (1) not related Industry 4.0
(2) Some new information is provided to the employees
when absolutely needed.
(3) Employees are actively stimulated to participate in
activities intended to broaden their knowledge, but those
activities are not provided by the company.
(4) Life-long learning is actively stimulated, or (in some
cases) mandatory. Employees regularly participate in
activities organized by the company to broaden their
knowledge.
(1) Not at all; the requirements for the employees have N/A no Industry 4.0
not changed since implementation of I4.0. implemented yet.
(2) Employees with I4.0-related talents are welcome and
might get a slight priority over employees without them,
but it does not really matter for us if an employee has
those talents.
(3) I4.0-related talents are preferred, but people without
any I4.0 talents can still get a position, however, they
have lower chances in comparison with people with the
desired talents.
(4) Every new employee needs to have I4.0-related
talents to acquire a position.
(1) Our employees cannot influence their work (3) but not (yet) related to
arrangements, the arrangements are fully determined by Industry 4.0
their direct supervisor.
(2) Our employees can make adjustments or small
deviations, but they have to get those changes approved
by their direct supervisor.
(3) Our employees can make adjustments or deviations,
but they need to report or motivate their decisions
afterwards. This report might be checked by a
supervisor.
(4) Our employees have a full power over their work
arrangements and do not need to report their work plan
to anyone.
(1) We do not care about the profile of our workers. (4)
(2) We are looking for specialists most of the time, but it
does not matter whether or not they have a broad overall
knowledge.
19
company’s business model? (3) While hiring our employees, we are specifically
interested in finding those employees who have a T-
shaped profile matching our business interests.
(4) We do not only prioritise T-shaped skills profiles in
our hiring process, but we are additionally actively
training our employees to become T-shaped employees
or improve their existing profile.

20