Objectives. This research aims to enrich the debate concerning Industry 4.0 and its implementation. In particular, using a case study we want to explore the relationships with the strategic management system of a manufacturing company which is trying to implement Industry 4.0. Indeed, the company has issued a strategic plan according to the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) methodology (Hoque, 2014) setting strategic objectives and action plans for Industry 4.0. Methodology. The research process is based on a typical qualitative exploratory inquiry; data/information has been gathered mainly through a semi-structured interview (Barriball, While 1994; Leech 2002) to four senior managers who participated in the strategic process of a manufacturing company which is implementing Industry 4.0 tools and principles. The company manufactures ceramic tiles and has around 800 employees with several plants in Italy and in other countries. Due to the sector, it can be considered a capital-intensive company with lines of machines dedicated to families of similar products and high volumes of production. Lines follow a process made up of blenders, driers, presses, furnaces and cutting machines. Internal logistics is mainly managed through Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) which can serve and connect machines without workers. The company is using the Balanced Scorecad methodology (BSC) for setting its objectives and deploying them towards the operations (Paci and Becagli, 2011). The semi-structured interview is based on three open questions which are: - In your strategic plan, have you set new specific goals/objectives for implementing Industry 4.0? - Have you issued specific plans for deploying your objectives into operative actions? - What kinds of management systems, processes and resources will you need for meeting your strategic goals? After having gathered information from the four senior managers, results have been analysed and coded using a grounded theory approach. According to Strauss and Corbin (1990) it is important to use coding to shape the concepts. In grounded theory there are three basic types of coding: ‘open’, ‘axial’ and ‘selective’. For the purpose of the research presented here, open coding and selective coding have been used to handle the data collected through the qualitative interviews.
Strategic management of industry 4.0. An exploratory research
VAGNONI, Emidia
2017
Abstract
Objectives. This research aims to enrich the debate concerning Industry 4.0 and its implementation. In particular, using a case study we want to explore the relationships with the strategic management system of a manufacturing company which is trying to implement Industry 4.0. Indeed, the company has issued a strategic plan according to the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) methodology (Hoque, 2014) setting strategic objectives and action plans for Industry 4.0. Methodology. The research process is based on a typical qualitative exploratory inquiry; data/information has been gathered mainly through a semi-structured interview (Barriball, While 1994; Leech 2002) to four senior managers who participated in the strategic process of a manufacturing company which is implementing Industry 4.0 tools and principles. The company manufactures ceramic tiles and has around 800 employees with several plants in Italy and in other countries. Due to the sector, it can be considered a capital-intensive company with lines of machines dedicated to families of similar products and high volumes of production. Lines follow a process made up of blenders, driers, presses, furnaces and cutting machines. Internal logistics is mainly managed through Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) which can serve and connect machines without workers. The company is using the Balanced Scorecad methodology (BSC) for setting its objectives and deploying them towards the operations (Paci and Becagli, 2011). The semi-structured interview is based on three open questions which are: - In your strategic plan, have you set new specific goals/objectives for implementing Industry 4.0? - Have you issued specific plans for deploying your objectives into operative actions? - What kinds of management systems, processes and resources will you need for meeting your strategic goals? After having gathered information from the four senior managers, results have been analysed and coded using a grounded theory approach. According to Strauss and Corbin (1990) it is important to use coding to shape the concepts. In grounded theory there are three basic types of coding: ‘open’, ‘axial’ and ‘selective’. For the purpose of the research presented here, open coding and selective coding have been used to handle the data collected through the qualitative interviews.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
