Entry barriers for industry 4.0 in Argentina

Resumo

Industry 4.0 is a subject that has aroused high interest in recent years by the academy and governments. Production on this topic has grown significantly in a short period of time. The market, which demands more complex and unique products in small quantities, must be satisfied. Traditional centrally controlled production processes will be replaced by decentralized processes. Physical systems will be digitized, factories will be self-regulating, optimizing their own operation. Productivity will be improved; fast solutions will be provided in case of production problems and abnormal operations. Many challenges must be faced, such as the high implementation costs, the organizational and process changes, the security and data protection, and the need for qualified staff at all organizational levels who are able to handle the increasing complexity of future production systems. To address these issues, this article provides an analysis of the entry barriers to Industry 4.0 in Argentina. First, a systematic literature review was performed. This work revealed a set of 12 entry barriers factors. Second, based on literature review (SLR) and coding procedure, a synthesis and a framework were developed. Third, a survey in 108 Argentine companies was performed, obtaining the rank and strength of each of the 12 factors as follows: lack of specialized human resources; lack of Industry 4.0 roadmap and planning; high reluctance to change; lack of specific knowledge; lack of capital/financing; poor technical infrastructure; lack of helpful public policies; Industry 4.0 complexity; lack of top management support; immature organizational structure; lack of specialized strategic partners; and inadequate business model.