Evaluation of Industry 4.0 Readiness Level: Cases from Turkey

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 is the name of recent digital transformation era. This transformation is conducted to improve digital operational abilities, perform collaboration and integration in the ecosystem, manage data, and develop cyber security. Industry 4.0 has become a very popular issue recently, but there is lack of understanding about its impact on real practices and the barriers expected to be encountered in the near future. Under the uncertain environment of digitalization, the companies need an evaluation method to define their strengths and weaknesses in the adaptation process. In this study, the methodologies for evaluating Industry 4.0 readiness level of companies are reviewed, and one of the most applicable methods is utilized for evaluation of three leading Turkish companies from different industries. In addition, the awareness of companies is also evaluated in terms of operational and socio-economical perspectives. Little research has been conducted on (1) reviewing the opinions of the companies on the socio-economic effects of Industry 4.0 and (2) evaluating Industry 4.0 readiness in developing countries. This study contributes by evaluating three cases dealing with the perceptions, awareness, and readiness of the Turkish companies in Industry 4.0 adaptation process. The result of the research shows that companies failing to develop road maps and new workforce planning strategies in the adaptation process under the uncertain environment of Industry 4.0 prefer to be the follower rather than the pioneer.