Empathising and Defining the Strategy Development Process Adoption of Industrial 4.0 in SMEs

Abstract

The advent of Industry 4.0 has become an integral part of the manufacturing industry, playing a crucial
role in boosting competitiveness and enhancing productivity within companies. Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs), which contribute significantly to the national economy, must inevitably embrace
the adoption of Industry 4.0 technology. However, the implementation of this technology at the SME
faces numerous obstacles. To address these challenges and facilitate the transformation to Industry
4.0 in SMEs, this research aims to construct a comprehensive adoption strategy. Currently in its
preliminary stage, the strategy development process primarily involves identifying stakeholders, their
needs, and the goals they aim to achieve. Design thinking, specifically the empathize and define phase,
is employed as the methodological approach. The information utilized in this study originates from
systematic literature reviews conducted using PRISMA. The analysis of the gathered data has
identified several stakeholders, including government entities, IT experts, management personnel, and
employees. However, for the purpose of creating user personas, the focus is narrowed down to
management and employees. User personas are instrumental in understanding the goals and potential
obstacles faced by these individuals. The culmination of this stage is the formulation of a problem
statement, which will be further refined in subsequent phases of the design thinking process.