Prioritizing Industry 4.0 Technologies (I4.0T) through an Interpretive Ranking Process (IRP): A Design and Manufacturing Perspective

In the competitive business environment, industries are searching for new manufacturing techniques to develop quality products and to enhance their productivity and value addition by eliminating wastage. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is a new paradigm that integrates different digital technologies in manufacturing and industrial organizations. It addresses the challenges of increasing complexity through modernization and automation of processes, thereby improving the performance and competitiveness. Therefore, these technologies have to be prioritized in order to realize their adoption depending on the process and type of organization/industry. In present
work, seven different I4.0 technologies identified from literature and inputs from researchers and industrial experts are prioritized using Interpretive Ranking Process (IRP) technique with reference to the measurable performance indicators (PI) via a cross-interaction matrix. Further, to validate the ranks, a dominance system graph and net dominance system are used. The developed model provides the analytic thinking behind the dominant relationship of different technologies. The result reveals that Cyber-Physical Systems, 3D Printing, and the Internet of Things are the top three technologies influencing and playing crucial roles in implementing the I4.0 paradigm. The ranking indicates that CPS blends computational and physical processes for real data extraction, 3D printing/Additive manufacturing can minimize lead time and manufacturing cost, while the IoT competences of an organization makes their business operations more agile and integrated using information and communication. Consequently, these technologies may serve as the cornerstone for the successful implementation of the I4.0 concept in any project. The other techniques are equally important but not as critical as these three. The study presents a unique contribution by ranking the technologies, providing a roadmap for managers, academicians, and researchers interested in practising these emerging technologies and their effectiveness for proper adoption and successful implementation at their workplace, which are highly relevant to meeting their objectives.