Abstract
The fourth industrial revolution, like other revolutions, has brought upon radical change to the world and its industries. The maintenance industry, in particular, has seen the introduction and advancements to technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, and machine learning, which have paved the way for improved predictive maintenance techniques. However, the extensive adoption and implementation of industry 4.0 technologies are rarely seen within the South African maintenance industry.
Literature has shown that the poor implementation of industry 4.0 technologies can be accounted for by the fear of embracing change due to the uncertainty of the challenges and problems that may arise with the implementation. This is due to the lack of available knowledge on the associated implementation opportunities and challenges of industry 4.0 technologies, which has now created a sense of resistance and hesitation to its implementation. This research aims to identify and investigate the driving forces (opportunities) and barriers (challenges) associated with industry 4.0 technologies for maintenance.
To meet the above objective, a comprehensive literature review on the existing knowledge, of industry 4.0 technologies was completed to identify the implementation opportunities and challenges associated with each technology. The insights from this literature were validated using an online quantitative survey that was also used to gain and gather further knowledge on the thoughts and opinions, of maintenance practitioners, on the implementation of industry 4.0 technologies.
The research has been successful in establishing the implementation opportunities and challenges associated with industry 4.0 technologies. The participants have validated that there are gaps in their familiarity with the implementation opportunities and challenges surrounding industry 4.0 technologies. However, these gaps do not seem to be the actual cause that is prohibiting its implementation but instead are driven by other contributing factors.
This research shall contribute to the current awareness and knowledge of industry 4.0 technologies, amongst South African maintenance practitioners, so that they may be more accepting of the transition to the 4th industrial revolution, and the implementation of industry 4.0 technologies.