Awareness analysis of industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 is a new disruptive (r)evolution that not only affects the production systems of companies but also affects the society as a whole. This new revolution brings several new benefits to firms, such as; a more flexible production system, individual production, digital value chain, new business models, resource, and energy efficiency. Therefore, it is very important for firms to be aware of the Industry 4.0. In this study, the awareness of the firms located in İzmir and Manisa in Industry 4.0 is investigated. Moreover, various information about the expected obstacles, benefits, value-added areas of industry 4.0 are collected from target firms. The survey is used as a data collection method. The first part of the survey contained demographic questions about respondents and data about the awareness of firms. To measure awareness of companies, the most used Industry 4.0 terms are asked and it is inquired whether there is any application/evaluation for Industry 4.0 or not in the companies. Furthermore, firms are divided into two categories; those that implement/evaluate for Industry 4.0 and those that do not. After that, information about the expected advantages of various IT integration, usage of the security program, existing and future planned budget of Industry 4.0 and most suitable application areas to apply Industry 4.0 are gathered. The survey also contains open-ended questions to obtain general opinions, evaluations, and advice of firms. Results show that firms mostly aware of the Industry 4.0, big data, internet of things and factory layout terms. Three out of four are in the evaluation or application stage of Industry 4.0. Standardization, big data management and acquiring new skills are seen as the main challenges of the fourth industrial revolution, whereas cost saving and faster/agility response to changes were the main benefits of it. Lastly, the requirement of new technologies, applications, software, machines, budget constraints and the necessity to acquire new skills are the main obstacles for application of Industry 4.0. Production is seen as the most value-added area. Easy and fast problem detection and prevention are identified as the core benefit of digitalization by firms. Robotics workers usage in different manufacturing fields is another benefit expected by the firms to ensure effective and efficient production from industry 4.0. Keywords: Industry 4.0, Awareness Analysis, Cyber-Physical Systems, Internet of Things, Big Data.