Determining Maintenance 4.0 Readiness: A Case Study of a South African Food Manufacturing Company

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has ushered in unprecedented technological advancement, demanding that companies seize the opportunities it offers or risk obsolescence in a rapidly evolving market landscape. Maintenance 4.0 (M4.0), as a subset of Industry 4.0, is a paradigm shift in maintenance driven by transformative technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Big Data Analytics (BDA). Implementing Maintenance 4.0 presents a complex challenge, exacerbated by lacking a comprehensive readiness assessment framework and tailored implementation strategies. The research addresses this gap in the literature to develop a Maintenance 4.0 readiness matrix and implementation strategies and evaluate readiness application within a food manufacturing company. The critical readiness factors were categorized from literature studies into technological, organizational, and external environmental factors. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design with a population of management and engineering practitioners. Data collection used survey questionnaires and statistical techniques to analyze gathered data. The key findings were that the food manufacturing company was M4.0 ready in culture, structure, customers, service providers, regulations, and standards. However, the company was unprepared for technology infrastructure, financial resources, business cases, 4IR technology, awareness, skilled resources, change, leadership, and strategy. Findings provide valuable insights into the organization's preparedness and assist management in developing comprehensive strategies when adopting Maintenance 4.0.