Assessing the Current State of Industry 4.0 for Industry and Academics: Survey Development Challenges and Lessons Learned

Though originally introduced more than a decade ago, Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has progressively gained popularity [1].More recently, through the COVID-19 pandemic, I4.0 has gained further traction and popularity to address worker shortages and supply chain issues [2].The continued progression and popularity of I4.0 has resulted in an increase in questions on how to make I4.0 work in manufacturing industries of all kinds.There are many resources and consulting groups willing to support manufacturers in I4.0 development, but there is a limited understanding of how and where the greatest opportunities lie and potential areas of impact.A survey was developed to assess the current state of I4.0 to identify high priority areas of I4.0 implementation.The survey had a low response rate and provided limited information on where the greatest impacts could be made.This work assesses the process of developing and distributing an I4.0 assessment survey aimed at improving response rate and the utility of the results, while still characterizing the complexity and technical depth of the topic.Long and complex surveys have a low likelihood of participants responding to or completing the survey.Though this survey was developed following a reduced model of I4.0, the completion rate of the survey was limited and findings provided limited utility.Implications for future I4.0 survey development and options for reducing complexity while still maintaining the detail necessary to assess the state of I4.0 implementation and needs are primary results of this work.