OntoMat 4.0: An Ontology Framework for Enhanced Industry 4.0 Maturity Assessment

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is expected to revolutionize the manufacturing process and business model and offer a significant competitive advantage. The Industry 4.0 Maturity Model (I4.0MM) is applied to guide organizations in I4.0 adoption. Nevertheless, most present models have certain limitations, including the absence of standardization, limited scope or narrow focus, and difficulty of use, which makes them less efficient. To address these gaps, this study presents OntoMat 4.0, an ontology that enables interoperability, knowledge sharing, and I4.0 maturity assessment. It was created following a four-step iterative process based on well-established ontology development frameworks, such as LOT and NeOn. The novelty of Ontomat 4.0 includes its innovative functionality through the ability to work alongside established I4.0 ontologies, which enables users to navigate multidimensional I4.0 aspects and extend interoperability while promoting the reuse of relevant and widely recognized ontologies. It also delivers prioritized actionable insights that guide strategic decisions during I4.0 transformation initiatives. Ontomat 4.0 was evaluated and tested through real-world strategic planning and benchmarking applications, and the effectiveness of Ontomat 4.0 was demonstrated in aiding organizations in making informed decisions. It brings the possibility of integrating the technical and nontechnical factors of I4.0 and can be a standard solution for measuring I4.0 maturity. Despite its limitations, this ontology has been shown to fill in the gaps in current models and promote consistency and interoperability.