Advanced Analytics Capability Map for Smart Factories: Supporting the Planning, Design, Management and Operations of Advanced Analytics Use Cases

Advanced analytics use cases are applications of data-driven methods and techniques to support decision-making and optimize processes in smart factories (predictive and prescriptive analytics). The planning, design, management and operations of such use cases still pose manifold challenges to practitioners. Use cases are created as silos, not managed properly or remain in a prototype maturity degree. This is especially true in the context of prescriptive analytics, which aims to provide actionable recommendations based on predictive models. In this paper, we propose a generic capability map developed in an IoT Factory based on the methodology proposed by van Riel and Poels. If instantiated per company, the generic capability map can serve as a reference framework and a self-assessment tool for practitioners and researchers who are involved in the development and operation of advanced analytics use cases in smart factories. It aims to help closing the gap between the need for advanced analytics use cases and their current shortfalls because of organization based challenges. We focus on the capabilities necessary for advanced analytics and elaborate on the scope and boundaries of our capability map. The evaluation is supported by the application of the capability map in a real world case study.