Development of the change readiness diagnostic tool through industry 4.0 transformation; UK infrastructure sector case study

Industry 4.0 implementation still proves to be a challenge within the UK infrastructure sector and the decision-makers within organisations in the sector despite its clear importance as it introduces several changes to the organisation's structure, processes, and business practices. Due to the challenges and lack of understanding in the sector, it is vital for change management to be highly considered in the decision-making process of implementation of Industry 4.0 initiatives to ensure successful implementation. It has been highlighted that organisational culture and resistance to change is a key barrier to successful implementation which should be addressed before organisations implement Industry 4.0 initiatives. The development of a readiness tool has been proposed to assess organisations' readiness to implement Industry 4.0 initiatives before implementation. The evaluation of readiness for organisations allows the decision-makers to bridge the gaps if they can on the changes and challenges that are presented by Industry 4.0 initiatives. The methodology for this study was undertaken using an inductive approach where case studies were observed, and semi structures interviews were undertaken. The findings from the analysis highlighted six key aspects to consider assessing readiness for prior to industry 4.0 strategies implementation in the infrastructure sector. They are (1) Organisations need, (2) Organisations Willingness to Change, (3) Employees Willingness to Change, (4) Support from Management, (5) Organisation Productiveness, and (6) Organisations Willingness to Invest. This study demonstrates a readiness tool which can allow organisations to assess their readiness prior to the adoption of industry 4.0 strategies.