Barriers to Industrial Internet of Things Implementation: The Missing Rules

This case study examines the failed implementation of an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) system in a medium-sized manufacturing company. Despite initial success factors and the actualization of affordances, the system's use declined over time. The research underscores the critical role of organizational rules in sustaining technology use. The top-down implementation approach, effective for Third Industrial Revolution technologies, proved ineffective for this IIoT that initially had few organizational rules embedded. This study identifies the implementation barriers of not being able to easily adapt the technology, a lack of shared organizational rules, and insufficient enforcement of these rules. The study suggests that future Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) implementations should adopt a bottom-up approach, supporting the discovery, formulation, and enforcement of new uses. The findings contribute to the literatures on IS implementation, affordances, and 4IR, offering practical recommendations for avoiding implementation failures and achieving long-term benefits of 4IR technologies.