Underestimated digitization pressure

Use cases revolve primarily around better control and transparency, and less often around increased customer focus or even new business opportunities.

Security incidents in the production environment are already alarming and require immediate action and more sophisticated solutions and concepts. These are the key findings of the new current study "Industry 4.0 in Germany 2015".

Industrial companies will have to overcome important challenges in the next two years. The uncertain development of the global economy and the assertion against competition from low-wage countries increase the pressure to act.

Above all, the reduction of costs, the increase in sales and revenue as well as the improvement of internal processes are burning under the nails of the decision-makers.

Solving these tasks provides a good starting point for Industry 4.0 initiatives. Digitization in the manufacturing sector - i.e., Industry 4.0 - is only rated by IT managers as a major challenge over the next two years.

On the part of those responsible for production and specialist areas, there is still a lack of understanding of the extent to which technological developments will change the business activities of their company.

IT has the opportunity to take the lead in driving digitization forward, to initiate dialog between IT, business units and management, and thus to establish itself as a partner of the business units at eye level.

The debate on Industry 4.0 has clearly matured - but many companies are still in the early stages of implementation.