ICT & Industry 4.0

• General types of information management system


  • Office automation systems
  • Communication systems
  • Transaction processing systems (TPS)
  • Management information Systems (MIS) & Executive information system (EIS)
  • Decision support systems (DSS)
  • Enterprise systems
• Office automation systems


  Manage data, performs calculations, creates documents
• Office automation systems


  • Spreadsheets for order quantity calculations, facility location
• Communication systems


  Enables interactions and information sharing
• Communication systems


  • Virtual meetings
• Transaction processing systems (TPS)


  Collects and stores transaction data
• Transaction processing systems (TPS)


  • EDI, barcodes, point-of-sales
• Management information Systems (MIS)


  Turns data into insights (reports and summaries)
• Executive information system (EIS)


  Summarizes key trends from MIS data for decision making
• MIS & EIS


  • On-time delivery rates, sales by region, identifying growth areas, potential risks
• Decision support systems (DSS)


  Provides advanced data analysis for complex decisions
• Decision support systems (DSS)


  • Simulation tools, warehouse management systems
• Enterprise systems


  Software that connects all parts of a business (sales, finance, logistics) in one system
• Enterprise systems


  • Enterprise resource planning
• Logistic information management systems

  • Transportation management system (TMS)
  • Warehouse management systems (WMS)
  • Distributed order management (DOM) software
• Transportation management system (TMS)


  Helps managers make transport decisions by providing real time data about fleets status
• Warehouse management systems (WMS)


  Gives real time data about inventory and productivity
• Distributed order management (DOM) software


  Helps fulfil customer orders and coordinates operations
• Key technologies in industry 4.0

  • Electronic data interchange (EDI)
  • Radio frequency identification (RFID)
  • Enterprise response planning (ERP)
  • Material requirements planning (MRP)
• Electronic data interchange (EDI)


  Technology for data interchange between companies
• Radio frequency identification (RFID)


  Technology of wireless tags to track items throughout the supply chain, provides real-time visibility of point-of-sale data to trigger restock
• Enterprise response planning (ERP)


  A software that runs the whole company, all departments (sales, warehouse, etc.) use the same ERP system
• Material requirements planning (MRP)


  A tool (part of an ERP system) that calculates parts and materials needed for production based on inventory and bills of materials
• The fourth industrial revolution


  Refers to the joining of technologies ranging from digital technologies (3D printing, IoT, advanced technologies) to new materials (bio or nano-based) to new processes (data driven production, Artificial intelligence)
• These technologies have the potential to revolutionize operations, logistics, and supply chain management
• The 9 pillars of industry 4.0

  • Simulation
  • Additive manufacturing (3D printing)
  • Augmented Reality (AR)
  • Robots
  • Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Analytics and Big data
  • Blockchain
  • Cloud computing
  • Cybersecurity
• Industry 4.0


  • Allows businesses to adapt quickly to changes of customer wants, accomplish things with fewer resources, produce more output for same amount of work
• Logistics 4.0

  Industry 4.0 empowers logistics businesses by enabling data collections, process automation, and continuous improvement, leading to increased efficiency, performance, and competitiveness, allowing them to deliver products to customers quickly, easily, and at a lower cost
• Key opportunities of Industry 4.0 in logistics

  • Enhanced decision making through IoT
  • Robotics and automation for efficiency and safety
  • Blockchain for transparency and efficiency
• Enhanced decision making through IoT

  • IoT sensors embedded in vehicles, infrastructure, and assets provides real-time data to improve decision-making, allowing optimized routes, a more responsive supply chain, and better resources management
• Concerns remain about implementation costs, security vulnerabilities and clearer legal regulations for data use
• Robotics and automation for efficiency and safety


  • Robotics have potential in dynamic environments like warehousing, autonomous vehicles offer increased speed, and precision compared to traditional methods
• Significant resources need to be invested in the implementation
• Blockchain for transparency and efficiency


  • Blockchain could revolutionize logistics through increased transparency, traceability, reduced costs, and secure digital documentation
• Logistics industry adoption presents challenges due to the fragmented nature of the sector, and clear legislation is needed for effective implementation
• Key challenges of implementing Industry 4.0 in logistics


  • Cybersecurity risks
  • Employee resistance to change
  • Training Costs
  • Obsolescence
  • Workforce Skills Gap
• Cybersecurity risks


  Increased connectivity between devices and systems creates vulnerabilities to cyber attacks, breaches can compromise sensitive data and disrupt operations
• Employee resistance to change

  Adapting new digital workplace can lead to resistance from employees familiar with only traditional methods
• Training Costs


  Upskilling the workforce can be expensive and time-consuming
• Obsolescence


  Risk of older technologies becoming outdated