Abstract:

The article presents a research tool to systematize the driving factors and barriers in implementing of Industry 4.0 technological solutions. The designed tool will be used for the planned research in SMEs operating in the automotive sector in Poland as an answer for defined research gap. The aim of this article is to present a summary of a literature review conducted in the field of Industry 4.0 solution implementation dimensions, maturity models, and readiness assessment, on the basis of which a research tool has been designed. The main hypothesis is: “It is possible to rank the identified barriers and drivers of Industry 4.0 implementation in terms of the strength of interaction on the different dimensions of Industry 4.0 implementation in small and medium-sized enterprises”. Using the proposed model to visualize the results of the analysis in individual functional areas will show the current state of the organization and the target state. This in turn, will give measurable utilitarian benefits. The limitation of this research is the subjectivity of the functional areas and the number of dimensions of the implementation. Pilot studies will bring additional value with the guidelines and possible corrections and improvements.