Smart service strategies in Industry 4.0: a proposal of a Readiness Assessment Methodology

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to provide a Readiness Assessment Methodology based on the main business and operational drivers to assist companies operating in Industry 4.0 scenario to identify and implement the most suitable smart service-based strategy. Design/Methodology/Approach: A literature analysis on Industry 4.0 and smart service-based strategies allows identifying a set of drivers that are used to describe the proposed methodology. Afterwards; a case study is carried out to test the applicability of the Readiness Assessment Methodology in a real context. Findings: The achieved results suggest that each smart service-based strategy encompasses different operational and business drivers’ characteristics; supporting the management in assessing the gaps and illuminating future steps towards an Industry 4.0 service transformation. Originality/Value: This work supports companies through Industry 4.0 migration in the right direction to obtain the most appropriate smart service-based strategy as a concrete destination.