Köngen, 9 June 2015 – German industry is increasing in speed in Industry 4.0: Thus, the number of companies intelligently interweaving their production with the most up-and-coming information and communication technology had more than doubled in less than a year. The proportion of firms which are either working fully as Smart Factories or at least with 4.0 single projects has increased from 15 to 35 per cent since last summer. This is confirmed by the second “German Industry 4.0 Index”. For this study, 179 industrial firms in Germany were surveyed by Staufen Management Consultancy. “As our study clearly shows, the 4.0 engine has got going powerfully in the German industry,” says Wilhelm Goschy, Executive Board Member of Management Consultancy Staufen AG. “While, prior to the end of the year, only a few pioneering companies were gaining attention, the networking of value streams is now one of the most important topics in many firms, regardless of branch and region.” In addition to production, logistics and warehousing were most notably a focus of the companies. Of those interviewed who had already implemented or were planning to implement 4.0 activities, two thirds targeted this area, as opposed to only a third in the previous year. Furthermore, service and distribution registered a clear 4.0 boost. “Even if the rapid increase in 4.0 projects in companies is impressive, the German industry has of course laid down a cold start,” says Goschy, Executive Board Member of Staufen. “The previous year’s study has shown that the preconditions for a networked factory have already been in existence in many places for a long time, because the processes in production, development and administration have been considerably streamlined in recent years as an ongoing task.” This is also confirmed by the “German Industry 4.0 Index 2015”: Thus, companies with operative 4.0 experience more frequently implement Lean Management in a comprehensively strategic and organised way than those firms who remain in the observational role on the issue of Smart Factory. German Industry 4.0 Index 2015 The “German Industry 4.0 Index 2015” is based on a study by Management Consultancy Staufen AG. As part of the study, a total of 179 industrial firms were interviewed in April and May 2015. The majority of the companies interviewed are from the machinery and plant engineering sectors, the electrical industry and the automotive industry. The “German Industry 4.0 Index” was first conducted last year.
