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Construction 4.0: Industry 4.0 at construction firms

Arends, S.R. (2021) Construction 4.0: Industry 4.0 at construction firms.

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Abstract:Industry 4.0 and Smart Industry are two terms that refer to the so-called fourth revolution, which is currently being faced by many firms. This fourth industrial revolution requires a more automated and digitalized strategy. Examples of Smart Industry applications are the Internet of Things (IoT) and the usage of cloud storage. Scientists are claiming that the construction sector is lagging in adapting to Industry 4.0, even though it could help them towards a better competitive position within their market. That is why this paper examines the hurdles construction firms are facing and which elements they should add or eliminate in their strategy. This is studied by a maturity scan, which is in the form of a survey, which shows that the participated firms have a low maturity level of 2 (Starter). The main obstacles construction companies are facing are a rigid and conservative company culture, the nature of temporary and unique construction projects and the resistance against change. Nevertheless, there are some obstacles which are complex to overcome, because they are inherent to construction projects. A suggestion for construction firms could be to change their business strategy towards a more modular way of building, which requires and gives the firm an opportunity to adapt to a more automated and digitalized strategy. Furthermore, being more open and maintain a more progressive culture would be helpful to be more adaptive towards Industry 4.0.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:85 business administration, organizational science
Programme:International Business Administration BSc (50952)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/86630
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