IIoT Guidelines for the Case Company in Global Food Manufacturing Business

The case company needed to fit Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) with its two ongoing global projects deriving from a strategic standardization initiative. The understanding in the organization on how IIoT should be fitted with the other elements was insufficient. The objective of this study was to develop a set of IIoT guidelines for the case company to help it fit IIoT with the ongoing projects and standardization initiative, while building a sustainable and scalable foundation for the future. In this study, qualitative data collection techniques were applied and the selected research approach was design research. Current state analysis was conducted to find out existing perceptions towards IIoT and its relation to the ongoing projects and to the strategic standardization initiative. After that, relevant literature was researched to find solutions for the key challenges identified in the CSA. Based on findings, a set of IIoT guidelines were co-created with the case company. The set of IIoT guidelines focused on six perspectives: (1) Technology and Architecture, (2) Operational efficiency, (3) Time and Evolution, (4) Skills and knowledge, (5) Collaboration and (6) Why, together building a sustainable foundation to unlock the value proposition laid out by IIoT and other advanced technologies enabled by it including machine learning and artificial intelligence powered applications. The outcome of the study provides a holistic yet practical set of IIoT guidelines for the case company on its long spanning digitalization journey towards smart factories, Industry 4.0 and beyond