Proposal and validation of an industry 4.0 maturity model for SMEs

Purpose: This paper seeks to establish an Industry 4.0 maturity model for manufacturing SMEs. Thisresearch presents the characteristics of the proposed model, which takes the elements and the scope of thefourth industrial revolution, as well as the dimensions and assessment scales of some maturity modelsalready applied. Likewise, this document shows the modelling process and the model’s validation in SMEsin the city of Bogotá-Colombia.Design/methodology/approach: To determine the criteria of the maturity model, 6 major stages havebeen established: Literature Review, Development of the model; Validation of the model; Application ofthe model; Data analysis; and Conclusion and Recommendations. Findings: Considering the validation of some maturity models shown in the literature review, and alignedwith the purpose of this article, 8 dimensions have been established to measure the maturity level ofSMEs: Service; Operations; Quality; Products; Documented information- Big Data; Leadership andstrategy; Communication; and Culture and people. A model has been generated that allows evaluating thedegree of compliance in each dimension for manufacturing SMEs. The model can be applicable tocompanies in any industry. Also, it can determine the degree of implementation compliance of companiesin the same sector.Research limitations/implications: According to the literature reviewed, SMEs, especially those in LatinAmerica, still do not have a culture of applying the elements of Industry 4.0. Therefore, in the research, itwas not easy to understand the intrinsic variables of Industry 4.0 that SMEs have applied in different areas,which does not allow us to have the current context of SMEs and from that perspective to have a bettersimulation of the business model maturity.Practical implications: The model presented in this document serves as a basis for SMEs in LatinAmerica to establish a baseline measurement in relation to the application of Industry 4.0 elements incompanies.Social implications: What is intended with this work is to frame a baseline so that companies canunderstand their current maturity level in the terms that industry 4.0 could cover. Likewise, they cangenerate actions for the appropriation of new technologies that allow them to be more competitive. Thisdocument can be taken and applied by those entrepreneurs companies who wish to measure theiroperations.Originality/value: The essential point for the generation of the maturity level measurement model isfocused on determining the necessary dimensions on which the evaluation is based. In the literature found,most models focus their dimensions on measuring the digital in their processes and tangentially evaluate the organizational structure and the relationship between them. Additionally, the authors who address theorganization as a whole do not reveal the details for SMEs to self-evaluate. The models found have onlybeen implemented to evaluate one company along or individually. This model presents the coredimensions holistically and explicitly, taking important criteria such as quality, service, communication, andthe culture of all employees. Additionally, it shows in detail the model that allows to SMEs of themanufacturing sector to self-assess themselves in each dimension and in turn the degree of the businesssector in which they are or belongPeer Reviewe