The Adoption of Industry 4.0 Technologies Through the Implementation of Continuous Improvement Tools

In recent years, the term Industry 4.0 refers to a multiplicity of changes which are revolutionizing the production methods of different industrial sectors. The purpose of this chapter is to identify different tools to support continuous improvement of performance in order to adopt Industry 4.0 model (see figure below). To reach this aim, the authors carried out an analysis on possible implementation and integration of different Quality Management approaches, as World Class Manufacturing (WCM) and RAMI 4.0 in an Italian aerospace,defense and security company, within the scope of national program PON 2014– 2020, Leonardo 4.0, and the program ECSEL-Innovation Actions-2018. This research provides information about possible integration between managerial approaches and 4.0 technologies. This integration will allow the real implementation Industry 4.0 model. This can serve to academicians and practitioners in the field as incipit for development of actionable strategies and practices for successful transition from traditional manufacturing into the Industry 4.0. The present chapter contributes to the debate surrounding Industry 4.0 by stressing that willing firms undertake the transition from actually manufacturing into the Industry 4.0, can’t build this phase on only application of enabling technologies but must be aware that is necessary have to implement precise organizational and managerial approaches. All stakeholders need to be aware that to adopt the Industry 4.0 model requires not only the application of the new technologies but also the development and implementation of a series of Quality Management tools and practices that become an essential key to face the fourth Industrial Revolution. In fact, better managerial practices can support the correct adoption of the Industry 4.0 model