The manufacturing industry in North America is undergoing its fourth evolution into a high-technology, digitalized, and data-driven industry. This Industry 4.0 period began long before the COVID-19 pandemic affected global society but has been accelerated in response to many of the challenges associated with it. In this report, we examine and explore the current manufacturing industry in North America and the challenges and opportunities it faces as adoption of Industry 4.0 thinking, tools, standards, and processes becomes more widespread.
The manufacturing industry in North America is undergoing its fourth evolution into a high-technology, digitalized, and data-driven industry. This Industry 4.0 period began long before the COVID-19 pandemic affected global society but has been accelerated in response to many of the challenges associated with it. In this report, we examine and explore the current manufacturing industry in North America and the challenges and opportunities it faces as adoption of Industry 4.0 thinking, tools, standards, and processes becomes more widespread.
The New Collar Worker Job Requirements
Industry 4.0 technology and process advancements will change the nature of many manufacturing jobs to the point that most workers will need to possess a combination of attributes or characteristics currently found in manufacturing operators and technicians. As organizations adopt Industry 4.0 technologies and processes, workers will be expected to gain additional responsibilities needed to interact and work with these advanced technologies. In this report, we provide a conclusion of the deep examination performed on the "smart worker" requirements needed to succeed in an Industry 4.0 manufacturing setting, and builds on the original Phase I report, "Understanding Industry 4.0 Impacts on Manufacturing".