Document | Author Tony Sandhu, Elizabeth M. Argyle and Sarah Sharples |
Abstract Industry 4.0, or the fourth industrial revolution, has the potential to transform manufacturing productivity through the integration of digital manufacturing technology. Although digital technologies are considered to have the potential to enhance organisational productivity, the impact of such technologies on humans and the systems they work within is not fully understood. Furthermore, there is also a lack of knowledge related to factors influencing perceived impact of digital manufacturing technology on productivity – improved understanding of public perceptions can provide insight into predicting technology acceptance and developing readiness for the introduction of new workplace technologies. Using a questionnaire approach and factor analysis, this work investigated perceived impact of digital technology on manufacturing productivity. Seven underlying factors associated with productivity were found through principal component analysis and included innovation, adaptability, reliability, performance, quality, time efficiency and risk management. This enabled the questionnaire to be refined, providing a tool that could be used in future research into public perceptions of technology and productivity. |