Operational message
There are currently operational disruptions. Troubleshooting is in progress.
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Implementing Industry 4.0 in Production Planning and Control: A study of Organizational Challenges and Expectations in a Project-Oriented Manufacturing Context
Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Economics.
Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Economics.
2025 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

 The integration of Industry 4.0 technologies is transforming industrial operations. In Production Planning and Control (PPC), this digital shift introduces both opportunities and challenges, especially in project-based and complex production environments.This study aims to explore how the implementation of digital tools affects PPC in a complex and project-based industrial setting, with a specific focus on decision-making, required competencies, and organizational challenges. A qualitative case study was conducted at NKT in Karlskrona, Sweden, involving six semi-structured interviews with professionals working in PPC and digitalization. The collected data was analyzed thematically from a socio-technical systems perspective.The findings highlight five main challenges to digital implementation: limited system trust, difficulty integrating soft values, unclear responsibility, insufficient training, and resistance to change. Six key competencies emerged as needed for effective PPC in a digital environment: analytical skills, process knowledge, collaboration, adaptability, IT and data literacy, and system-specific knowledge. Furthermore, five decision-making factors were identified: shared responsibility structures, time-sensitive complexity, top-down directives, the need for structured data, and the combination of intuition and data. In conclusion, not only technical implementation is required for a successful digitalization of PPC, but also organizational alignment, competence development, and trust building. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the socio-technical interplay in PPC and offers practical implications for managing digital transitions in complex production environments.

Abstract [sv]

 Integrationen av Industri 4.0-teknologier håller på att förvandla industriella verksamheter. Inom produktionsplanering och -styrning (PPC) innebär detta digitala skifte både möjligheter och utmaningar, särskilt i projektbaserade och komplexa produktionsmiljöer.Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur implementeringen av digitala verktyg påverkar PPC i en komplex, projektbaserad industrikontext, med särskilt fokus på beslutsfattande, nödvändiga kompetenser och organisatoriska utmaningar.En kvalitativ fallstudie genomfördes på NKT i Karlskrona, Sverige, där sex semistrukturerade intervjuer hölls med yrkesverksamma inom PPC och digitalisering. Det insamlade materialet analyserades tematiskt med ett sociotekniskt systemperspektiv.Studien identifierade fem huvudsakliga utmaningar för digital implementering: begränsat systemförtroende, svårigheter att integrera mjuka värden, oklara ansvarsförhållanden, bristande introduktion och utbildning samt förändringsmotstånd. Sex viktiga kompetenser lyftes fram som avgörande i en digitaliserad PPC-miljö: analytisk förmåga, process- och domänkunskap, samarbets- och kommunikationsförmåga, anpassningsförmåga, grundläggande IT- och datakunskap samt systemspecifik kunskap. Dessutom identifierades fem viktiga faktorer som påverkar beslutsfattande i en digital miljö: delat ansvar, tidspressad komplexitet, toppstyrning, behov av strukturerade dataformat samt samspelet mellan intuition och data.Slutsatsen visade att för en lyckad digitalisering av PPC krävs mer än teknisk implementering; organisatorisk anpassning, kompetensutveckling och förtroendeskapande är avgörande. Studien bidrar till ökad förståelse för det sociotekniska samspelet inom PPC och erbjuder praktiska insikter för att hantera digitala övergångar i komplexa produktionsmiljöer.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 59
Keywords [en]
PPC, Industry 4.0, Production Planning, Digitalization, Socio-technical system
Keywords [sv]
PPC, Industri 4.0, Produktionsplanering, Digitalisering, Sociotekniska system
National Category
Industrial engineering and management
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:bth-27932OAI: oai:DiVA.org:bth-27932DiVA, id: diva2:1962543
External cooperation
NKT
Subject / course
Degree Project in Master of Science in Engineering 30,0 hp
Educational program
IEACI Master of Science in Industrial Management and Engineering
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2025-06-16 Created: 2025-05-31 Last updated: 2025-09-30Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

fulltext(870 kB)228 downloads
File information
File name FULLTEXT01.pdfFile size 870 kBChecksum SHA-512
6dacecc0d29beb8380bbe3930c329709eac979728951233f9736070b3e96650a3d8fdc5f5adf601250348d6c6201166027b68d4c0a00de82830ca92f04c81410
Type fulltextMimetype application/pdf

By organisation
Department of Industrial Economics
Industrial engineering and management

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar
Total: 228 downloads
The number of downloads is the sum of all downloads of full texts. It may include eg previous versions that are now no longer available

urn-nbn

Altmetric score

urn-nbn
Total: 363 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf