Industry 4.0 and manufacturing ecosystems

In this report, we offer a perspective to help manufacturers navigate toward an Industry 4.0 future. We do so by examining the flow of information in intelligent production and connected supply chains—that is, systems that inform and coordinate the manufacturing, distribution, and aftermarket process—through the lens of Deloitte’s Information Value Loop (IVL). We then review the impact of the IVL on the manufacturing value chain.

In the remainder of the article we:
- Explain the term “Industry 4.0,” its history, and the expanding breadth of the concept
- Review the fundamentals of Deloitte’s IVL framework and its relation to Industry 4.0
- Identify two strategic areas—growing the business and operating the business—and six transformational plays that encompass the core opportunities for manufacturers to create with Industry 4.0 technologies
- Uncover key challenges for Industry 4.0 deployments