Industry 4.0 and supply chain process re-engineering: A coproduction study of materials management in construction

Abstract

Purpose

This paper contributes to the literature on supply chain process management by discussing how Industry 4.0 technologies can support process re-engineering in the context of the construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies through an exploratory case study focused on the materials management process, using a coproduction of research approach where the main findings are obtained through the involvement of internal and external process actors.

Findings

The results show that the introduction of Industry 4.0 technologies could radically improve process performance, better supporting the execution of activities, increasing the effectiveness of communication between actors and favoring data collection and sharing. These technologies, characterized by the level of risk connected to their implementation, need to be introduced in combination with new organizational mechanisms, which may be beneficial for several supply chain actors.

Originality/value

Through the adoption of a research coproduction methodology, which is not common in the literature, this paper contributes to the ongoing discussion about how Industry 4.0 technologies contribute to process-centric supply chains, by discussing the benefits of these tools from the perspective of process actors.

Citation

Patrucco, A., Ciccullo, F. and Pero, M. (2020), "Industry 4.0 and supply chain process re-engineering: A coproduction study of materials management in construction", Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 26 No. 5, pp. 1093-1119. https://doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-04-2019-0147