By now we have all heard about Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution or sometimes also referred to as The Industrial Internet of Things or IoT. While there are differences between each, the terms are readily used interchangeably. Generally, they are used as a marketing tag for products and services and as something to aspire to in the media. But what is it really?

Put simply, it is a way to automatically facilitate the exchange of data between individual stakeholder processes throughout the supply chain. The benefits of a connected value chain are significant. Imagine, a consumer ordering a customized product online, where the order goes directly to an automated manufacturing system without the need to have any discussion with the buyer or manufacturer.

As a consumer, print services provider, equipment manufacturer, or supplier of support products and services, how can you translate all of this into something actionable? Ultimately, it isn’t about an individual product you can buy or a service you can sign up for. Web2Print system implementations, which have grown especially in light of the pandemic, offer a small sampling of some of the benefits. However, even with Web2Print, which offers a semi-manual way to place an order, someone needs to go online and place an order, which then could go to a procurement service like Amazon or directly to the manufacturing plant. But then what happens? Usually, human intervention on many levels to varying degrees. So, if you want to prepare your business for Industry 4.0 and all of the benefits, where do you start?