Study: Three-quarters of managers are not
sufficiently qualified for Industry 4.0
yet
In the homeland of the world’s largest IT trade fair Cebit, of all places, many
companies still hesitate to prepare for the economy of the future: Almost eight
in ten German industrial companies admit that the qualification of their
managers was trailing behind developments with regard to Industry 4.0. In
addition, at least one in two companies has not yet begun to adapt its
company mission statement and management guidelines in view of future
requirements. This is confirmed by the second "German Industry 4.0 Index".
For this study, 179 industrial companies in Germany were surveyed by the
Staufen Management Consultancy.
The digital transformation of economy and society, which is the focus of this year’s
Cebit, requires far-reaching changes in the top management of companies in this
country. “Each company requires a person with dedicated responsibility for Industry
4.0 in form of a Chief Digital Officer”, explains Martin Haas, Staufen AG Executive
Board Member. “But this involves more than just technological knowledge. At least
as important are the corresponding leadership skills. Top managers must consider
how to root the preparedness for digital change in the minds of their employees.”
And this is the stumbling in many companies, as the study shows. 77 percent of
interviewees admitted that their managers were insufficiently qualified for Industry
4.0. More than two-thirds of companies have not yet or only just begun to adapt their
company mission statement and management guidelines to the requirements of the
future. In addition, the majority of companies has not yet tailored the selection and
qualification of their top managers to the smart factory.
“It is high time to get this done, because the company of the future will be
characterized by decentralized decisions”, Staufen Executive Board Member Haas
demands. The basis for this is Shop Floor Management, which is prevailing in more
and more German companies. It means that managers are consistently active in the
factories rather than working at their desks far away from the actual production. “The
focus in this is on a consistent change in leadership behavior on all levels – moving
away from the traditional boss to a mentor and coach of the workforce”, Haas
explains. “Shop Floor Management will also be the topic of Staufen AG’s
BestPractice Day 2016 in early July. It is the key for a good leadership culture in the
smart factory.”
Press graphics for Industry 4.0 are available from:
http://www.staufen.ag/de/news-events/presse/pressebilder.html
BestPractice Day 2016: Europe’s leading Lean Management congress
At the BestPractice Day 2016 to be held from 6th to 7th July 2016 in Darmstadt
companies and leading Lean Management experts will report on their experiences
on the road to developing successful value creation systems. A key focus for this
year: 25 years of Lean.
For more information about the event, please go to:
http://www.best-practice-day.com
More Information:
STAUFEN.AG
Beratung.Akademie.Beteiligung
Kathrin Kurz
Blumenstr. 5
D-73257 Köngen
Tel: +49 7024 8056 155
Fax: +49 7024 8056 111
[email protected]
www.staufen.ag
PR Agency:
Thöring & Stuhr
Partnerschaft für Kommunikationsberatung
Claudia Thöring
Mittelweg 19
D-20148 Hamburg
Tel: +49 40 207 6969 82
mobil: +49 170 2150 146
[email protected]
About Staufen AG – www.staufen.ag
Staufen AG, which operates internationally, is one of the top lean management
consultancies in Germany. As a “Partner on the way to Top-Performance”, Staufen
AG supports companies in optimising their value creation and management
processes as well as increasing the efficiency of their innovation and product
development processes. Furthermore, the consultants develop concepts to manage
crisis as turnaround or interim managers. With the Staufen Academy, the
consultancy also offers certified practice-focussed training. More than 220
employees support customers at locations in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Poland,
the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, China, and Brazil. According to the
renowned ‘Hidden Champions’ industry survey 2015, Staufen AG is the best Lean
Management consultancy in the country. The newest review from Brand Eins
Wissen and Statista considers the consulting house to be among the “best
consultants”.