INDUSTRY 4.0 ADOPTION FOR WASTE ELIMINATION IN MANUFACTURING

Abstract

The manufacturing sector has been proactively embracing Industry 4.0 driven digital transformation to enhance operational excellence and sustainability performance. A mixed-methods study was conducted to explore how adoption of emerging technologies like automation, analytics, connectivity can help manufacturing organizations minimize various forms of waste across materials, energy, emissions and defects. The qualitative phase involved interviews with 15 managers and focus groups with 18 shopfloor workers to uncover real-world experiences and identify key constructs. This informed a quantitative survey with 173 manufacturing firms capturing self-reported adoption levels of 15 technologies and realized waste reduction outcomes across 8 parameters alongside operational gains. Thematic analysis uncovered variability in waste profiles and customized technology deployments with 58% applying automation solutions, 38% adopting analytics tools while connectivity systems lagged. Survey results indicated automation and real-time monitoring enabled 25% input material savings, 29% inventory reductions and 22% defect rate declines on average. Hierarchical regressions highlighted senior management vision (β=0.42), learning mechanisms (β=0.39) and participative culture (β=0.29) as significant adoption drivers explaining 39% variance. Structural equation modeling validated senior leadership conviction, driven by market pressures, positively influences absorption levels which enhance waste elimination outcomes and sustainability performance across economic, environmental and social parameters. Keywords: Industry 4.0; manufacturing; waste reduction; sustainability; automation; analytics; organizational culture.