Abstract

Industry 4.0 offers a new network approach by using advanced Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for manufacturing industries in particular.

The study sought to explored how the fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0) is helping management of manufacturing industry; Source Du Pays.

Specifically, the study examined the role internet of things (IOT), the role of robotics, the role of cloud computing and to investigate the role of big data analytics in facilitating management functions.

The study made used of quantitative data in the form of interview guided questionnaire to sample 50 employees and staffs of Source Du Pays using purposive sampling technique.

Collected data was checked, coded and inputted in to SPSS (21.0) and excel sheet for graphical presentations. Data was analysed quantitatively using descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviation, while inferential statistics was employed using th correlation test to test the hypotheses.

The study results revealed that IOT plays in management function, is capable of creating and managing time and resource effective, manage effective communication with customers thus the null hypothesis that there exists no significant relationship between IOT and management functions was rejected.

There exists no significant relationship between robotics and management functions, the study concluded that robotics plays a significant role in management of managers functions. It increases the job profile of the respondents, solves complex problems, and has also created a rise in unemployment as several lower and middle managers were levied as a result of robots taking over their functions.

Cloud computing helps management Cloud computing helps management to facilitate so many activities in the Management system of Companies.

Big data in management function, helps in cost optimization, improve operational efficiency, gives management meaningful information to provide personalized products and services to customers and can identify and analyse latest market trends allowing businesses to keep pace with your competitors in the market. Based on the above views, it was concluded that industry 4.0 plays a significant role in management of manufacturing industries.

The study recommended that manufacturing companies should encourage their workforce to adapt to these technologies by implementing some vocational training to bolster their qualifications

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

The First Industrial Revolution employed water and steam power to mechanize production. In order to accomplish mass output, the Second industrial revolution employed electric power. The third employed electronics and computer technologies for manufacturing automation. Now, the fourth industrial revolution is created on the foundation of the third industrial revolution.

In this thesis, we will explore how the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) is helping management. In addition, it has been established that there is a common interaction between Industry 4.0 and management, and the introduction of this emerging revolution mode has contributed to a greater advancement in office practices in digital technology, productivity machinery, and digital supply chain management.

At a time when advances in computing power, biotechnologies, artificial intelligence, renewable energies, additive manufacturing, and many other emerging technologies threaten to overwhelm us with complexity, the fourth industrial revolution is meant to help individuals and organizations make sense of the interplay between humans and technology. The new age will provide technical and ethical challenges to industries, stakeholder groups, and societal norms, ranging from driverless automobiles to biologically modified humans.

1.1 Background to the study

The world is undergoing a technological revolution that is changing how we work, how we live, and how we relate to one another. Recent studies indicate that this revolution is unlike any we have experienced before.

Business dynamics are rapidly evolving today due to the influence of globalization as well as factors which are sociological, technological, fiscal, and political. Manufacturing companies have to continue to produce cost effectively so that they can always have a competitive edge over other competitors in the market (Adamson et al., 2017)

Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum’s founder, argues that how to recognize and shape the emerging technology revolution is the single most important task facing humanity today. What exactly is this revolution, and why, particularly for Africa, does it matter? The notion of the confluence of emerging technologies and their combined effect on our society is captured by the “fourth industrial revolution”. Artificial intelligence can create an x-ray medical diagnosis faster than a radiologist and with pinpoint precision (Schwab 2016).

Robots can build cars quicker and more efficiently than workers on assembly lines. Base metals such as platinum and copper, essential materials for renewable energy and carbon cleaning systems, will theoretically be mined. 3D printing can transform business models of production in almost unthinkable ways. By eliminating bottlenecks, autonomous vehicles can alter traffic flows. Remote sensing and satellite imaging can help identify and prevent city flooding within minutes of a blocked storm water drain. Vertical farms could address problems related to food security (Ross, 2019).

The machines continue to learn, but they’ll soon be smarter than us with human help. The first industrial revolution, epitomised by the steam engine, spanned from 1760 to 1840. In the late 19th century, the second began and made industrial manufacturing possible.

The third one started with mainframe computing and semi-conductors in the 1960s.The case is convincing for a new category, a fourth industrial revolution. With exponential velocity, width and scope, new technologies are evolving. It is possible that their structural effect would be profound. It is important for politicians, researchers and businesses to understand why all these developments matter and what to do about them.

Africa’s ICT sector has continued to expand in recent years, a trend which is likely to continue. Later, 1.7 million direct jobs (both formal and informal) were produced by mobile technology and services, contributed to $144 billion of economic value (8.5 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP), and contributed $15.6 billion by taxes to the public sector.

In the financial system and labor market, digitization has also tackled information asymmetry concerns, growing productivity, certainty and protection in an environment where information flow is crucial for economic growth and job development (GSM Association., 2019).

In comparison, failure to identify and leverage on 4IR opportunities will place African stakeholders at considerable risk: without attempts to step beyond existing innovation, entrepreneurship and digital development models on the continent, African companies are at risk of falling further behind, exacerbating the global digital divide and reducing their global competitiveness. Going beyond the current models requires governance discipline to allow a creative environment that is endogenous. At the same time, institutions must protect the market through legislation and regulations on consumer protection that promote competition (Rosanna, 2018).

The spread of digital technology will give impoverished people access to information, job opportunities, and services that will help them improve their living standards. Companies may become more successful and contribute to poverty reduction by using artificial intelligence and other block chain technology to aid with data gathering and analysis.

We’ve already seen the revolutionary impact of formal financial services reaching the underserved, especially women, who are important drivers of long-term poverty eradication, through mobile phones, such as Mobile money. These financial services enable people to save on secure assets, allowing them to diversify their asset base and prevent poverty cycles.

According to Jean (2018), by 2030, Africa’s potential workforce will be among the Worlds biggest, and so the 4IR represents a huge opportunity for development, combined with the requisite infrastructure and skills for innovation and technology usage. Indeed, the 4IR is changing global labor and production processes drastically, requiring job seekers to develop the skills and capabilities required to quickly responding to the needs of African companies and more widely automate them.

The African population is becoming more and more exposed to education and as such raising more educated individuals who need to take advantage of the opportunities given by industry 4.0 for instance the prevalence of workers who are educated is expected to increase from 36% in 2010, to 52% in 2030 (Samans et al., 2017).

1.2 Statement of the problem

Countries are so enthusiastic about the development of technology in the world, but there are still some big issues that have been seen in the light of several debates by various writers.

Industry 4.0 has had so many benefits for the manufacturing sector, improving the GDP of so many economies in the world today, but a number of projections have shown that Industry 4.0 by stealing employment is killing the management sector.

A recent study published by the McKinsey Global Institute estimates that the implementation of 4.0 technologies will affect approximately one-fifth of the global workforce, with the most substantial impact in developed countries such as the UK, Germany and the US.

By 2022, 50 percent of businesses expect that their number of full-time employees will be decreased by automation and robots will replace 800 million employees worldwide by 2030.

Manufacturers claim that, Autonomous Robots have come in to increase productivity of goods, by reducing production time and at a cheaper cost of production.

Thus, countries and industries are implementing more of the fourth revolution to facilitate their Manufacturing process. But a while they began realising that the usage of Autonomous Robots has caused a high level of Redundancy of employees.

1.3 Research Questions

1.3.1 Main Research Question

The main research question of this research is;

How is the fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0) helping management?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

Other specific research questions are;

1. What is the role of internet of things in facilitating management functions?
2. What is the role of robotics in facilitating management functions?
3. What is the role of cloud computing in facilitating management functions?
4. What is the role of big data analytics in facilitating management functions?

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