2024 Industry 4.0 Benchmarking Data
For manufacturers navigating the digital revolution, one of the most crucial questions is: How far along are we in our Industry 4.0 journey? Understanding where a company stands in its digital transformation isn’t just a matter of intuition—it requires a structured, data-driven approach. This is where benchmarking plays a vital role.
Benchmark Whitepaper on Industry 4.0
One of the first widely adopted frameworks for measuring Industry 4.0 maturity is the Industrie 4.0 Maturity Index (Origional spelling), developed by Acatech (the German Academy of Science and Engineering) in 2017 and updated in 2020. Acatech’s research provides a detailed, multi-stage roadmap that helps manufacturers assess their current digital capabilities and identify the next steps toward full automation and adaptability. This model has influenced other global assessments, most notably the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI), arguably the most well known Industry 4.0 assessment and benchmarking tool. actionable insights rather than vague recommendations.
Building on these foundations, Onward Partners has conducted one of the most detailed Industry 4.0 benchmarking efforts to date. The Onward Benchmark White Paper, which I helped develop, is based on 387 assessments conducted between 2020 and 2024, covering 113,192 data points. This assessment provides a uniquely granular and statistically significant picture of how companies are evolving along their Industry 4.0 journey, highlighting both hidden challenges and strategies of front-runners.
Breaking Down the Four Major Areas of Industry 4.0 Maturity
The Acatech Industry 4.0 Maturity Index is built around four major structuring forces that determine a company’s ability to successfully integrate digital transformation. These forces are critical because they do not just focus on technology—but also on organizational readiness, decision-making processes, and culture.
Resources
Represents a company’s ability to deploy digital technologies effectively.
Includes machine connectivity, automation capabilities, and real-time data tracking.
A company with strong resource maturity has a high level of digitalization in its production, maintenance, and logistics processes.
Information Systems
Focuses on how well IT systems are integrated across different departments and how effectively data is processed and leveraged.
Covers areas such as data governance, self-learning information systems, and interoperability between software platforms.
A mature company in this area has seamless data sharing between production lines, supply chains, and decision-makers.
Organizational Structure
Evaluates how agile and adaptable a company is in responding to digital transformation.
Looks at the degree of internal collaboration, flexibility in production processes, and how well structured teams are for innovation.
Companies that excel in this area tend to have decentralized decision-making, empowered employees, and strong external collaboration networks.
Culture
Measures the willingness of employees and leadership to embrace digital change.
Includes areas like social collaboration, continuous improvement initiatives, and openness to data-driven decision-making.
Companies with high cultural maturity encourage innovation, invest in digital skills development, and actively experiment with new technologies.
A Deep Dive into the Industry 4.0 Assessment
The Onward Benchmark White Paper is based on this assessment methodology and was conducted across 112 companies in 40 different countries.
Each assessment consisted of approximately 294 questions, covering the six key processes:
Development – How digital tools are used in product design and R&D.
Production – The level of automation and digital integration in manufacturing operations.
Logistics – The use of digital tools in inventory management, warehouse automation, and supply chain coordination.
Services – The integration of digital solutions in maintenance, customer support, and after-sales services.
Marketing & Sales – The use of digital platforms, data-driven marketing, and e-commerce solutions.
Management & Strategy – The extent to which data and digital tools inform decision-making at the executive level.
Each process was assessed across multiple dimensions, covering both technical capabilities and organizational readiness. The 113,192 data points collected from these assessments give companies not only a snapshot of their maturity but also a detailed breakdown of their strengths and weaknesses in Industry 4.0 adoption.
How the Assessment Works
Each company starts by identifying its core objectives for digital transformation.
A structured questionnaire is then used to evaluate the current state of digitalization across the six key processes.
Each capability is scored on a scale of 1 to 6, reflecting its maturity level:
1-2 = Basic or developing capabilities.
3-4 = Intermediate digitalization, with some automation and data-driven processes.
5-6 = Advanced digital capabilities, with predictive analytics and autonomous systems.
The results are then aggregated into an overall maturity score, highlighting key areas for improvement.
What the data reveals?
The data from the report reveals a broader truth about digital transformation in manufacturing: progress remains slow and uneven. While companies are investing in digital initiatives, true transformation is happening in isolated pockets rather than at an enterprise-wide scale. The average Industry 4.0 maturity score across assessments is only 2.4 out of 6, indicating that most companies remain stuck in the early to mid-stages of their journey. This suggests that while digitalization is a priority, the execution is fragmented, and scaling successful initiatives remains a challenge. The data also shows that larger companies tend to have more structured digital strategies, while smaller manufacturers struggle due to limited resources and unclear roadmaps. Ultimately, the key takeaway is that Industry 4.0 success isn’t about having the latest technology—it’s about creating a fully integrated, scalable system that aligns technology, people, and processes. Specially I would like to highlight three key insights that manufacturers must address to accelerate their digital transformation.
IT System Integration is the Biggest Roadblock
Among all capabilities assessed, IT system integration scored the lowest average (1.99 out of 6) but had the highest maximum score (4.6). This indicates that while most companies struggle with IT connectivity, a small number of front-runners are achieving major competitive advantages by successfully integrating their systems. The primary barriers include legacy systems that lack modern interfaces, data silos that prevent smooth information exchange, and interoperability challenges between software platforms. Many manufacturers have invested in automation and analytics, yet these tools remain disconnected, limiting their full potential.
Social Collaboration is Strong but Not Optimized
Social collaboration ranked highest on average (2.83), yet its maximum score was only 4.0, placing it sixth out of eight maturity dimensions. This suggests that while companies are investing in collaboration, they are not fully leveraging digital tools to enhance teamwork and knowledge sharing. Many organizations still rely on traditional communication methods like meetings and emails rather than AI-driven collaboration platforms that integrate real-time data. Without structured, data-backed collaboration processes, teamwork remains a cultural strength rather than a performance driver.
Culture Leads, But Execution Lags
Among the four major structuring forces, culture scored the highest (2.7), while resources and information systems lag behind at 2.1. This reflects a growing readiness for digital transformation, but technical execution is not keeping pace. Companies have made significant progress in leadership buy-in and workforce training, but many still struggle to implement scalable, data-driven solutions. Without closing this gap, cultural enthusiasm alone will not drive real transformation.
The data makes one thing clear: Technology alone isn’t enough. Success in Industry 4.0 requires fully integrated IT systems, collaboration aligned with real-time data, and a culture that leads to action. The companies that act on these insights today will define the future of smart manufacturing.
How Manufacturers Can Leverage This Data
Bridge the IT Integration Gap
To overcome IT system integration challenges, companies should adopt middleware solutions, automate data flows, and prioritize open standards. Instead of completely replacing legacy systems, manufacturers can implement integration layers that enable real-time data exchange across platforms. By ensuring seamless connectivity between production, logistics, and business operations, companies can accelerate decision-making and unlock the full potential of automation.
Turn Social Collaboration into a Performance Driver
To maximize collaboration’s impact, manufacturers need to integrate teamwork tools with real-time data access. AI-powered knowledge management systems can help teams quickly retrieve past insights and best practices. Embedding data-driven workflows into decision-making processes ensures that collaboration efforts lead to tangible results. Shifting from static communication to dynamic, real-time decision support will improve agility and drive cross-functional innovation.
Align Cultural Readiness with Execution
To ensure cultural readiness translates into measurable progress, companies must focus on hands-on digital upskilling initiatives. Employees should be trained not just in theory, but in practical applications of AI, automation, and predictive analytics tools. Establishing performance-driven incentives that reward effective digital adoption can help accelerate execution. The key is to move beyond awareness and actively embed Industry 4.0 tools into daily operations.
References:
Onward Partners - 2024 Benchmark Whitepaper on Industry 4.0: Discover the Hidden Challenges of Slow-Movers and Strategies of Front-Runners: https://www.onward.partners/insights/whitepaper-benchmark-on-industry-40
Acatech - 2020 Industry 4.0 Maturity Index - Managing the Digital Transformation of Companies: https://en.acatech.de/publication/industrie-4-0-maturity-index-update-2020/
