For industry 4.0 the things that bosses missing

71 % of companies are convinced that the role of leaders in the Age of Industry 4.0 is more important than ever. The ideal "boss 4.0" has to be above all an excellent communicator to employees and supervisors to view the company.

The problem is that the current leaders have loudly the first time raised "Industry 4.0 Index" in this field a lot of catching up. For the study, the consulting firm company surveyed 140 industrial companies in Germany commissioned.
Industry 4.0 unfolded only through strong communication executive’s full effect

"A new technology alone cannot lead. Even industry 4.0 is ultimately a tool that only through strong communication managers its full effect unfolds, "says Wilhelm Goschy, CEO of management consultancy Staufen AG. "All the more that managers come out of their comfort zones and have a local presence in the factory building is more important. That happens far too rarely. "


This is clearly reflected in the "Industry 4.0 Index" resist. In 40 % of the company's executives are therefore not yet progressed beyond the mastery of basic skills in communicating with colleagues or employees. And only one in four respondents for the index operation attests, it’s divisional, departmental and team leaders meet in this field have the demands of a modern management style.

"Many executives - especially in the production or development issues - have not learned it on their most technically oriented careers, be aware to take care of the issue of human and one's own behavior. So they contend understandably with these new requirements. It is now up to the company to support its managers in the necessary transformation of their leadership style and specifically to ask them for example coaches to the side."

Self-confidence of companies is based on technical skills
As the "Industry 4.0 Index" shows, they look towards the Smart Factory still among the world leaders. "The self-confidence of German companies is mainly due to their excellent technical skills, without which a networked economy is certainly not feasible," says consultant Goschy. "But the key to exploit the full potential of industrial productivity 4.0 is, as with all automation waves earlier in a change of leadership behavior towards an open dialogue on the place of the value."

The "Industry 4.0 index" is based on a study by the management consultancy. For this purpose in August and September 2014. 140 industrial companies were interviewed. The majority of companies surveyed comes from the mechanical and plant engineering, electrical engineering and the automotive industry. The aviation, energy and logistics are represented in the "Industry 4.0 Index".