Service-sector Transformation in Industry 4.0

The adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies is resulting in a wave of digitalization and innovation. The changes have been sweeping throughout industry. Manufacturing is now embracing technological disruptions in the era of Industry 4.0. In 2022, the UN Economic and Social Council reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had accelerated the dissemination of digital technologies such as AI, robotics, and the IoT. The report also mentioned that the use of Industry 4.0 technologies could help increase productivity, reduce the environmental impact of industrialization, and create jobs.

On the other hand, the service sector has not been doing as well in adapting to the technology-enabled revolution. Many companies have been struggling with digital transformation since the 1990s. Today’s service sector could therefore benefit significantly if it embraced Industry 4.0 more actively.

However, technology-first thinking is not a guarantee of success, since technologies are simply enablers. Methods to adopt Industry 4.0 in the service sector depend on organizational culture, policy, strategy, and vision. In a service economy, much of the value generated is a result of human collaboration, communication, and creativity. It is crucial to take a more human-centric approach to business. Fumbling with new technologies without reckoning with culture, policy, and all the other intangible systems can have a detrimental impact on the service sector. Thus, with a human-centric perspective, the benefits of Industry 4.0 will result in improved productivity and efficiency, flexibility and agility, and profitability in the service sector in the long run.

Course Objectives

The main objectives of this course are:

  • Understand the concepts, tools, and methodologies of Industry 4.0.
  • Enhance the adoption of service-sector transformation in SME operations.
  • Introduce emerging technologies and future trends in the service sector and how to apply them in business operations to enhance productivity.

Course Modules

This e-learning course will cover the following modules:
Module 1: Industry 4.0 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution explained
Module 2: The service economy and Industry 4.0
Module 3: Emerging technologies for future trends in the service sector
Module 4: Industry 4.0 and labor productivity in service-sector organizations
Module 5: Case study: Impact of Industry 4.0 drivers on the performance of the service sector

Important Notes:

  1. Participants who register to take this course and pass the final examination with a score of 70% or higher will be eligible to receive the APO certificate. Please note that the final examination can be taken only once. Therefore, the most appropriate time to take the examination should be chosen carefully. The self-assessment quizzes are for personal evaluation only and are not related to the final examination results.
  2. Participants who perform well in this course and receive the APO certificate will be given preference, on a merit basis, for selection to attend follow-up face-to-face multicountry APO projects on similar topics, when nominated by their NPOs and if slots are available.
  3. Notes 1 and 2 are applicable only to participants from APO member countries. Participants from nonmember countries are welcome to take the course for self-improvement, although they will not have an opportunity to attend the follow-up face-to-face multicountry APO projects.
  4. Each module is in a prerecorded video format in which the expert delivers presentations by explaining each slide. Participants can access the video by clicking on the link provided under the title of each module.

Course Duration in Hours: 20 hours
Skill Level: Beginner
Upcoming Course: No
New Course: Yes