Maturity Business Models for Manufacturing in the Digital Age

The book primarily focuses on the process of industrial transformation in the era of digitalization. It meticulously discusses the processes, technologies, and business models that delineate modern industrial landscapes. A business maturity model is a tool used in organizations to assess how advanced their processes, systems, and procedures are. This model is utilized to identify areas that might require improvements, and then to measure progress in these improvements. The goal is to achieve ＂maturity＂, meaning the organization has well-defined, measurable, and repeatable processes. The first chapter traces the evolution of the manufacturing sector, emphasizing the shift toward digitalization and automation, while considering historical context and future trends. The second chapter examines business maturity models, reviewing current approaches and arguing for a broader perspective that includes environmental and social considerations. Chapter three introduces a research model for assessing the maturity of Polish manufacturing companies, detailing the methodology and research instruments used. The fourth chapter presents case studies from Polish industries (automotive, steel, and food), providing practical insights into the application of maturity models in real-world scenarios.

Bożena GAJDZIK, Professor at the Silesian University of Technology, Poland. PhD, Eng. Assoc. Professor. For over 25 years she has been dealing with the issues of industrial transformation, including Industry 4.0. She is employed at the Industrial Informatics Department. She is the author/coauthor of over 630 scientific publications issued at national and international publishers, including 30 books. Scientific interests: production engineering, business management, innovativeness, smart manufacturing, energy consumption, sustainable development, industrial decarbonization, smart factory. She researches the steel market and presents state analyses, industrial trends, industry forecasts and change scenarios. She is ranked: Stanford’s Top 2% Scientists, 2022, 2023.

Magdalena JACIOW, Professor at the University of Economics in Katowice, Poland. PhD, Assoc. Professor. Scientific fields: In the scope of my scientific work, two major research directions may be identified. The first one is related to market participant behaviors (enterprises/businesses and consumers/e-consumers), and the other one concentrates on the methodology and methods of market and marketing research, and the problem of equivalence (comparability) in international research. She is the author of over 100 scientific publications, including 6 monographs.

Radoslaw WOLNIAK, Professor at the Economics and Informatics Department at the Silesian University of Technology, Poland. For over 20 years he has been dealing with the issues of quality management, including the Industry 4.0. His achievements include over 500 publications issued at national and international publishers, as well as many undertakings and projects implemented in cooperation with the business environment. Scientific interests: quality management, Industry 4.0, methods of quality management, human resource management in industry, innovativeness, smart factory. He is ranked: Stanford’s Top 2% Scientists for 2023.

Robert WOLNY, Professor at the University of Economics in Katowice, Poland. PhD, Assoc. Professor. Head of the Department of Digital Economy Research. For over 25 years, he has been focusing on issues related to the behavior of market entities, including enterprises and households. He is the author/coauthor of over 160 scientific publications, including 6 monographs. He has served as the leader and participant in numerous scientific and research projects for economic practice. Scientific fields: e-services and behavior of market entities in the digital economy.