APO to leverage Index Partners Network for adoption of Industry 4.0

• The
  index will help APO member countries evaluate their readiness for Industry 4.0
  and develop strategies for the transformation.
• The
  initiative will enable the APO to assist member countries in self-diagnosis and
  developing national productivity and innovation roadmaps.

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TOKYO, JAPAN - Media OutReach - 26 October
2018 – The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) has announced joining
the Index Partners Network promoted by the Singapore Economic Development Board
to help manufacturers accelerate the execution of their Industry 4.0
initiatives. The network complements the Smart Industry Readiness Index
developed by the Government of Singapore to enable the transformation of
industrial sectors at both the enterprise and national levels.

The initiative will enable the APO to
assist its member countries in self-diagnosis and developing national
productivity and innovation roadmaps using the index. It will also help them
evaluate their readiness for Industry 4.0 and select customized approaches
necessary for the transformation.

Sharing details of the Index Partners
Network, APO Secretary-General Dr. Santhi
Kanoktanaporn said that the initiative was in sync with the
organization’s efforts to help member countries transform their manufacturing
sectors by harnessing the potential of Industry 4.0. “The Smart Industry
Readiness Index will effectively enable APO member economies to diagnose gaps,
identify their priorities, and kickstart their Industry 4.0 transformation
journey,” he commented.

Pointing out that APO member countries
were at different levels of industrialization, with some countries ahead of the
digital adoption and Industry 4.0 curve, the Secretary-General stressed that by
leveraging the index as a common language and framework, the APO would be able
to help them all, regardless of their manufacturing-sector maturity.

Created in partnership with global
testing, inspection, certification, and training company TÜV SÜD and validated
by an advisory panel of industry and academic experts, the index was designed
as a comprehensive tool to help enterprises of any size in all industries to
harness the benefits of Industry 4.0 systematically and comprehensively.

At the enterprise level, the index offers
a four-step approach to help manufacturing firms learn about Industry 4.0
concepts, evaluate the current state of their facilities, devise a
transformation roadmap, and deliver sustained value for their businesses. At
the national level, the index has the potential to serve as a metric for
Industry 4.0 benchmarking within and across industries, enabling government
agencies to design sector-specific policy interventions to accelerate the
industrial transformation.

The index comprises three layers. At the
top are the three fundamental building blocks of Industry 4.0: process;
technology; and organization. Underpinning these building blocks are eight
focal pillars, which are divided into 16 dimensions of assessment. For each of
the 16 dimensions, the index provides an assessment matrix for companies to use
in evaluating their current processes, systems, and structures. The assessment
matrix also doubles as a step-by-step improvement guide, as each dimension
provides intermediate steps needed for progress.

About
the APO

The Asian
Productivity Organization (APO) is an intergovernmental organization committed
to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 1961, the
APO contributes to the sustainable socioeconomic development of the region
through policy advisory services, acting as a think tank, and undertaking smart
initiatives in the industry, agriculture, service, and public sectors.

The APO is shaping
the future of the region by assisting member economies in formulating national
strategies for enhanced productivity and through a range of institutional
capacity-building efforts, including research and centers of excellence in
member countries.

APO Members: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Republic of China,
Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of
Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore,
Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.