Businesses no longer compete as separate entities; instead, they compete as active members of a larger supply chain, encompassing many enterprises and connections. The supply chain is in an ever-changing environment, and the vast geographical areas make many supply chains vulnerable. Nowadays, a high level of resilience, risk mitigation capabilities and structural flexibility with rapid response to changes are required. Information technology has been influential in supply chain management (SCM) in dealing with these challenges. Specifically, IT has changed the nature and structure of the supply chains due to integration in the internal supply chain between various processes and integration in the external supply chain with suppliers and customers. The fourth industrial revolution – "Industry 4.0" – has arrived due to the rapid expansion of information and communication technologies and their integration into supply chains. This massive change in business ecosystems will significantly impact operational models/frameworks and management strategies. Since the start of Industry 4.0, many businesses have implemented the new industrial revolution's ideas and technology to boost performance, and productivity and mitigate risks. However, there is a lack of research regarding the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in Greek supply chains and specifically in the sector of food and beverages, a rapidly and continuously evolving environment. Based on previous adoption literature, this study is a survey of Greek food and beverage companies that examines the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies considering its benefits and challenges. The scope is to find correlations between different factors in this sector. Some factors are the company's size, attitude, and knowledge of Industry 4.0. Moreover, benefits and challenges were examined at the technological, organizational-human, strategic, and legal-ethical levels. Limitations are considered the geographical and sector’s limits.
Ελένη Ν. Μάντσου (Wed,) studied this question.