Integrating Industry 4.0 Technologies into Project Management: A Framework Proposal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4108/dtip.12476Keywords:
Project Management, Industry 4.0, Technology Management, Decision-making, Digital TransitionAbstract
INTRODUCTION: The integration of Industry 4.0 technologies and Project Management represents a paradigm shift from traditional, experience-based practices to data-driven and intelligent systems. By leveraging advanced tools such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data analytics, Internet of Things and Digital Twins, Project Management processes become increasingly predictive, adaptive and efficient.
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to understand the main impacts of Industry 4.0 technologies and tools on the improvement of Project Management. There is limited research on the impacts and improvements brought by Industry 4.0 in Project Management, making it an interesting gap to study. It is also intended to propose a conceptual framework to guide the integration of Industry 4.0 tools into Project Management practices.
METHODS: A Systematic Literature Review was conducted using a mixed methodological approach, combining an inductive investigation approach, an exploratory research nature and grounded theory as the research strategy.
RESULTS: The results indicate that the application of Industry 4.0 technologies and tools improves Project Management. Regarding the technologies and tools of Industry 4.0 applied to enhance Project Management outcomes, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Building Information Modelling emerged as the key ones. Among the main impacts and improvements resulting from the integration of these technologies into Project Management, the enhancement of the decision-making process and tasks automation stands out. A correlation matrix was developed between Industry 4.0 technologies and the impacts/improvements generated in Project Management. Additionally, a framework for integrating Industry 4.0 and Project Management was proposed, based on the principles of continuous improvement.
CONCLUSION: This framework is relevant for researchers, organizations, project managers and their respective teams who aim to enhance Project Management in the Industrial Revolution paradigm.
Downloads
References
[1] Stelmach A. Digital Transformation: Impact of Modern Technologies and Project Management on Optimization of Production Processes in Era of Industry 4.0. Decision Making in Manufacturing and Services 2025:39–47. https://doi.org/10.7494/dmms.2024.si.6650.
[2] Vrchota J, Řehoř P, Maříková M, Pech M. Critical Success Factors of the Project Management in Relation to Industry 4.0 for Sustainability of Projects. Sustainability 2020;13:281. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010281.
[3] Jauhar SK, Priyadarshini S, Pratap S, Paul SK. A literature review on applications of Industry 4.0 in Project Management. Operations Management Research 2023;16:1858–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12063-023-00403-x.
[4] Ribeiro A, Amaral A, Barros T. Project Manager Competencies in the context of the Industry 4.0. Procedia Comput Sci 2021;181:803–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2021.01.233.
[5] Bierwolf R, Romero D, Pelk H, Stettina CJ. On the future of project management innovation: A call for discussion towards project management 2030. 2017 International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation (ICE/ITMC), IEEE; 2017, p. 689–98. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICE.2017.8279952.
[6] Ghaleb M, Zolfagharinia H, Taghipour S. Real-time production scheduling in the Industry-4.0 context: Addressing uncertainties in job arrivals and machine breakdowns. Comput Oper Res 2020;123:105031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cor.2020.105031.
[7] Trstenjak M, Cosic P. Process Planning in Industry 4.0 Environment. Procedia Manuf 2017;11:1744–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2017.07.303.
[8] Ebrahimi M, Baboli A, Rother E. The evolution of world class manufacturing toward Industry 4.0: A case study in the automotive industry. IFAC-PapersOnLine 2019;52:188–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2019.10.021.
[9] Bendul JC, Blunck H. The design space of production planning and control for industry 4.0. Comput Ind 2019;105:260–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2018.10.010.
[10] Sharma A, Mehtab R, Mohan S, Mohd Shah MK. Augmented reality – an important aspect of Industry 4.0. Industrial Robot 2022;49:428–41. https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-09-2021-0204.
[11] Javaid M, Haleem A, Singh RP, Suman R, Gonzalez ES. Understanding the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in improving environmental sustainability. Sustainable Operations and Computers 2022;3:203–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susoc.2022.01.008.
[12] Saunders M, Lewis P, Thornhill A. Research methods For Business Students. Ninth Edit. Pearson Education, Inc; 2023.
[13] Sharma A, Bhattarai PC. Mixed Methods Research in Employability Discourse: A Systematic Literature Review Using PRISMA. Educ Res Int 2022;2022:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4848220.
[14] Murguia D, Soetanto R, Szczygiel M, Goodier CI, Kavuri A. Construction 4.0 implementation for performance improvement: an innovation management perspective. Construction Innovation 2026;26:843–70. https://doi.org/10.1108/CI-08-2023-0184.
[15] Lekan A, Clinton A, Stella E, Moses E, Biodun O. Construction 4.0 Application: Industry 4.0, Internet of Things and Lean Construction Tools’ Application in Quality Management System of Residential Building Projects. Buildings 2022;12:1557. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101557.
[16] Heijden J. Construction 4.0 in a narrow and broad sense: A systematic and comprehensive literature review. Build Environ 2023;244:110788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110788.
[17] Neuendorf KA, Kumar A. Content Analysis. The International Encyclopedia of Political Communication, Wiley; 2016, p. 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118541555.wbiepc065.
[18] Bengtsson M. How to plan and perform a qualitative study using content analysis. NursingPlus Open 2016;2:8–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.npls.2016.01.001.
[19] Wachnik B. Analysis of the use of artificial intelligence in the management of Industry 4.0 projects. The perspective of Polish industry. Production Engineering Archives 2022;28:56–63. https://doi.org/10.30657/pea.2022.28.07.
[20] Jallow H, Renukappa S, Suresh S, Rahimian F. Artificial Intelligence and the UK Construction Industry – Empirical Study. Engineering Management Journal 2022;35:420–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/10429247.2022.2147381.
[21] Marnewick C, Marnewick AL. The Demands of Industry 4.0 on Project Teams. IEEE Trans Eng Manag 2020;67:941–9. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2019.2899350.
[22] Hirman M, Benesova A, Steiner F, Tupa J. Project Management during the Industry 4.0 Implementation with Risk Factor Analysis. Procedia Manuf 2019;38:1181–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2020.01.208.
[23] Mudassar R, Zailin G, Jabir M, Lei Y, Hao W. Digital twin-based smart manufacturing system for project-based organizations: A conceptual framework. In: Dessouky M, Zhao Q, editors. Proceedings of International Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering, CIE, vol. 2019- October, Computers and Industrial Engineering; 2019.
[24] Rane SB, Narvel YAM. Data-driven decision making with Blockchain-IoT integrated architecture: a project resource management agility perspective of industry 4.0. International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management 2022;13:1005–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13198-021-01377-4.
[25] Verma P, Parikh M, Dixit V. Role of Industry 4.0 in Project Management. 5th NA International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management 2020.
[26] Atuahene BT, Kanjanabootra S, Gajendran T. Benefits of Big data application experienced in the construction industry: A case of an Australian construction company. In: Scott L, Neilson CJ, editors. ARCOM 2020 - Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 36th Annual Conference 2020 - Proceedings, Association of Researchers in Construction Management; 2020, p. 346–55.
[27] Wang N, Issa RRA, Anumba CJ. Query Answering System for Building Information Modeling Using BERT NN Algorithm and NLG. Computing in Civil Engineering 2021, Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers; 2021, p. 425–32. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483893.053.
[28] Dallasega P, Revolti A, Sauer PC, Schulze F, Rauch E. BIM, Augmented and Virtual Reality empowering Lean Construction Management: a project simulation game. Procedia Manuf 2020;45:49–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2020.04.059.
[29] Schimanski CP, Monizza GP, Marcher C, Matt DT. Conceptual Foundations for a New Lean Bim-Based Production System in Construction, 2019, p. 877–88. https://doi.org/10.24928/2019/0106.
[30] Zgodavova K, Sutoova A, Cicka M. Launching New Projects in Industry 4.0: Best Practices of Automotive Suppliers, 2019, p. 183–91. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18180-2_14.
[31] Patsyuk E V., Krutilin AA, Kiseleva MN, Lisina LM, Liberovskaya AN. “Smart Technologies” in Project Management: Rationalization of Decision Making or a Source of New Risks for Information Security, 2021, p. 77–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59126-7_9.
[32] Kianpour P, Gupta D, Krishnan KK, Gopalakrishnan B. Automated job shop scheduling with dynamic processing times and due dates using project management and industry 4.0. Journal of Industrial and Production Engineering 2021;38:485–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/21681015.2021.1937725.
[33] Gualtieri L, Öhler M, Revolti A, Dallasega P. A visual management and augmented-reality-based training module for the enhancement of short and long-term procedural knowledge retention in complex machinery setup. Comput Ind Eng 2024;196:110478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2024.110478.
[34] Hughes L, Mavi RK, Aghajani M, Fitzpatrick K, Gunaratnege SM, Shekarabi SAH, et al. Impact of artificial intelligence on project management (PM): Multi-expert perspectives on advancing knowledge and driving innovation toward PM2030. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge 2025;10:100772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2025.100772.
[35] Ricci GM, Magrini RC, Pandolfi MAC. Ciclo PDCA como ferramenta da qualidade para a melhoria em serviços. Revista Interface Tecnológica 2021;18:537–45. https://doi.org/10.31510/infa.v18i1.1122.
[36] Ciric D, Lalic B, Gracanin D, Tasic N, Delic M, Medic N. Agile vs. Traditional Approach in Project Management: Strategies, Challenges and Reasons to Introduce Agile. Procedia Manuf 2019;39:1407–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2020.01.314.
[37] Ismail K. Agile practices and AI integration: A systematic literature review. Inf Softw Technol 2026;195:108119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2026.108119.
[38] Alsubaie M, Sarbazhosseini H. People capabilities for successful hybrid agile project management. Procedia Comput Sci 2025;256:1896–904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2025.02.331.
[39] Uwasomba C, Deshpande A, Sharp H, Gregory P, Willis R, Barroca L, et al. Data-Driven Agility: Assessing Agile Culture transformation in a technology organisation. Inf Softw Technol 2025;183:107729. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2025.107729.
[40] Marava N, Vordonis N, Krouska A, Troussas C, Sgouropoulou C, Mylonas P, et al. A Digital Learning Ecosystem for Upskilling and Reskilling Project Managers in the AI Era. 2025 20th International Workshop on Semantic and Social Media Adaptation and Personalization (SMAP), IEEE; 2025, p. 218–23. https://doi.org/10.1109/SMAP66932.2025.00044.
[41] Lima RM, Mesquita D, Aquere AL, de Jesus C. Evaluation of a pilot course of project management for industry 4.0. In: Lima RM, Villas-Boas V, Koomsap P, Sethanan K, editors. International Symposium on Project Approaches in Engineering Education, vol. 10, University of Minho; 2020, p. 271–8.
[42] Dani I, Ke Y, Kilani S Al. The Future of Project Management in Industry 5.0: A Narrative Literature Review. Project Management Journal 2026;57:222–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/87569728251386332.
[43] Baptista G, Figueiredo J. Impacto da transformação digital nas organizações: um estudo sobre diferentes abordagens de condução do processo de transformação 2017.
[44] Carneiro LB, Silva ACCLM, Alencar LH. Scrum Agile Project Management Methodology Application for Workflow Management: A Case Study. 2018 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM), IEEE; 2018, p. 938–42. https://doi.org/10.1109/IEEM.2018.8607356.
[45] Pais M, Passos C. A Indústria 4.0 como vantagem competitiva no setor automóvel. Gestão e Desenvolvimento 2023;0. https://doi.org/10.34632/gestaoedesenvolvimento.2023.12763.
[46] Dumas M, La Rosa M, Mendling J, Reijers HA. Fundamentals of Business Process Management. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg; 2013. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33143-5.
[47] de Alencar KC, Santiago SB, de Oliveira Júnior MC, de Lima OP, de Araujo PCD. Nível de Maturidade na Indústria 4.0 - Estudo de caso de uma indústria de eletroeletrônicos do parque industrial de Manaus. Revista de Gestão e Secretariado 2022;13:2296–313. https://doi.org/10.7769/gesec.v13i4.1473.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lucas Gomes, Ana Cristina Ferreira
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, which permits copying, redistributing, remixing, transformation, and building upon the material in any medium so long as the original work is properly cited.
