In a nutshell: Industry 4.0 is not only about data and digitalization, but about our individual ability to adapt to and ideally welcome a new working world.

1. How Industry 4.0 will influence our
working world
Say good-bye to the
old world!
Frauke Christiansen, maexpartners

2. Sounds thrilling - but
what does that have to do with me?
Industry 4.0: “Value chain organization
which draws together Cyber-Physical
Systems, the Internet of Things and the
Internet of Services.”

3. If it were only Industry 4.0 …..
… more impacts:
Demographic trends
Migration
Generation Y
New job profiles
Globally available skills

4. Resulting changes and new paradigms
 not one stone will be left upon another
1 Organisation: flat
and decentralized
3 Decision-Making:
faster and machine-
based
7 Leadership: less
leaders but more
skilled
6 Qualification:
permanent update
4 Process-
Orientation: no way
out
2 Collaboration:
more autonomy
5 Working time: more
flexible

5. 1 Organisation and Structure
• Structures will become more flat
• Less hierarchy
• Decentralized units
Matrix organisations are outdated

6. 2 Collaboration
Individual flexibility even more important
Self-
organizing,
autonomous
teams
Less
“routine”
jobs
Gap
between
knowledge
worker/
production
worker will
close

7. 3 Decision making
Everybody will be required to decide
• Faster and decentrally
• Machine-based
• Supported by mathematical models, no longer
based only on experience

8. 4 Process-Orientation
Can’t be neglected any longer …
• Thinking in value chains
• Everybody needs to understand the
complexity and act accordingly
• Partners (customers, suppliers) more
integrated

9. 5 Working time
More autonomy in when and where we work
• Flexibility and availability required
• New payment schemes
• Capacity and resource planning key for HR
• Employees contacted via Social Media

10. 6 Qualification
Life-time learning and skills update is key!
• New jobs and profiles evolve
• Organizations need to know their talents
• Global competition – skills are everywhere
• War for talents – but talents are rare

11. 7 Leadership
Lots of stretches for current leaders -
and some still don’t believe it ….
10
38
8
4
21
48
54
38
52
14
32
46
17
6
12
Employees will act more autonomously
and will be less dependant from leaders
The number of leaders per employee
will decrease
agree lessagree don’t agreefully agree
Industry 4.0-know-how for leaders will become more
important than management-know-how
Leaders will be challenged to improve
their communication skills
Source: Study by Staufen AG, „Deutscher Industrie „4.0 Index“ 2015“, survey comprising 179 German companies.
Number of responses for the statements above: n = 117 (statements translated). See page 9 of study for details.

12. Skills and mindset of future leaders
Get out of the comfort zone and talk and get to
understand people
Know and live your values
Live the participative leadership approach
Careers are no longer linear, status symbols
no longer relevant
Yes, you need to brush up your English – even
if working for a German company
It’s not a question of education and
experience but of attitude
Only manageable if you are clear about your
targets and purpose in life to be balanced
Active listening/communicating
Establishing trust to all parties involved
Delegating
Accepting and being open to disruptive career
paths – also your own ….
Mastering at least one foreign language
Working and thinking truly globally
Accepting complexity and change as a fact: it
won’t stop

13. Skills and mindset of future workforce
From fixed working hours to flexibility
and availability should you want to
work more or less
From clear orders to self-organized
work, in teams and individually (you
need to find out yourself what needs to
be done - less management and
control can be stressful!)
Having learned/studied once after
school won’t be enough any more.
Lifelong learning is the future principle
Everybody will need to take decisions,
being an “informed decider”
is important
From push to pull in communication 
you’re responsible to get the
information you need
Job profiles: less and less routine jobs
and more and more people
competing for them

14. Industry 4.0 is not only about data
and digitalization, but about the
individual ability to adapt to a new
world – and for some, this might be
as far away as the moon was in 1969!

15. Need support for a smooth landing in
the new working world?
We help to manage your touchdown!
Our coordinates: 51°14'02.4"N 6°49'07.6"E
www.maex-partners.com
maexpartners GmbH Frauke Christiansen
Grafenberger Allee 277 – 287 Partner
40237 Duesseldorf Phone +49 173 547 3268
Germany Mail frauke.christiansen@maex-partners.com
Phone: +49 211 598 396 83 LinkedIn www.de.linkedin.com/in/fraukechristiansen
Fax: +49 211 598 396 85 Twitter @FraukeChr