Skills, training, and payment as key aspects to implement elements of the industry 4.0: a case study in Guanajuato

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Abstract:

Today the automotive sector is facing a major transformation. Factors that have had an impact in the aforementioned include: The 4.0 revolution, climate change that involves a change in patterns of consumption, and the need for new business models. So, the global automotive industry is in nowadays reinventing itself. One of its main challenges is the development of human capital in order to cover specialized jobs, especially generated by the introduction of new technologies.

The automotive industry (AI) is very important for the Mexican economy since it contributes 3% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 18% of the manufacturing GDP. And the state of Guanajuato, located in the Bajio area of Mexico has been positively affected by this dynamism, evidenced by the fact that total foreign investment received during the period 2006-2016 reached USD $11.26 billion.

This research was carried out in the first auto parts firm established in Guanajuato, GKN Driveline. This company was established in the municipality of Celaya, Guanajuato in 1979; and in 2016 it started to supply the plant of Audi located in Puebla and established, by a requirement by this company, a new modern plant with elements of industry 4.0. Then, the purpose of this proposal is to analyze the process of implementation of the industry 4.0 in this new plant and the employment required by this, focusing in the challenges that the firm has been face. Then, the guiding questions that drive this research are: what is the new labor profile required in this new plant? What are the main challenges that the firm has faced to implement elements of industry 4.0? And, What are the aspects that have allowed to this firm to reach a competitive level in it new plant?

In order to do that we carried out a qualitative research, the information presented was gathered via in-depth interviews with key actors (blue collar workers, middle and upper managers) during 2017 and beginning of 2018.

The main findings are that the introduction of new technologies into the production process requires a new labor profile, but this is not enough. In order to obtain better results (productivity, quality, labor environment, among others), it is necessary to introduce changes in aspects such as, payment system, training, incentives system, and evaluation system. Then one of the main challenges that the firms face is to create human development systems that permit them to capitalize the human talent.

This research form part of the project “Innovation, technological convergence and Sustainability: the challenges of the automotive industry of Guanajuato facing globalization” supported by UNAM-PAPIIT Program.