Analysis of the barriers and possible approaches for adopting Industry 4.0 in the fertilizer sector of Bangladesh

Industry 4.0 is gaining significant attention and recognition in both academic and practical spheres since to its potential to deliver substantial advantages to various industries and enable novel applications. This research aims to investigate the fertilizer production industry, evaluating its current state and identifying the barriers impeding the implementation of Industry 4.0 in this domain. The first investigation on Industry 4.0’s current state in Bangladesh entailed visiting and surveying five significant fertilizer companies. Approximately 50% of the components associated with Industry 4.0 have been successfully integrated into these manufacturing facilities. In order to ascertain the causes behind this negative circumstance, a research study was undertaken to uncover the barriers that are hindering the successful Industry 4.0 implementation. Based on the views expressed by a board of ten experts from industry and university, it has been determined that nine out of the twelve issues initially identified are deemed to be significant hurdles. A widely known decision-making approach based on numerous factors, the Best–Worst Method (BWM) was used to evaluate the ranking of these nine difficulties. Insufficient knowledge about Industry 4.0 was determined to be the most significant barrier, while the possibility of job loss was determined to be the least significant. The ranking was further improved by conducting a sensitivity analysis. Subsequently, many pragmatic strategies for overcoming these obstacles are discussed. This study is expected to have a substantial impact on the fertilizer business in Bangladesh by providing valuable insights to industry owners, policymakers, and stakeholders, therefore facilitating their adoption of the fourth industrial revolution.