Development of a Multi-plant Cross-Function Roadmapping Tool: An Industrial Case in Food & Beverage Sector

The sector of Food & Beverage (F&B) has experienced a remarkable increase in the diversification of products, leading to a consequential increase in variability, which, if not properly managed, would result in tampering profitability. Assuming that this trend cannot be reversed, manufacturers must foster their operations’ efficiency, thus sustaining their competitiveness. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) paradigm is recognized worldwide as one of the preferred paths to address this issue. By following the digitalization path, companies may encounter different barriers and will require support to overcome them. Specifically, MNCs require to exploit existing synergies among different plants and build common infrastructures. This paper presents a methodology aimed at creating a unified roadmap (TRM) for multi-plant manufacturing companies. The methodology is then applied through an industrial case study to enable the desired digital transformation of a whole MNC’s country branch, starting from the MNC’s objectives and the digital maturity assessment of the single plants. The industrial case, the Italian branch of a Swiss MNC (3 plants), allowed to support C-Levels in identifying the priority areas at subsidiary level and in allocating resources accordingly. Regarding the theoretical implications, the research allowed to shift from a single-plant view, adopted by several TRM studies, to a cross-plant cross-function integrated approach.