Adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in El Salvador

Abstract

In the last decade, one of the greatest challenges facing companies has been their digital transformation. Within this concept, one of its fundamental pillars is the incorporation of the best technologies into their business models. This paper provides a detailed quantitative analysis of the current state of Industry 4.0 technologies in El Salvador, highlighting their use in specific applications in business management and logistics in general. To this end, descriptive field research was conducted in industrial and commercial companies in the country. The aim of this research is to show the state of implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies. Specifically, questions are formulated to establish advances in product coding, business intelligence, and cloud computing. Although the service sector can use them specifically, the focus of the research is on industrial and commercial companies in El Salvador. The research concludes that most Salvadoran industrial and commercial companies show a deficient level of implementation and knowledge of Industry 4.0 technologies. Like in other Latin American countries, significant challenges must be overcome in education, outreach, investment, and public policy.