A Systematic Approach to Design Product Traceability in Industry 4.0: Insights from the Ceramic Industry

Departing from a case in the table and ornamental ceramics industry, we propose a comprehensive approach to design product traceability for Industry 4.0. Our design-science research approach includes a review of traceability technologies and participative enterprise modeling. We find benefits in combining Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) and Goal-oriented Requirement Language (GRL) representations to (1) improve communication in complex ISD scenarios, (2) promote reflection by experts with different backgrounds, and (3) reach consensus in a solution that addresses the goals of multiple stakeholders. The resulting model combines technologies in different stages of product lifecycle. Depending on each stage and strategic intention, the identification code can be embedded in the product, transport, or package. Our contribution can assist managers in the creation of digital ecosystems to support traceability integration at (1) technological, (2) vertical, and (3) horizontal levels that are required by the fourth industrial revolution

Ontological analysis of means-end links

The i* community has raised several main dialects and dozens of variations in the definition of the i* language. Differences may be found related not just to the representation of new concepts but to the very core of the i* language. In previous work we have tackled this issue mainly from a syntactic point of view, using metamodels and syntactic-based model interoperability frameworks. In this paper, we go one step beyond and consider the use of foundational ontologies in general, and UFO in particular, as a way to clarify the meaning of core i* constructs and as the basis to propose a normative definition. We focus here on one of the most characteristics i* constructs, namely means-end links.Postprint (published version