Digitalization is on everyone’s lips, but far from on the minds of all those whose daily work will be affected by it. Developed by Schaltzeit GmbH together with other partners of the “Production Work 4.0 Innovation Network,” the “Akteure 4.0” training concept is aimed primarily at shop-floor workers. Schaltzeit took the lead in developing and producing the “Akteure 4.0” simulation game. It gives production workers the opportunity to understand digitalization in production processes and to develop ideas for their own company. On September 20, 2017, after 18 months of development, the simulation game was run in its final version with the participating partners in Stuttgart and is now also available to the public.
Deliberately designed as a non-digital game, it uses cards to introduce players to new terms, means of production, and measures that are gaining importance as production processes are digitalized. As a team, players must make decisions, develop solutions, and save a company. Participants agree on a joint strategy and engage with digitalization at an operational level. Through cognitive processing, they recognize opportunities and overcome their reservations. The target group is shop-floor workers and related occupational groups as well as their direct supervisors. In the test phase with workers, apprentices, and dual-study students, the game also proved worthwhile for vocational training.
The “Production Work 4.0” innovation network, led by Fraunhofer IAO, is an alliance of industrial companies, associations, and research partners who jointly shape current Industry 4.0 developments in production and actively help drive this change through their own projects. Besides Schaltzeit, the partners Festo, Fraunhofer IAO, Kärcher, Rota Yokogawa and Siemens contributed to the simulation game.
