Tindustry: Matchmaking for I4.0 Components

The development of industry 4.0 (I4.0) systems is increasingly conceptualised as a configuration process during which components are selected and associated to compose a desired system. This paper presents an approach to configuring I4.0 systems in a distributed way involving the various stakeholders. It is termed Tindustry, as it is inspired by concepts from online dating using the app Tinder. In the approach, I4.0 components are “matched” by reciprocal agreement of the respective component owners. The matching of components is embedded in a metaphorical dating process that is aligned with the fundamental activities of configuration design. The Tindustry approach is illustrated using an I4.0 configuration example, demonstrating some of the benefits in a concrete scenario.