The customer needs can be only satisfied with creation of the appropriate manufacturing technologies and logistics processes. The realization of the process improvement becomes necessary for the both areas in the interest of the competitiveness’ observing and/or increase. Nowadays the improvement of the up to date manufacturing technologies (turning, injection moulding, …, etc.) has less improvement potential than the improvement of the logistic systems. This is the result of the industry 4.0 which was created some new possibilities (Internet of Things (IoT), cyber physics systems, big data, …, etc.) in the formation, improvement of the manufacturing logistics systems.

The process developmental methods’ reconsideration has become necessary because of increase the processes’ complexity, such as joint application of the value stream mapping’s method and the simulation modelling techniques. The new efficiency improvement possibilities have become available with using the devices of the industry 4.0 and lean philosophy.

Formation of the industrial revolution

Basically, the industrial resolutions are related to changing the social, economic and technological. It can be told that the appropriate economic and social environment is necessaries in the interest of the technologies’ invention and spread. We can define the beginning of the first industrial revolution from invention of the steam-engine. The industrial revolutions’ characteristics are introduced with table 1.

 More important devices of the industry 4.0

Nowadays the industry 4.0 has numerous devices from which the more important are the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber physics systems and the big data. These devices will transform the whole world according to a lot of experts. These will create new possibilities for the improvement of the production and services processes.

• Internet of things (IoT): Firstly, this term was used in 1999 by Kevin Ashton. The IoT enables the access of the different equipment through internet/some networks, as well as in certain cases the communication between this equipment. In the last decades the peoples were recorded the majority of the data what we can find on the internet. In essence this was significantly determined the available data’s quantity. In the interest of the realized logistics systems’ more efficient improvement we need to collect more information about the systems’ things (e. g. products, machines, material handling equipment, humans, etc.) with use of the IoT. For example, if we put some sensors on a technological equipment’s more important parts which will send signals from the status of the parts, then we can get information before the failure of the technological equipment. The eNet company made an online research through the internet about that what kinds of IoT solutions do the population know.
• Cyber physics systems: Development of the informatics and automation, as well as the increase their cohesion enabled the application of the cyber physics systems (if an electronic device contains a control and network connection then we can call this system as cyber physics system). The cyber physics systems are able to collect data from their environment, as well as after analysing of these data they are able to modify their positions. The cyber physics systems are connected through network, their significant part is also connected with each other because of this we can apply the swarm intelligence, which can result more efficient work. In the practical life there are numerous areas where application of the cyber physics systems can result the increase of the efficiency. These areas are the followings:
  • we can reduce the air resistance, consumption and the number of the accidents in the traffic with the coupling of the cars,
  • we can reduce the manufacturing wastes with coupling the manufacturing system’s elements,
  • at the formation and actuation of the supply chains.
• Big Data concept: The data amount in the world is approximately doubled in every two years, which result a huge amount of data in the different areas of the life (astronomy, logistics, trade, stock exchange, …, etc.). We can create new services and useful conclusions with the elaboration of the data’s correlation. Such service can be e. g. forecast for the flight prices with a software, which is able to determine the estimated flight price on the basis of the previous period’s data (in this case we don’t need to know the process of the price determination). The big data’s essence is determination of the probabilities with mathematical methods and procedures. In according to a lot of experts the big data will change significantly the future, because of that we can make decisions on the basis of the huge amount of the data without know of the causes-effects.

More important research directions in the manufacturing systems’ process improvement

Basically, the aim of the industry 4.0 is the realization of the intermitted manufacturing with mass production’s productivity and specific cost. If we would reach this aim then we can satisfy the unique customer needs quickly and efficiently. This looks like unreachable but the significant part of the technologies is available nowadays. In the interest of this aim’s reach there is needed development of two logistics areas. These are:

• improvement of the value stream mapping’s method,
• elaboration of new intelligent logistics solutions.

The basic method can’t be used with appropriate efficiency in the case of complex logistics systems. We can distinguish the value stream mapping’s two types that are the static and the dynamic value stream mapping’s method. The static value stream mapping can be used effectively at examination of one product line’s processes. The other method can be used effectively at examination of complex logistics systems. The dynamic value stream mapping’s method come to the front because of the increasing complexity of the processes. This method’s steps were clearly determined but the process improvement’s mode and measure are only realized on the basis of trial and error, anticipation, experience. The dynamic value stream mapping’s current and modified versions are introduced on the figure 1. Application of the dynamic value stream mapping is realized according to the next steps:

1. Assignment of the examined logistics systems, nomination of the values stream manager

2(a). Making of the dynamic value stream map

2(b). Creation of the dynamic value stream map

3(a). Analysis of the parameters, nomination of the problems on the map

3(b). Recording the investigation data

4(a). Making of the dynamic future state map

4(b). Creation of the dynamic future state map

5. Realization of the future state

After we have made the task list then we have to make a yearly value stream plan with the following contents:

• scheduling the assigned tasks’ realization,
• responsible(s) for the implementation,
• to be reached target indicators,
• monitoring of the implementation.

The next step is the realization and its control [9]. The value stream mapping contains basically five sequential steps where feedback can occur between the steps in the next cases:

• if the current state map doesn’t contain such information that will be necessary to the future state map,
• if the future state was realized then we can execute a new examination from the second step.

Elaboration of New Intelligent Logistics Solutions:

In our explanation the intelligent logistics solutions those devices/(part)systems which are able to respond to changes of the external environment. It can be possible the more significant waste reduction with application and improvement of these solutions. The wastes’ reduction will be realized because of the reduction of the lead time of the tasks to be realized, respectively the increase of the optimized collaboration between the systems objects (source and drain objects, material handling equipment, staff, …, etc.). The optimized collaboration will result more efficient human and machine resource utilization. The more important logistics solutions in the production area are the followings:

• Intelligent identification devices
• Intelligent technological equipment
• Intelligent quality control
• Intelligent material handling equipment
• Intelligent warehouse
• Intelligent logistics systems

The industry 4.0 will have a relevant effect on the formation and actuation of the manufacturing systems. According to the forecast the next changes are possibilities:

• There can be realized the communication between the different devices and the central unit, respectively between the devices because of these the central control will be changed to decentralized central control in the future.
• The complex decision making will be changed to real time decision making with use of the simulation.
• The narrowly planned production systems will be changed to such production systems which are based on modularization.
• The passive parts will be changed to intelligent parts which will be able to influence their environmental with use of the pre-programmed information.
• There will be possible larger systems’ optimization if we will use such devices’ data which have network connection. Actually, there will be possible the optimized creation and actuation of a company’s total supply chain.
• New business models will be created with the processing of the huge amounts of collected data from the logistics systems