Back in 2011, a term popped up at a big tech fair in Hannover, Germany, that was set to change the game for factories and businesses everywhere. This term was “Industry 4.0,” (or “Industrie 4.0” in its original context) and it was part of Germany’s high-tech strategy to make their manufacturing smarter.

What started as a fancy way to say “let’s make our factories more digital” has gained traction all across the world and grown into something much bigger. Now, Industry 4.0 is about shaking up how every part of an industrial business runs, from the front desk all the way to the delivery truck.