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Goal: This study aims to assess the impact of using the method of real options in investment analysis through a case study on a retail firm. Design / Methodology / Approach: It was targeted the applications of the real options method in a different type of environment and it was compared to another method more commonly used, the discounted cash flow method (DCF). The implementation and assessment of the real options method was investigated by means of a case study conducted in an investment analysis in a retail units firm. Results: The use of the real options method showed a more concise applicability over the DCF method. The results show that the project’s value, after the inclusion of managerial flexibility, increased significantly, which indicates that the analysis of the discounted cash flow undervalued the investment in question, since it disregarded the flexibility to expand or abandon the project. Limitations of the investigation: The presented method is proper to long-term processes where it is possible to make changes during the project. Investments in this sector usually are more related to short and medium-term decisions, making the application difficult due to the short decision-making period available to the managers. Practical Implications: The study provided the incorporation of flexibility through different pathways during the building project in a retail units firm. It was showed different scenarios where practitioners could decide among expanding, proceeding, reducing or abandoning the retail units based on the characteristics of their investments. Originality/value: The results obtained are an indication of this methodology to industrial businesses that are relatively volatile and that need a certain degree of flexibility in order to burgeon, such as the case of the retailing sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal: The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of Industry 4.0 concepts and technologies through the lens of practitioners and scholars with considerable expertise in this field. Design / Methodology / Approach: A qualitative research was conducted based on seven semi-structured interviews guided by an open questionnaire, which was developed with the main goal of understanding the concept of Industry 4.0 and the technologies that compose this industrial phenomenon. Results: Based on this methodology, a cognitive map is presented as the result and final product of this study. This cognitive map is composed of five different clusters, each one represented by different colors, which relate to each of the questions in the questionnaire. Our analysis provides a better understanding of (i) the main concepts of Industry 4.0; (ii) the implementation stages for companies; (iii) the main enabling technologies; (iv) the concept of M2M (machine-to-machine); and (v) the scenario in Brazil. Each one of the clusters enables a discussion by bringing what is in the literature on the topic. Limitations of the investigation: The main limitations of the article are found in the subjectivity of the results and also in the scarcity in the literature related to some topics covered in the clusters. Practical implications: This research can be potentially useful for practitioners, since it sheds light on the Industry 4.0 concept and how technologies are used to integrate processes. Originality / Value: The clusters answers of the cognitive map allowed comparisons with the literature and a discussion about Industry 4.0, making it possible to direct and check gaps in the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]