Manufacturing processes and machines are automated in such a way that they can administer themselves; smart machines that can avert damage by taking preventive action or smart factories where requirements get fulfilled automatically. Doesn’t it sound incredible? Well, this is where modern technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) is moving towards. Establishing an IoT system of connected machines will lay the foundation for achieving greater efficiency and information sharing.
There is an explosion of data due to increasingly sophisticated and affordable sensors, together with the exponential expansion in 3G and 4G Internet services, leading to the development of smart devices. The smart revolution has in fact reached the factory floor as well. In fact, the manufacturing sector is on the verge of a technology revolution, with the influx of new technologies all the time.
State-of-the-art Internet of Things (IoT) can make the manufacturing sector smarter and effective. Such technologies can potentially and radically enhance visibility of the manufacturing process such that every unit of production can be monitored at each step. The revolution of smart manufacturing is well and truly on its way.
Ensure continuous tracking of goods in the manufacturing process
Smart or IoT-driven manufacturing will create a system in which information and data can be captured in real time and valuable and actionable insights can be drawn from them. Such a smart manufacturing process would enable continuous tracking of processes, capital assets, resources, and products. The visibility afforded by smart manufacturing would provide organizations the ability to streamline processes as well as ensure the optimization of demand and supply. IoT-backed smart manufacturing processes aid enterprises predict and fix potentially disruptive snags and problems, thus eventually helping the end user avoid glitches. It will boost productivity and improve bottom lines at the same time.
“The entire idea is that machines work together and communicate with each other. Together with real-time monitoring of material flows, organizations will be able to ensure that the manufacturing process flows smoothly. IoT-driven data analytics will improve asset utilization for manufacturers, particularly the SMEs and smaller players. The new technology has the potential to level the playing field in favor of small players. The year 2017 could witness a radical shift in terms of the industrial adoption of IoT technologies,” said Shashank Dixit, CEO, Deskera, a global leader in cloud technology and provider of manufacturing resource planning (MRP) software.
Optimize supply chains and product strategies using IoT
Manufacturers, on the other hand, will be able to assign every material asset a distinct digital identity so that they are able to track the location and condition of assets on a real-time basis. Besides boosting productivity on the factory floor and ensuring uninterrupted connectivity, smart manufacturing facilitates a number of other aspects as well: Optimization of supply chains, product strategies that support growth, particularly for products manufactured in local markets; increased customization for meeting the ever-increasing demands of customers as well as ensure better quality of services.
With increasing pressure on the manufacturing sector to deliver efficiently, manufacturers now need to step back and look at the overall picture and find out out-of-the-box solutions to stay ahead of competition. Keeping in mind the dynamics of global markets, manufacturers need to re-strategize. A smart manufacturing process would just ensure that.
(Opinion piece by Muqbil Ahmar, Technology Evangelist and Blogger)
Source: cxotoday
