Are you up to snuff and on board with Industry 4.0? Because it’s here to stay – until the next wave of innovation, anyway – and it has drastically moved the competitive needle on how manufacturing companies produce, improve and distribute their products. So, hold onto your hat and safety glasses, and let’s go!
What You Need to Know about Industry 4.0
Welcome to the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Brush off your high school social studies know-how and then upgrade it to circa 2023. Here’s the story behind Industry 4.0:
- The original Industrial Revolution began in the late 1700s. It was the first step toward mass production, as it introduced the use of water and steam power for the first time. Finished goods were built with machines, rather than strictly by hand.
- A century later, the second Industrial Revolution launched assembly lines and the use of oil, gas, and electric power. Along with these came communication advances; namely, the telephone and telegraph.
- In the mid-20th century, the third Industrial Revolution was marked by computers, telecommunications, and data analysis applied to manufacturing processes.
And today?
Industry 4.0. is characterized by increasing automation and the use of smart machines and smart factories. This means that informed data helps produce goods more efficiently and productively across the value chain. By collecting more data from the factory floor, usually, in real-time, a smart factory ultimately makes better production and customer service decisions.
How to Make Yours a Smart Factory
The bottom line is: Be smart or go home. To stay ahead of your competition, you need to embrace the latest technology or be an also-ran.
You may already be well on your way, but regardless of where you stand, keep up with your efforts to be a smart factory. These include:
- Using data analysis to make the best decisions: The right data analytics can help you trace historical trends, identify business patterns, and make better decisions. You can also incorporate data from other areas of your organization, as well as from suppliers and distributors, to gain even more robust insights.
- Interconnectivity: This involves connecting real-time data from sensors, devices, and machines on your factory floor so they can immediately be applied elsewhere and shared across multiple components in your organization’s software stack. No one works in silos anymore, and true enterprise resource planning (ERP) is facilitated.
- Using technology to produce cost-effective, customized goods: Utilizing advanced simulation software applications, along with new materials and technologies, you can easily create small batches of specialized items to meet customer demand. For starters, think of 3-D printing. And numerous “lot of one” possibilities exist well beyond there.
Embrace Innovation for Continued Success
Are you looking for the best talent to grow your smart factory? If so, contact Venteon Technical today. We’ll help ensure you get it right the first- and every – time.