SMART Manufacturing
Manufacturing is in the middle of a revolution not seen since the invention of the steam engine. As technology continues to improve, customer expectations continue to increase, and competition becomes more intense, you need to be able to find new business models, operational efficiencies, and processes that position your business for the future.
By 2020, 60% of the top manufacturers will rely on digital platforms that will support as much as 30% of their overall revenue.This means that now is the time to take action and embrace digital transformation. With the right approach, you can create a competitive advantage that ensures your business is built for the new realities of manufacturing.
What is SMART Manufacturing?
Smart manufacturing leverages technology such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), big data, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics, additive manufacturing (3D printing), augmented reality (AR), and other innovations to improve productivity, lower costs, increase efficiency, and grow customer satisfaction.
Smart manufacturing allows you to be more flexible and proactive while at the same time improving forecasts and business intelligence. By connecting all aspects of the manufacturing process to a centralized system, you can uncover previously unseen trends, identify new revenue opportunities, allocate resources more effectively, and mitigate the risk of products defects.
Understand Customer Demand
In some cases, as many as 80 percent of products fail, in large part because manufacturers don’t consistently take time to understand customer needs and wants.
According to IDC, 50 percent of manufacturers will be collaborating directly with customers through technology when innovating and coming up with new products, resulting in up to a 25 percent improvement in product success rate.
Improve Efficiency Across the Production Environment
According to PwC, manufacturers expect efficiency gains of 12 percent over the next 5 years by investing in smart manufacturing technologies.
Through automation, machine learning, and integrated data, you can continuously identify areas for improvement, more effectively manage production schedules, improve asset utilization, and lower costs.
Improve Maintenance and Reduce Downtime
Through IoT and blockchain technologies you can know the location of every vehicle in your fleet and be immediately alerted if there is a breakdown or other issue. You also have the ability to monitor conditions inside the vehicle, critical for perishable or fragile shipments.
For example, you can monitor temperate, humidity, vibration levels, shock, and other factors that lead to damaged goods. This reduces waste, improves customer satisfaction, and ensures product quality at all stages of the supply chain.
Enable Mass Customization and Personalization
A recent report found that more than 1 in 5 of consumers who expressed interest in personalized products are willing to pay a 20 percent premium for them.
One of the biggest challenges for manufacturers is balancing scale with the customer’s desire for personalization. With advances in additive manufacturing, augmented reality, and with smart supply chains, you can enable more flexible production processes that allow for mass customization.
Technologies
There are many technologies and ways to apply these benefits. They aren't limited to just one situation. We can work with you in these areas.
INTERNET OF THINGS
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
AI & MACHINE LEARNING
CLOUD TECHNOLOGIES
Are you ready for transformation?
We help companies and communities build better systems so they can serve better, be more efficient and scale better.