Topics In Demand
Notification
New

No notification found.

226

0

The journey towards Industry 4.0 is an interesting yet challenging one. Your business needs to have a plan in place to realize its manifold benefits

 

Technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and the Internet of Things, have today pervaded our daily lives, and are transforming the way the human race functions and interacts with one another. However, in the space of manufacturing, these new-age technologies have unlocked a new paradigm, completely disrupting the way the industry functions. In fact, the value of these technologies to manufacturing is so strong that it has led to what is called the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0.

When computers were introduced during the third industrial revolution, they came with the introduction of new technologies that made the process and supply chain of manufacturing relatively simpler. Today, as Industry 4.0 unfolds, computers are connected and ‘talk’ to each other to unlock insights. Ultimately, they make intelligent decisions without human intervention. Fuelled by data analytics and machine learning, Industry 4.0 is the biggest revolution in manufacturing, that is helping businesses grow, innovate and prepare for the future. Smart factories are today a reality, and digital transformation is aiding businesses to stay connected, reduce operational costs and improve overall efficiency. But, this is going to be an arduous climb.

Businesses have many hurdles to cross before they can realize the true value of Industry 4.0. Many manufacturing businesses tend to look at Industry 4.0 as an obligation rather than an opportunity for scalable growth. Some of them choose to deploy an agility framework rather than Industry 4.0 by relegating it to some specific, handpicked departments only. Eventually, they hamper the overall project's success due to the limitation over possible long-term benefits. Ideally, Industry 4.0 should be considered a journey towards organizational success rather than a final destination for plugging in new technologies and frameworks from the top down.

Let’s now understand the key steps manufacturing businesses can follow, towards realizing their Industry 4.0 dreams:

  1. Analysis of existing infrastructure

Before embarking on the journey to Industry 4.0, you should perform a dipstick survey of the existing technologies and status of systems to arrive at a starting point. Businesses should look for scalable technologies and systems to ensure the smooth manageability of operations in the future.

  2. Conceptualizing the vision

The most common roadblock faced by organizations during the implementation of Industry 4.0 is the inability to predict how this transformation will impact business. A clear vision needs to be established on how Industry 4.0 as a concept could transform and bring value addition to the manufacturing operation and supply chain. It is important to conduct independent research on how Industry 4.0 has impacted competitors and its overall influence in the industry. This will go a long way in zeroing down on the unique requirements of your business.

  3. Buy-in from the management

Any upgradation or moderation requires the guidance and support of top management. It is important to gather trusted information through extensive research to showcase the benefits and competitive advantage of Industry 4.0. The buy-in from leadership should be driven by long-term strategic vision with a short-term focus, by linking strong use cases to business value.

  4. Identifying the right technology Partner

Businesses should identify the right technology partner with ample exposure and experience in implementing new-age technologies. The partners should be adept at completing the journey end-to-end, right from the planning phase, implementation as well as post-implementation phases.

  5. Devising a pilot (Proof of Concept)

It is important to identify the tools and equipment needed to run the pilot and be able to recognize its advantages and success metrics.   

A pilot Industry 4.0 would reveal the effectiveness of features such as scalability, flexibility and ability to provide data insights that can be used to significantly improve performance. Once the senior-level buy-in is successful, there needs to be a long-term commitment to allocate capital and human resources to implement the new solutions.

  6. Starting Scale

While introducing Industry 4.0, it is recommended to begin small before scaling up. The business needs to analyse existing ERP or Business IT applications and their capability to adapt to the more evolved world of connected smart devices and digital data before embracing any new technology.

  7. Preferred Use case to begin

Assuming the ideal use case for your business revolves around Predictive Maintenance, you need to ensure that all the aspects of it are addressed including repair, replacement, inspections etc. These activities can be carried out in a phased manner through Industry 4.0.

  8. Embrace the cloud

Most new-age applications love the cloud framework, making it the ideal solution for distributed systems and connectivity for enterprises across the globe. If Business Applications and manufacturing systems are moved to the cloud, it frees up the time of your valuable IT resources to build Industry 4.0 infrastructure and related technologies with ease.

  9. OT-IT Integration

A key element of Industry 4.0 is the integration of operational technology with information technology. Operations technology (OT) involving machinery, assets, equipment and monitoring systems must be integrated with Information Technology (IT) that includes storage, computing, and data analytics. You need to connect the OT teams with the IT teams to truly drive change and optimize costs.

The Final word

Embracing the digital imperative will offer enterprises in manufacturing a significant competitive advantage. While the adoption of Industry 4.0 may seem difficult to some organizations due to the immense investments of time and resources, however, starting from a lower scale is highly recommended and could help organizations to overcome futuristic challenges. It is essential to start small and follow the right adoption plan to make it an organization-wide success. And the results are worth it.

-Ankit Kapoor

Business Development Manager at Cisco

 

 


That the contents of third-party articles/blogs published here on the website, and the interpretation of all information in the article/blogs such as data, maps, numbers, opinions etc. displayed in the article/blogs and views or the opinions expressed within the content are solely of the author's; and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of NASSCOM or its affiliates in any manner. NASSCOM does not take any liability w.r.t. content in any manner and will not be liable in any manner whatsoever for any kind of liability arising out of any act, error or omission. The contents of third-party article/blogs published, are provided solely as convenience; and the presence of these articles/blogs should not, under any circumstances, be considered as an endorsement of the contents by NASSCOM in any manner; and if you chose to access these articles/blogs , you do so at your own risk.


Cisco Overview: (NASDAQ: CSCO) Cisco helps seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the unconnected. An integral part of our DNA is creating long-lasting customer partnerships, working together to identify our customers' needs and provide solutions that fuel their success. From networking and data center to collaboration and security, we design and develop solutions to meet every organization's needs. We have preserved this keen focus on solving business challenges since our founding in 1984. Len Bosack and wife Sandy Lerner, both working for Stanford University, wanted to email each other from their respective offices, but technological shortcomings did not allow such communication. A technology had to be invented to deal with disparate local area protocols, and as a result of solving their challenge, the multiprotocol router was born. Know More: https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/company.html Discover us: www.cisco.in

© Copyright nasscom. All Rights Reserved.